Rosalind Chao
Acting • Born 1957-09-23
Biography
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
147 credits
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
Movie • 1981
Hotel Clerk
Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women
Movie • 1979
Flower
What Dreams May Come
Movie • 1998
Leona
Just Like Heaven
Movie • 2005
Fran
Sacramento
Movie • 2025
Dr. Murray
The End of Violence
Movie • 1997
Claire
Nanking
Movie • 2007
Chang Yu Zheng
Life of the Party
Movie • 2005
Mei Lin
To Love, Honor and Deceive
Movie • 1996
Sydney's Best Friend
Three Blind Mice
Movie • 2001
Li Mei Chen
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
Movie • 1997
Self
The Joy Luck Club
Movie • 1993
Rose Hsu Jordan
The Big Brawl
Movie • 1980
Mae
Shooter
Movie • 1988
Lan
Denial
Movie • 1990
Terry
Bride of the Incredible Hulk
Movie • 1980
Receptionist
The Tribulations of a Chinese Gentleman
Movie • 1987
莲花 (Lian Hua)
Thousand Pieces of Gold
Movie • 1991
Lalu / Polly
Enemies of Laughter
Movie • 2000
Carla
Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge
Movie • 1981
Emily Chan
White Ghost
Movie • 1988
Thi Hau
Going Berserk
Movie • 1983
Kung Fu Girl
Moonlight
Movie • 1982
Daphne Wu
Twirl
Movie • 1981
Kim King
Last Flight Out
Movie • 1990
Tra Duong
The Ultimate Impostor
Movie • 1979
Lai-Ping
Knife Fight
Movie • 2013
Kate - Focus Group Moderator
North
Movie • 1994
Chinese Mom
Freaky Friday
Movie • 2003
Pei-Pei
Freakier Friday
Movie • 2025
Mama P
Tragedy Girls
Movie • 2017
Mayor Campbell
Stockholm, Pennsylvania
Movie • 2015
Dr. Andrews
An Eye for an Eye
Movie • 1981
Linda Chan
Slam Dance
Movie • 1987
Mrs. Margaret Bell
Inhabited
Movie • 2003
Ms. Montane
Magic Camp
Movie • 2020
Lorraine (uncredited)
I Am Sam
Movie • 2001
Lily
Special Report: Journey to Mars
Movie • 1996
Dr. Lin Yo Yu
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Movie • 1992
Cathy DiTolla
Plus One
Movie • 2019
Angela Mori
The Starling
Movie • 2021
Fawn
The Laundromat
Movie • 2019
Gu Kailai
Mulan
Movie • 2020
Hua Li
Impostor
Movie • 2001
Newscaster (uncredited)
Web of Deception
Movie • 1994
Dr. Sheila Prosser
The Terry Fox Story
Movie • 1983
Rika Noda
Together Together
Movie • 2021
Dr. Andrews
The Man from Elysian Fields
Movie • 2001
Female Customer
Love Affair
Movie • 1994
Lee
The Joy Luck Club 2
Movie
Rose Hsu Jordan
Not an Artist
Movie • 2023
Kimmy
St. Elsewhere
TV • 1982
Mary Wilson
Falcon Crest
TV • 1981
Li-Ying Chi
Murder, She Wrote
TV • 1984
Phoebe Campbell
Medical Investigation
TV • 2004
Dr. Kramer
M*A*S*H
TV • 1972
Soon-Lee
Once and Again
TV • 1999
Tami Seitz
Here's Lucy
TV • 1968
Linda Chang Wong
The Incredible Hulk
TV • 1977
Receptionist
thirtysomething
TV • 1987
Willa Camden
Star Trek: The Next Generation
TV • 1987
Keiko Ishikawa
Star Trek: The Next Generation
TV • 1987
Keiko O'Brien
Brimstone
TV • 1998
Nina Chou
Monk
TV • 2002
Arleen Cassidy
Miami Vice
TV • 1984
Mai Ying
According to Jim
TV • 2001
Sally Wu
Beauty and the Beast
TV • 1987
Lin Wong
Diff'rent Strokes
TV • 1978
Miss Chung
Castle
TV • 2009
Mimi Tan
Without a Trace
TV • 2002
Helen Collins
Dharma & Greg
TV • 1997
Patricia
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
TV • 1977
Lily
AfterMASH
TV • 1983
Soon-Lee Klinger
The O.C.
