Rosalind Chao
Rosalind Chao is an American actress. Chao's best-known roles have been Soon-Lee Klinger in the mid-1980s CBS show AfterMASH, Rose Hsu Jordan in the 1993 movie The Joy Luck Club, the recurring character Keiko O'Brien on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the 1990s, and Dr. Kim on The O.C. in 2003.
Rosalind Chao | |
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Chao at the Just Like Heaven premiere in Los Angeles (September 8, 2005) | |
Born | Anaheim, California, U.S. | September 23, 1957
Alma mater | Pomona College (BA)[1] University of Southern California |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1973–present |
Spouse(s) | Simon Templeman |
Children | 2 |
Early life
Chao's parents ran a successful pancake restaurant, Chao's, across the street from Disneyland, and employed her there from an early age.[2] She attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, graduating in 1978.[1]
Career
For some time, Chao worked at Disneyland as an international tour guide.[3]
Chao's parents were instrumental in her decision to pursue acting;[4] she began 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.[5]
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"[6].
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,[5] she soon returned to acting.[7][4]
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.[7] Soon-Lee married longtime starring character Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr) in the series finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen",[8] the most-watched sitcom television episode of all time (As of 2017). Chao continued playing the character in the M*A*S*H sequel: 1983's AfterMASH, her first role billed at co-starring status.[9]
Chao regularly portrayed the Japanese exo-botanist Keiko Ishikawa O'Brien on both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine with eight appearances in the former and nineteen in the latter before DS9's end in 1999. In 2010, a preliminary casting memo for The Next Generation from 1987 was published, revealing that Chao was originally considered for the part of Enterprise security chief Tasha Yar.[10]
In August 2018, Chao joined the upcoming live-action retelling of Mulan.[11][12] In 2019, Chao was invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences citing her contributions to critically acclaimed films The Joy Luck Club and I Am Sam. [13][14][15]
Personal life
While doing theatre at the Mark Taper Forum, Chao met Simon Templeman; the couple would eventually wed.[16] They have two children, a son and a daughter.[16][17]
Filmography
Television
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1970 | Here's Lucy | Linda Wong | Episode – "Lucy the Laundress"[18] |
1977 | The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Lily | Episode – "The Secret of the Jade Kwan Yin" |
1979 | The Amazing Spider-Man | Emily Chan | Episode – "The Chinese Web" (Part 1 & 2) |
Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women | Flower | Television film | |
Emergency! The Convention | Kathy | Television film | |
How the West Was Won | Li Sin | Episode - "China Girl" | |
1981 | Diff'rent Strokes | Ming Li | Episode – "Almost American" |
One Day at a Time | Gloria | Episode – "Julie Shows Up: Part 2" | |
1982–83 | Diff'rent Strokes | Miss Chung | Recurring role (7 episodes)[7] |
1982 | Moonlight | Daphne Wu | Television film |
1983 | M*A*S*H | Soon-Lee | Recurring role (2 episodes) |
1983–85 | AfterMASH | Soon-Lee Klinger | Main cast (30 episodes) |
1986 | Riptide | Lucy | season 3 episode 15 |
Falcon Crest | Li Ying | Recurring role (4 episodes) | |
The A-Team | Alice Heath | Episode – "Point of No Return" | |
American Playhouse | Ku Ling | Episode – "Paper Angels"[7] | |
1988 | Miami Vice | Mai Ying | Episode – "Heart of Night"[19] |
Tour of Duty | Li Kiem | Episode - "Gray-Brown Odyssey" | |
1991–92 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Keiko O'Brien | Recurring role (8 episodes)[4] |
1993–99 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Keiko O'Brien | Recurring role (19 episodes) |
1995 | Murder, She Wrote | Phoebe Campbell | Episode – "Nailed" |
1999 | ER | Dr. Chao | Episode – "Humpty Dumpty"[19] |
2001 | Citizen Baines | Dr. Judith Lin[20] | Recurring role (3 episodes) |
The West Wing | Jane Gentry | Episode – "The Fall's Gonna Kill You" | |
2002 | Dharma & Greg | Patricia | Episode – "Tuesday's Child"[21] |
2003–06 | The O.C. | Dr Kim | Recurring role (6 episodes)[7] |
2003 | Monk | Arleen Cassidy | Episode – "Mr. Monk Goes Back to School"[20] |
2005 | Six Feet Under | Cindy | Episode - "Time Flies" |
2006 | Ben 10 | Councilwoman Liang | Episode – "Side Effects" (Voice) |
2007 | Tell Me You Love Me | Cynthia | Recurring role (2 episodes)[7] |
2008 | Grey's Anatomy | Kathleen Patterson | Episode – "All By Myself" |
2009 | Private Practice | Lillie Jordan | Episode – "Slip Slidin' Away" |
2010 | CSI | Michelle Huntley | Episode – "Long Ball" |
2011 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Mrs. Zhuang | Episode – "Cadaver" |
2012 | Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 | Pastor Jin | Recurring role (4 episodes) |
