Peggy Lu

Peggy Lu’s the kind of actor you spot on screen and instantly think, “Oh, it’s her!” She’s basically iconic as Mrs. Chen, the no-nonsense convenience store owner in the Venom movies—yeah, those blockbusters from Sony. She’s got that whole scene-stealing energy, you know? But she isn’t just chilling in the Marvel universe. You’ll also catch her popping up in shows like “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Superstore,” and HBO’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” Not to mention, she even crossed over into the animated chaos of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Busy lady. Here’s the kicker, though: acting wasn’t even her first gig. She started out in college, just dipping her toes in for fun, but her parents had other plans. Like a lot of immigrant families, they wanted something stable—so off she went to pharmacy school. Not just that, she went all in and got her Ph.D. Imagine grinding through med school, then chasing acting on the side. Wild. She ended up in New York, juggling hospice pharmacy work and auditions. All the while, she credits her parents for hustling hard so she could chase her own wild dreams. When she’s not filming, Peggy’s basically the queen of DIY. Got into carpentry after rescuing two shelter dogs because, apparently, pet-proofing your house is a gateway drug to power tools. Now she’s full-on making and upcycling furniture. So yeah, she’s not just a familiar face on screen—she’s got serious chops, both in the arts and with a saw.