Acting
Rosalind Chao
Rosalind Chao (born September 23, 1959) is an American actress of Chinese heritage. Chao's most notable roles are as South Korean refugee Soon-Lee Klinger on CBS' AfterMASH, as Keiko O'Brien on both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Dr. Kim on The O.C., Rose Hsu Jordan in The Joy Luck Club (1993), and Hua Li, Mulan’s mother, in the live-action version of Mulan (2020). Chao is married to voice actor Simon Templeman; they have 2 children. She began acting at the age of five in a California-based Peking opera traveling company at the instigation of her parents who were already heavily involved, and during the summers they sent her to Taiwan to further develop her acting skills. As a child, she played the daughter of a laundry owner (played by James Hong) on the 1970 episode of Here's Lucy entitled "Lucy the Laundress". For some time, Chao worked at Disneyland as an international tour guide. Deciding not to pursue acting, Chao enrolled in the communications department at the University of Southern California where she earned her degree in journalism. However, after spending a year as a radio newswriting intern at the CBS-owned Hollywood radio station KNX, she soon returned to acting. Her big break was with the role of Soon-Lee, a South Korean refugee, in the final episodes of the TV series M*A*S*H. Soon-Lee married longtime starring character Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr) in the series finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen", the most-watched U.S. sitcom television episode of all time as of 2021. Chao continued playing the character in the M*A*S*H sequel series: AfterMASH (1983), her first role billed at co-starring status. Chao regularly portrayed the Japanese exo-botanist Keiko Ishikawa O'Brien on both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She was also originally considered for the part of Enterprise security chief Tasha Yar. She's had recurring roles as Miss Chung on season 5 of Diff'rent Strokes, Li Ying on season 5 of Falcon Crest, Dr. Judith Lin on Citizen Baines, Dr. Kim on seasons 1 & 3 of The O.C., Pastor Jin on Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment B, Mrs. Wu on Sin City Saints, Caroline on Better Things, and Tina Tchen on The First Lady. She's guest starred on numerous shows including This is Us, Code Black, The Catch, black-ish, The OA, Hawaii Five-O, Castle, Forever, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Bones, The Event, CSI, Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy, According to Jim, Six Feet Under, The Parkers, Monk, Without a Trace, Dharma & Greg, Once and Again, The West Wing, Family Law, ER, Brimstone, Chicago Hope, Murder She Wrote, thirty something, Jake & the Fatman, Miami Vice, Beauty and the Beast (1988), The A-Team, St. Elsewhere, Riptide, M*A*S*H,One Day at a Time (1981), Emergency!, The Incredible Hulk (1978), Here's Lucy, and more. She has starred in several movies including The Joy Luck Club, North (1994), What Dreams May Come, Impostor, I Am Sam, Freaky Friday (2003), Just Like Heaven, Mulan (2020) as Mulan’s mother, Together Together, and The Starling. In 2019, Chao was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences citing her contributions to critically acclaimed films The Joy Luck Club and I Am Sam.
Filmography
Sacramento
Film · 2025
Freakier Friday
Film · 2025
3 Body Problem
Series · 2024
Not an Artist
Film · 2023
The First Lady
Series · 2022
The Starling
Film · 2021
Together Together
Film · 2021
Sweet Tooth
Series · 2021
Magic Camp
Film · 2020
Mulan
Film · 2020
Plus One
Film · 2019
The Laundromat
Film · 2019
The L Word: Generation Q
Series · 2019
Tragedy Girls
Film · 2017
The Catch
Series · 2016
The OA
Series · 2016
Better Things
Series · 2016
This Is Us
Series · 2016
Stockholm, Pennsylvania
Film · 2015
Sin City Saints
Series · 2015
The Muppets
Series · 2015
Code Black
Series · 2015
Intelligence
Series · 2014
Forever
Series · 2014
black-ish
Series · 2014
Knife Fight
Film · 2013
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
Series · 2012
Ruth & Erica
Series · 2012
The Neighbors
Series · 2012
Shameless
Series · 2011
Hawaii Five-0
Series · 2010
The Event
Series · 2010
Castle
Series · 2009
Trauma
Series · 2009
Nanking
Film · 2007
Private Practice
Series · 2007
Tell Me You Love Me
Series · 2007
Just Like Heaven
Film · 2005
Life of the Party
Film · 2005
Ben 10
Series · 2005
Grey's Anatomy
Series · 2005
Bones
Series · 2005
Medical Investigation
Series · 2004
Center of the Universe
Series · 2004
Century City
Series · 2004
W.I.T.C.H.