Bones | Mandy Oh | Episode – "The Suit on the Set" | |
2014 | The Neighbors | Barb Hartley | Episode- "Close Encounters of the Bird Kind" |
Forever | Frenchman | Episode – "The Frustrating Thing About Psychopaths" | |
2014 | Intelligence | Sheng-Li wang | Episode – "Pilot" |
2015 | Castle | Mimi Tan | Episode – "Hong Kong Hustle" |
2016 | Hawaii Five-0 | Governor Keiko Mahoe | Episode – "Makaukau 'oe e Pa'ani?" |
2016 | The OA | Patricia Knowler | Episode – "Champion" |
2017 | Black-ish | Dr. Stone | Episode – "Manternity" |
2017 | The Catch | Kohana Takashi (Japanese Consul) | Episode – "The Dining Hall" |
Film
Year | Film | Role |
---|---|---|
1979 | The Ultimate Imposter | |
1980 | The Big Brawl | Mae |
1981 | An Eye for an Eye | Linda Chen |
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island | Hotel Clerk | |
Twirl | Kim King | |
1983 | The Terry Fox Story | Rika |
1987 | Slam Dance | Mrs. Bell |
The Tribulations of a Chinese Gentleman | Lianhua | |
1988 | White Ghost | Thi Hau |
1990 | Denial | Terry |
1991 | Thousand Pieces of Gold | Lalu Nathoy/Polly Bemis |
Megaville | ||
1992 | Intruders | |
Memoirs of an Invisible Man | Cathy DiTolla | |
1993 | The Joy Luck Club | Rose |
1994 | Web of Deception | |
Love Affair | Lee | |
North | Chinese Mom | |
1996 | To Love, Honor and Deceive | |
1997 | The End of Violence | Claire |
1998 | What Dreams May Come | Leona |
2000 | Enemies of Laughter | Carla |
2001 | Three Blind Mice | |
I Am Sam | Lily | |
2003 | Freaky Friday | Pei-Pei |
2005 | Life of the Party | Mei Lin |
Just like Heaven | Fran | |
2007 | Nanking | Chang Yu Zheng |
2009 | The Rising Tide | Narrator |
2015 | Stockholm, Pennsylvania | Dr. Andrews |
2017 | Tragedy Girls | Mayor Campbell |
2019 | Plus One | Angela |
2019 | The Laundromat | Gu Kailai |
2020 | Mulan | Hua Li |
2020 | Magic Camp | Lorraine |
2021 | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | TBA |
TBA | Godmothered | TBA |
TBA | The Starling | Fawn |
Theatre
2018 | The Great Wave at The National Theatre of Great Britain | Etsuko |
---|---|---|
2008 | Some Girl(s) | Lindsay |
References
- "Esther Brimmer '83, Bernard Chan '88, Rosalind Chao '78 and Cruz Reynoso '53 Win Blaisdell Distinguished Alumni Award". Pomona College. Pomona College Magazine. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- Rosalind Chao (February 4, 2007). Sundance Film Festival '07 – Nanking Party (YouTube). Gilbert, Arizona, U.S.: Greening Productions. Event occurs at 00:00:50. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
I grew up with Chinese parents, and I learned nothing about it
- "From Outer Space to Disney Parks … Meet the Dads from ABC-TV's 'The Neighbors'". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
- "Rosalind Chao Biography". Fandango. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
- Hodgins, Paul (February 1, 2008). "A career made from scratch". The Orange County Register. Santa Ana, California, united states: Terry Horne. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
Former Star Trek actress Rosalind Chao talks about her latest work with playwright Neil LaBute.
- https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/heres-lucy/episode-17-season-2/lucy-the-laundress/201963/
- "Rosalind Chao Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Yahoo! Inc. Archived from the original on February 26, 2006. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
- "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen". M*A*S*H. Season 11. Episode 16. February 28, 1983. CBS.
- RJ. "AfterMASH: Main Article" (embedded video). MASH4077TV.com. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
- T'Bonz (August 26, 2010). "Star Trek: The Next Generation Casting Memo Unearthed". Retrieved August 27, 2010.
- Hipes, Patrick (August 13, 2018). "'Mulan' Rounds Out Cast, Reveals First-Look Photo As Filming Underway On Live-Action Movie".
- N'Duka, Amanda (August 14, 2018). "Disney's 'Mulan' Casts Jimmy Wong & Doua Moua".
- Paul Sheehan (July 2, 2019). "Oscars invite 842 new members in 2019: Complete list by branch (and 2014-2018 totals too)". Gold Derby. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- Pete Hammond (July 2019). "Motion Picture Academy Adds 842 New Members, Half Of Whom Are Women". Deadline. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- MATT DONNELLY and MARC MALKIN (July 2019). "Academy Reaches Gender Parity in 2019 New Member Invitations". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- John, Rory (January 17, 2014). "What Ever Happened To… the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation?". Showbiz Geek. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- "Rosalind Chao on Instagram: "Halloween pumpkins ❤️#tbt"". Instagram. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/heres-lucy/episode-17-season-2/lucy-the-laundress/201963/
- "Rosalind Chao – Ovreview – MSN Movies". MSN Movies. MSN. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
- "Rosalind Chao Filmography". Fandango.com.Fandango. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- "Dharma & Greg" Tuesday's Child (TV Episode 2002) - IMDb, retrieved August 3, 2020