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