Chan's father, Roy Chan, is a Hong Kong–based solicitor of Chinese heritage; her mother, Lorna Ross, is a Canadian ballerina. She was raised in Cheshire and attended University College, in London, England, and then attended Harvard, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While at Harvard, she frequently acted at the nearby American Repertory Theater. Chan 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. Chan married Erik Ratensperger on January 21, 2011, and the couple currently resides in Los Angeles, California.