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.
Photos
Films (52)
Freaky Friday 2 : Encore dans la peau de ma mère
2025 · Mama P
Sur la route de Sacramento
2025 · Dr. Murray
Not an Artist
2023 · Kimmy
Lilly et l'Oiseau
2021 · Fawn
Juntos pero separados
2021 · Dr. Andrews
Mulán
2020 · Hua Li
Campamento Mágico
2020 · Lorraine (uncredited)
The Laundromat : L'Affaire des Panama Papers
2019 · Gu Kailai
On sera 2 !
2019 · Angela Mori
Tragedy Girls
2017 · Mayor Campbell
17 ans de captivité
2015 · Dr. Andrews
Knife Fight
2013 · Kate - Focus Group Moderator
1937, Nanking : Un traumatisme chinois
2007 · Chang Yu Zheng
Et si c'était vrai…
2005 · Fran
Secrets entre amis
2005 · Mei Lin
La maison de l'étrange
2003 · Ms. Montane
Freaky Friday : Dans la peau de ma mère
2003 · Pei-Pei
Sam, je suis Sam
2001 · Lily
Impostor
2001 · Newscaster (uncredited)
Three Blind Mice
2001 · Li Mei Chen
L'Homme d'Elysian Fields
2001 · Female Customer
Enemies of Laughter
2000 · Carla
What Dreams May Come
1998 · Leona
The End of Violence
1997 · Claire
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
1997 · Self
To Love, Honor and Deceive
1996 · Sydney's Best Friend
Special Report: Journey to Mars
1996 · Dr. Lin Yo Yu
Love Affair
1994 · Lee
North
1994 · Chinese Mom
Web of Deception
1994 · Dr. Sheila Prosser
The Joy Luck Club
1993 · Rose Hsu Jordan
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
1992 · Cathy DiTolla
Thousand Pieces of Gold
1991 · Lalu / Polly
Last Flight Out
1990 · Tra Duong
Denial
1990 · Terry
White Ghost
1988 · Thi Hau
Shooter
1988 · Lan
Slam Dance
1987 · Mrs. Margaret Bell
The Tribulations of a Chinese Gentleman
1987 · 莲花 (Lian Hua)
Going Berserk
1983 · Kung Fu Girl
The Terry Fox Story
1983 · Rika Noda
Moonlight
1982 · Daphne Wu
Twirl
1981 · Kim King
An Eye for an Eye
1981 · Linda Chan
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
1981 · Hotel Clerk
Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge
1980 · Emily Chan
The Big Brawl
1980 · Mae
Bride of the Incredible Hulk
1980 · Receptionist
Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women
1979 · Flower
The Ultimate Impostor
1979 · Lai-Ping
The Joy Luck Club 2
· Rose Hsu Jordan
Handle with Care
Séries (94)
Le Problème à 3 corps
2024 · Ye Wenjie
The First Lady
2022 · Tina Tchen
Sweet Tooth
2021 · Mrs. Helen Zhang
The L Word : Generation Q
2019 · Grace Lee
The OA
2016 · Patricia Knoller
This is Us
2016 · Anna
Les meilleures choses
2016 · Caroline
L'appât
2016 · Kohana Takashi
Code Black
2015 · Jae Eun
Los Muppets
2015 · Woman #1
Sin City Saints
2015 · Mrs. Wu
'black•ish
2014 · Dr. Stone
Forever
2014 · Frenchman
Intelligence
2014 · Sheng-Li Wang
The Neighbors
2012 · Barb Hartley
Ruth & Erica
2012 · Helen
Apartamento 23 (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23)
2012 · Pastor Jin
Sans regret
2011 · Doctor
Hawaii 5-0
2010 · Governor Keiko Mahoe
The Event
2010 · Doctor
Trauma
2009 · Therapist
Castle
2009 · Mimi Tan
Private Practice
2007 · Lillie Jordan
Dis-moi que c'est l'amour
2007 · Cynthia
Ben 10
2005 · Councilwoman Liang (voice)
Bones
2005 · Mandy Oh
Dre Grey, leçons d'anatomie
2005 · Kathleen Patterson
W.I.T.C.H.
2004 · Joan Lin / Mandy (voice)
Center of the Universe
2004 · Dr. Geisler
NIH : Alertes médicales
2004 · Dr. Kramer
Century City
2004 · Doctor
Shérifs à Los Angeles
2003 · Lt. Maggie Chen
Newport Beach
2003 · Dr. Kim
FBI : Portés Disparus
2002 · Helen Collins
MDs
2002 · Angela Yuan
Monk
2002 · Arleen Cassidy
De Acuerdo con Jim
2001 · Sally Wu
New York Section Criminelle
2001 · Mrs. Zhuang
Citizen Baines
2001 · Judith Lin
Six Feet Under
2001 · Cindy
Gideon's Crossing
2000 · Claire Hines
Les Experts
2000 · Michelle Huntley
The West Wing
1999 · Jane Gentry
Once and Again
1999 · Tami Seitz
Family Law
1999 · Dr. Seabourne
Get Real
1999 · Anne Collins
The Parkers
1999 · Prof. Thornhill
Brimstone
1998 · Nina Chou
Dharma & Greg
1997 · Patricia
Arli$$
1996 · Karen
Le Daily Show
1996 · Self
ER
1994 · Dr. Theresa Chow
Chicago Hope
1994 · Allison Granger
Under Suspicion
1994
The Magic School Bus
1994 · Mrs. Li (voice)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1993 · Keiko O'Brien
Intruders
1992 · Dr. Jenny Sakai
Against the Law
1990 · Toy Feng
Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
1990 · Thanh Steinmetz
thirtysomething
1987 · Willa Camden
Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987 · Keiko Ishikawa, Keiko O'Brien
Jake and the Fatman
1987 · Elaine Nakasone
Beauty and the Beast
1987 · Lin Wong
Tour of Duty
1987 · Li Kiem
Private Eye
1987 · Kai-Lee
Max Headroom
1987 · Angie Barry
Spies
1987
Jack and Mike
1986 · Holly Sykes
Stingray
1985 · Colette Tran
Murder, She Wrote
1984 · Phoebe Campbell
Miami Vice
1984 · Mai Ying
Riptide
1984 · Lucy
AfterMASH
1983 · Soon-Lee Klinger
The A-Team
1983 · Alice Heath
St. Elsewhere
1982 · Mary Wilson
Bring 'Em Back Alive
1982 · Shala
American Playhouse
1982 · Ku Ling, Lalu
Falcon Crest
1981 · Li-Ying Chi
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
1979 · Leslie Chiu
A Man Called Sloane
1979 · Soom Nuk
Diff'rent Strokes
1978 · Miss Chung, Ming Li
The Amazing Spider-Man
1978 · Emily Chan
The Incredible Hulk
1977 · Receptionist
How the West Was Won
1977 · Li Sin
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977 · Lily
Battle of the Network Stars
1976 · Self - CBS Team
One Day at a Time
1975 · Gloria
Kojak
1973 · Grace Chen
ABC Afterschool Special
1972 · The Kurmese Ambassador's Daughter
M*A*S*H
1972 · Soon-Lee
Anna and the King
1972 · Princess Serena
Emergency!
1972 · Kathy
Here's Lucy
1968 · Linda Chang Wong
The Tonight Show avec Johnny Carson
1962 · Self