Rosalind Chao
Biography
Rosalind Chao is an American actress of Chinese heritage. Born on September 23, 1957, in Los Angeles, California, she began acting at the age of five in a California-based Peking opera traveling company. Her parents were already involved in the arts and sent her to Taiwan during summers to further develop her skills. Chao has appeared in numerous acting credits, with a total of 145 known credits. She is known for her roles in various films and television shows, including The Joy Luck Club and the live-action version of Mulan. Chao is married to voice actor Simon Templeman, and they have two children.
Career overview
Rosalind Chao is an American actress of Chinese heritage. She began acting at the age of five in a California-based Peking opera traveling company. Chao's parents, who were already involved in the arts, sent her to Taiwan during the summers to further develop her skills.
Chao's acting career spans multiple television shows and films. She is known for her roles in several notable productions. Her credits include appearances in AfterMASH, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Chao has also appeared in The O.C. and The Joy Luck Club. In addition, she portrayed Hua Li, the mother of Mulan, in the 2020 live-action version of the film.
Rosalind Chao's acting career is characterized by her versatility and range. With over 145 credits to her name, she has demonstrated her ability to take on a wide variety of roles in film and television. Chao's early start in Peking opera laid the foundation for her future success in the entertainment industry.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
148 titles- Freakier Friday (2025) as Mama P
- Sacramento (2025) as Dr. Murray
- 3 Body Problem (2024) as Ye Wenjie
- Not an Artist (2023) as Kimmy
- The First Lady (2022) as Tina Tchen
- Sweet Tooth (2021) as Mrs. Helen Zhang
- The Starling (2021) as Fawn
- Together Together (2021) as Dr. Andrews
- Mulan (2020) as Hua Li
- Magic Camp (2020) as Lorraine (uncredited)
- The L Word: Generation Q (2019) as Grace Lee
- The Laundromat (2019) as Gu Kailai
- Plus One (2019) as Angela Mori
- Tragedy Girls (2017) as Mayor Campbell
- This Is Us (2016) as Anna
- The OA (2016) as Patricia Knoller
- Better Things (2016) as Caroline
- The Catch (2016) as Kohana Takashi
- Code Black (2015) as Jae Eun
- The Muppets (2015) as Woman #1
- Sin City Saints (2015) as Mrs. Wu
- Stockholm, Pennsylvania (2015) as Dr. Andrews
- black-ish (2014) as Dr. Stone
- Forever (2014) as Frenchman
- Intelligence (2014) as Sheng-Li Wang
- Knife Fight (2013) as Kate - Focus Group Moderator
- Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (2012) as Pastor Jin
- The Neighbors (2012) as Barb Hartley
- Ruth & Erica (2012) as Helen
- Shameless (2011) as Doctor
- Hawaii Five-0 (2010) as Governor Keiko Mahoe
- The Event (2010) as Doctor
- Castle (2009) as Mimi Tan
- Trauma (2009) as Therapist
- Private Practice (2007) as Lillie Jordan
- Tell Me You Love Me (2007) as Cynthia
- Nanking (2007) as Chang Yu Zheng
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) as Kathleen Patterson
- Bones (2005) as Mandy Oh
- Ben 10 (2005) as Councilwoman Liang (voice)
- Just Like Heaven (2005) as Fran
- Life of the Party (2005) as Mei Lin
- W.I.T.C.H. (2004) as Joan Lin / Mandy (voice)
- Medical Investigation (2004) as Dr. Kramer
- Century City (2004) as Doctor
- Center of the Universe (2004) as Dr. Geisler
- The O.C. (2003) as Dr. Kim
- 10-8: Officers on Duty (2003) as Lt. Maggie Chen
- Freaky Friday (2003) as Pei-Pei
- Inhabited (2003) as Ms. Montane
- Without a Trace (2002) as Helen Collins
- Monk (2002) as Arleen Cassidy
- MDs (2002) as Angela Yuan
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) as Mrs. Zhuang
- According to Jim (2001) as Sally Wu
- Six Feet Under (2001) as Cindy
- I Am Sam (2001) as Lily
- The Man from Elysian Fields (2001) as Female Customer
- Citizen Baines (2001) as Judith Lin
- Impostor (2001) as Newscaster (uncredited)
- Three Blind Mice (2001) as Li Mei Chen
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) as Michelle Huntley
- Gideon's Crossing (2000) as Claire Hines
- Enemies of Laughter (2000) as Carla
- The West Wing (1999) as Jane Gentry
- Family Law (1999) as Dr. Seabourne
- The Parkers (1999) as Prof. Thornhill
- Once and Again (1999) as Tami Seitz
- Get Real (1999) as Anne Collins
