Chong was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong. Chong's father is of Chinese, Scottish-Irish, and French ancestry and her mother is of Afro-Canadian and Cherokee descent. Chong is known for appearing in the films Quest for Fire (1981), The Color Purple (1985), Choose Me (1984), Beat Street (1984), Commando (1985), Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984), and Far Out Man (1990), in the latter two appearing with her father. Chong won the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1983 for Quest for Fire. Chong saw her most active period in films during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. However, she continues working in television and film.