Julia Chan (also known as Julia Taylor Ross) is an English actress and presenter. Her television roles include Dr. Maggie Lin in the CTV series Saving Hope (2012–2017), as a co-host of the first two seasons of The Great Canadian Baking Show (2017–2019), and as Pepper Smith in The CW series Katy Keene (2020). In film, she played Sophia in the 2011 horror film Silent House.
Early life and education Chan was born and raised in Cheshire. Chan's father, Roy Chan, is a Hong Kong–based solicitor of Chinese heritage; her mother, Lorna, is a Canadian ballerina. She studied at University College London and then attended Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While there, she frequently acted at the nearby American Repertory Theater. She graduated with a BA in History of Art and Architecture. She received her master's degree from New York's New School of Drama in 2010.
Career While still at graduate school, Chan gained a role in the Global Television Network's Rookie Blue (2010) (airing in the United States on ABC). Between 2011 and 2017, Chan played regular series character Dr. Maggie Lin for five seasons on CTV's Saving Hope, which was carried in the U.S. by NBC. She appeared in the role of Sophia in Silent House, a 2011 American horror film directed by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, and the following year the romantic comedy film Missed Connections.
Chan has appeared in two Canadian television programs, miniseries Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures and series Republic of Doyle. In 2015, Chan appeared in the movie, Ava's Possessions. Chan has also made guest appearances in episodes of Gotham (2016) and Schitt's Creek (2017).
She hosted The Great Canadian Baking Show with Dan Levy, which premiered on 1 November 2017, on CBC. Chan returned as host for the second season in 2018, but neither she nor Levy returned for the show's third season.
On 21 February 2019, it was announced that she had landed the role of Pepper Smith in The CW's Katy Keene, a spin-off series of Riverdale which started airing in 2020. She appears alongside Lucy Hale, Ashleigh Murray, and Jonny Beauchamp.
In 2021, Chan appeared in the stage play 2:22 A Ghost Story. She appeared in Archive 81 which premiered on Netflix on 14 January 2022.
In 2024, she was cast in the medical drama television series Brilliant Minds.
Personal life Chan was married to Erik Ratensperger from 2011 to 2019.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2008 Twenty One Kate Credited as Julia Taylor Ross2010 B.U.S.T. Tina Credited as Julia Taylor Ross Feather Weight Kate 2012 Silent House Sophia Credited as Julia Taylor Ross Missed Connections Yoga Zoe Credited as Julia Taylor Ross 2014 Dear Dead Abby Rachel Credited as Julia Taylor Ross 2015 Ava's Possessions Punk Rock Chick 2018 A Kid Like Jake Michelle 2021 Extinct Mrs. Sun / Little Girl Voice role
Television Year Title RoleNotes2010 Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures Adrianne Episode: "Family Practice"; credited as Julia Taylor Ross Rookie Blue Emily Starling Episode: "Mercury Retrograde"; credited as Julia Taylor Ross 2010, 2012 Republic of Doyle Karen Becker 2 episodes; credited as Julia Taylor Ross 2012 Pan Am Female Art Patron Episode: "New Frontiers"; credited as Julia Taylor Ross 2012–2017 Saving Hope Dr. Maggie Lin Main role; 79 episodes; credited as Julia Taylor Ross 2016 Gotham Karen Jennings Episode: "Pinewood"; credited as Julia Taylor Ross 2017 Schitt's Creek Elaine Episode: "New Car"; credited as Julia Taylor Ross 2017–2018 The Great Canadian Baking Show Herself Co-host; credited as Julia Chan 2018–2019 Little Dog Pamela Recurring role; credited as Julia ChanResume ; Goddard Agency; retrieved November 2017 2019–2020 BoJack Horseman Pickles Aplenty (voice) Replaced Hong Chau 2020 Katy Keene Pepper Smith Main role; credited as Julia Chan 2022 Archive 81 Anabelle Cho Main role; 8 episodes2023 Accused Sarah Tamura Episode: "Jiro's Story"2024 Before Therapist 2 episodes Brilliant Minds Alison Zhang-Whitaker 4 episodes2023–2026Will TrentAva Green 3 episodes 2025Ripple Kris Main role; 8 episodes
References
External links