TV • 2003
Dr. Kim
The Parkers
TV • 1999
Prof. Thornhill
Kojak
TV • 1973
Grace Chen
Private Practice
TV • 2007
Lillie Jordan
Max Headroom
TV • 1987
Angie Barry
Stingray
TV • 1985
Colette Tran
Ben 10
TV • 2005
Councilwoman Liang (voice)
Chicago Hope
TV • 1994
Allison Granger
ER
TV • 1994
Dr. Theresa Chow
Anna and the King
TV • 1972
Princess Serena
Battle of the Network Stars
TV • 1976
Tour of Duty
TV • 1987
Li Kiem
Family Law
TV • 1999
Dr. Seabourne
Citizen Baines
TV • 2001
Dr. Judith Lin
Center of the Universe
TV • 2004
Dr. Geisler
10-8: Officers on Duty
TV • 2003
Lt. Maggie Chen
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
TV • 2000
Michelle Huntley
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV • 1962
Self
MDs
TV • 2002
Angela Yuan
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
TV • 1993
Keiko O'Brien
Intelligence
TV • 2014
Sheng-Li Wang
Sweet Tooth
TV • 2021
Mrs. Helen Zhang
The West Wing
TV • 1999
Jane Gentry
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
TV • 2001
Mrs. Zhuang
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
TV • 2012
Pastor Jin
Grey's Anatomy
TV • 2005
Kathleen Patterson
3 Body Problem
TV • 2024
Ye Wenjie
Forever
TV • 2014
Frenchman
Jake and the Fatman
TV • 1987
Elaine Nakasone
Hawaii Five-0
TV • 2010
Governor Keiko Mahoe
The Catch
TV • 2016
Kohana Takashi
Get Real
TV • 1999
Anne Collins
The Magic School Bus
TV • 1994
Mrs. Li (voice)
Intruders
TV • 1992
Dr. Jenny Sakai
The First Lady
TV • 2022
Tina Tchen
How the West Was Won
TV • 1977
Li Sin
The A-Team
TV • 1983
Alice Heath
The Event
TV • 2010
Doctor
The OA
TV • 2016
Patricia Knoller
ABC Afterschool Special
TV • 1972
The Kurmese Ambassador's Daughter
Emergency!
TV • 1972
Kathy
The Amazing Spider-Man
TV • 1978
Emily Chan
A Man Called Sloane
TV • 1979
Soom Nuk
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
TV • 1979
Leslie Chiu
One Day at a Time
TV • 1975
Gloria
Bring 'Em Back Alive
TV • 1982
Shala
Diff'rent Strokes
TV • 1978
Ming Li
American Playhouse
TV • 1982
Ku Ling
Riptide
TV • 1984
Lucy
Jack and Mike
TV • 1986
Holly Sykes
Spies
TV • 1987
Private Eye
TV • 1987
Kai-Lee
Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
TV • 1990
Thanh Steinmetz
Against the Law
TV • 1990
Toy Feng
Under Suspicion
TV • 1994
Gideon's Crossing
TV • 2000
Claire Hines
Arli$$
TV • 1996
Karen
Century City
TV • 2004
Doctor
Six Feet Under
TV • 2001
Cindy
W.I.T.C.H.
TV • 2004
Joan Lin / Mandy (voice)
Tell Me You Love Me
TV • 2007
Cynthia
Trauma
TV • 2009
Therapist
Ruth & Erica
TV • 2012
Helen
Shameless
TV • 2011
Doctor
The Neighbors
TV • 2012
Barb Hartley
Sin City Saints
TV • 2015
Mrs. Wu
The Muppets
TV • 2015
Woman #1
black-ish
TV • 2014
Dr. Stone
Code Black
TV • 2015
Jae Eun
Better Things
TV • 2016
Caroline
This Is Us
TV • 2016
Anna
Bones
TV • 2005
Mandy Oh
The L Word: Generation Q
TV • 2019
Grace Lee
The Daily Show
TV • 1996
Self