Rosalind Chao, born on September 23, 1957, in Los Angeles, California, is an acclaimed American actress recognized for her versatile and compelling performances in television, film, and theater.

Raised in Anaheim, she was immersed in the performing arts from a young age, as her parents were former Peking opera performers who later managed a successful pancake restaurant across from Disneyland.

She gained early stage experience performing with her parents' traveling Peking opera company at the age of five and spent time in Taiwan during the summers to further her acting studies.

Despite her deep connection to acting, she pursued broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California, where she graduated in 1978, and briefly considered a career in journalism before returning to acting after an internship at a radio station made her realize her passion for performance.

Her breakthrough role came as Soon-Lee in the final episodes of the iconic television series MAS*H, where her character was a South Korean refugee who married Maxwell Klinger in the show’s historic series finale. She reprised this role in the spin-off series AfterMASH, further solidifying her television presence in the 1980s.

In the 1990s, she rose to wider fame among science fiction fans for her portrayal of Keiko O'Brien, a Japanese exo-botanist, in both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, roles which made her a pioneering figure for Asian-American representation on American television.

Also, she was featured as Rose Hsu Jordan in the critically acclaimed 1993 movie The Joy Luck Club, bringing significant cultural visibility to Asian-American narratives. She continued to appear in numerous films and TV shows, including What Dreams May Come (1998), Freaky Friday (2003), and Just Like Heaven (2005).

Later in her career, she played prominent roles such as Hua Li, Mulan’s mother, in Disney's live-action 2020 adaptation of Mulan, and took on the role of Ye Wenjie in the 2024 Netflix science fiction series 3 Body Problem, highlighting her continued relevance and adaptability in major productions.

In addition to her screen work, she remains active in theater, exemplified by her starring performance in The Great Wave at the National Theatre of Great Britain in 2018.

Rosalind Chao is married to British actor Simon Templeman, with whom she has two children. Renowned for her warm on-screen presence and trailblazing contributions.