- Brimstone (1998) as Nina Chou
- What Dreams May Come (1998) as Leona
- Dharma & Greg (1997) as Patricia
- The End of Violence (1997) as Claire
- Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western (1997) as Self
- The Daily Show (1996) as Self
- Arli$$ (1996) as Karen
- To Love, Honor and Deceive (1996) as Sydney's Best Friend
- Special Report: Journey to Mars (1996) as Dr. Lin Yo Yu
- ER (1994) as Dr. Theresa Chow
- Chicago Hope (1994) as Allison Granger
- The Magic School Bus (1994) as Mrs. Li (voice)
- Under Suspicion (1994)
- North (1994) as Chinese Mom
- Love Affair (1994) as Lee
- Web of Deception (1994) as Dr. Sheila Prosser
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) as Keiko O'Brien
- The Joy Luck Club (1993) as Rose Hsu Jordan
- Intruders (1992) as Dr. Jenny Sakai
- Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) as Cathy DiTolla
- Thousand Pieces of Gold (1991) as Lalu / Polly
- Against the Law (1990) as Toy Feng
- Drug Wars: The Camarena Story (1990) as Thanh Steinmetz
- Denial (1990) as Terry
- Last Flight Out (1990) as Tra Duong
- Shooter (1988) as Lan
- White Ghost (1988) as Thi Hau
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) as Keiko Ishikawa
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) as Keiko O'Brien
- Jake and the Fatman (1987) as Elaine Nakasone
- thirtysomething (1987) as Willa Camden
- Tour of Duty (1987) as Li Kiem
- Max Headroom (1987) as Angie Barry
- Private Eye (1987) as Kai-Lee
- Slam Dance (1987) as Mrs. Margaret Bell
- Spies (1987)
- Beauty and the Beast (1987) as Lin Wong
- The Tribulations of a Chinese Gentleman (1987) as 莲花 (Lian Hua)
- Jack and Mike (1986) as Holly Sykes
- Stingray (1985) as Colette Tran
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Phoebe Campbell
- Miami Vice (1984) as Mai Ying
- Riptide (1984) as Lucy
- The A-Team (1983) as Alice Heath
- AfterMASH (1983) as Soon-Lee Klinger
- The Terry Fox Story (1983) as Rika Noda
- Going Berserk (1983) as Kung Fu Girl
- St. Elsewhere (1982) as Mary Wilson
- American Playhouse (1982) as Ku Ling
- American Playhouse (1982) as Lalu
- Bring 'Em Back Alive (1982) as Shala
- Moonlight (1982) as Daphne Wu
- Falcon Crest (1981) as Li-Ying Chi
- An Eye for an Eye (1981) as Linda Chan
- Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge (1981) as Emily Chan
- The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981) as Hotel Clerk
- Twirl (1981) as Kim King
- The Big Brawl (1980) as Mae
- Bride of the Incredible Hulk (1980) as Receptionist
- The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1979) as Leslie Chiu
- A Man Called Sloane (1979) as Soom Nuk
- Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women (1979) as Flower
- The Ultimate Impostor (1979) as Lai-Ping
- The Amazing Spider-Man (1978) as Emily Chan
- Diff'rent Strokes (1978) as Miss Chung
- Diff'rent Strokes (1978) as Ming Li
- The Incredible Hulk (1977) as Receptionist
- The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977) as Lily
- How the West Was Won (1977) as Li Sin
- Battle of the Network Stars (1976)
- One Day at a Time (1975) as Gloria
- Kojak (1973) as Grace Chen
- Emergency! (1972) as Kathy
- M*A*S*H (1972) as Soon-Lee
- ABC Afterschool Special (1972) as The Kurmese Ambassador's Daughter
- Anna and the King (1972) as Princess Serena
- Here's Lucy (1968) as Linda Chang Wong
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Joy Luck Club 2 as Rose Hsu Jordan
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Rosalind Chao best known for?
Rosalind Chao is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Freakier Friday (2025), 3 Body Problem (2024), Sweet Tooth (2021), The Starling (2021).
When and where was Rosalind Chao born?
Rosalind Chao was born on September 23, 1957 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
How many credits does Rosalind Chao have?
Rosalind Chao has accumulated over 148 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1962 to 2025.
What is Rosalind Chao's background in cinema and television?
Rosalind Chao is an American actress of Chinese heritage. Born on September 23, 1957, in Los Angeles, California, she began acting at the age of five in a California-based Peking opera traveling company. Her parents were already involved in the arts and sent her to Taiwan during summers to further develop her skills. C...