Her mother was a garment factory worker, while her father was employed as the head waiter at a Vancouver Chinese restaurant. She studied film at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, Ontario. Kwan was previously employed as a data entry clerk, and is capable of typing 105 words a minute.
Born into a working-class family, Kwan's mother labored in a garment factory, while her father worked as the maître d' at a Vancouver Chinese restaurant. She pursued a degree in film studies at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, Ontario. Before becoming an actress, Kwan worked as a data entry clerk and could type 105 words per minute.