Series · 2004
Freaky Friday
Film · 2003
Inhabited
Film · 2003
The O.C.
Series · 2003
10-8: Officers on Duty
Series · 2003
Monk
Series · 2002
Without a Trace
Series · 2002
MDs
Series · 2002
Three Blind Mice
Film · 2001
I Am Sam
Film · 2001
Impostor
Film · 2001
The Man from Elysian Fields
Film · 2001
According to Jim
Series · 2001
Citizen Baines
Series · 2001
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Series · 2001
Six Feet Under
Series · 2001
Enemies of Laughter
Film · 2000
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Series · 2000
Gideon's Crossing
Series · 2000
Once and Again
Series · 1999
The Parkers
Series · 1999
Family Law
Series · 1999
The West Wing
Series · 1999
Get Real
Series · 1999
What Dreams May Come
Film · 1998
Brimstone
Series · 1998
The End of Violence
Film · 1997
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
Film · 1997
Dharma & Greg
Series · 1997
To Love, Honor and Deceive
Film · 1996
Special Report: Journey to Mars
Film · 1996
Arli$$
Series · 1996
The Daily Show
Series · 1996
North
Film · 1994
Web of Deception
Film · 1994
Love Affair
Film · 1994
Chicago Hope
Series · 1994
ER
Series · 1994
The Magic School Bus
Series · 1994
Under Suspicion
Series · 1994
The Joy Luck Club
Film · 1993
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Series · 1993
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Film · 1992
Intruders
Series · 1992
Thousand Pieces of Gold
Film · 1991
Denial
Film · 1990
Last Flight Out
Film · 1990
Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
Series · 1990
Against the Law
Series · 1990
Shooter
Film · 1988
White Ghost
Film · 1988
The Tribulations of a Chinese Gentleman
Film · 1987
Slam Dance
Film · 1987
thirtysomething
Series · 1987
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series · 1987
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series · 1987
Max Headroom
Series · 1987
Tour of Duty
Series · 1987
Jake and the Fatman
Series · 1987
Spies
Series · 1987
Private Eye
Series · 1987
Beauty and the Beast
Series · 1987
Jack and Mike
Series · 1986
Stingray
Series · 1985
Murder, She Wrote
Series · 1984
Miami Vice
Series · 1984
Riptide
Series · 1984
Going Berserk
Film · 1983
The Terry Fox Story
Film · 1983
AfterMASH
Series · 1983
The A-Team
Series · 1983
Moonlight
Film · 1982
St. Elsewhere
Series · 1982
Bring 'Em Back Alive
Series · 1982
American Playhouse
Series · 1982
American Playhouse
Series · 1982
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
Film · 1981
Twirl
Film · 1981
An Eye for an Eye
Film · 1981
Falcon Crest
Series · 1981
The Big Brawl
Film · 1980
Bride of the Incredible Hulk
Film · 1980
Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge
Film · 1980
Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women
Film · 1979
The Ultimate Impostor
Film · 1979
A Man Called Sloane
Series · 1979
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
Series · 1979
Diff'rent Strokes
Series · 1978
The Amazing Spider-Man
Series · 1978
Diff'rent Strokes
Series · 1978
The Incredible Hulk
Series · 1977
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
Series · 1977
How the West Was Won
Series · 1977
Battle of the Network Stars
Series · 1976
One Day at a Time
Series · 1975
Kojak
Series · 1973
M*A*S*H
Series · 1972
Anna and the King
Series · 1972
ABC Afterschool Special
Series · 1972
Emergency!
Series · 1972
Here's Lucy
Series · 1968
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Series · 1962
The Joy Luck Club 2
Film