Rosalind Chao (赵家玲 born September 23, 1957) is an American actress. She appeared as Soon-Lee Klinger in the mid-1980s CBS show AfterMASH, Rose Hsu Jordan in the 1993 movie The Joy Luck Club, the recurring character Keiko O'Brien on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the 1990s, and Dr. Kim on The O.C. in 2003. She also played Hua Li, Mulan's mother, in the live-action 2020 remake of Mulan. In 2024, she starred as Ye Wenjie in the Netflix production of 3 Body Problem. She played the role of Pei Pei in the 2003 film Freaky Friday and its 2025 sequel Freakier Friday. From 2023–2024, Chao appeared in the Netflix fantasy series Sweet Tooth, earning a Children's and Family Emmy Award for her performance.
Early life, family and education Rosalind Chao was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in nearby Anaheim. Her parents were performers with the Peking opera before they relocated to Anaheim, where they ran a successful pancake restaurant, Chao's Chinese and American Restaurant, across the street from Disneyland. Chao worked there from an early age.
She attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, and then the University of Southern California, where she earned a degree in broadcast journalism in 1978. She worked at Disneyland as an international tour guide and contemplated pursuing journalism as a career.
Career Chao's parents were instrumental in her decision to pursue acting. She began acting at the age of five, in the California-based Peking opera traveling company with which her parents were involved. During the summer, they sent her to Taiwan for further acting study and experience.
As a child, she played the daughter of a laundry owner (played by James Hong) on a 1970 episode of Here's Lucy, "Lucy the Laundress".
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 a year as a radio newswriting intern at the CBS-owned Hollywood radio station KNX, she returned to acting.
Chao's breakthrough role was that of Soon-Lee, a South Korean refugee, in the final two 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", which aired on February 28, 1983, and was the most-watched American sitcom television episode of all time as of 2021. Chao repeated the role in the M*A*S*H sequel series, AfterMASH (1983), her first role billed at co-star status.
During the development of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Chao was considered for the role of Enterprise security chief Tasha Yar. The role ultimately went to Denise Crosby, but Chao was later cast in a recurring role as Japanese exo-botanist Keiko O'Brien, which she reprised on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
In August 2018, Chao was cast as Mulan's mother in the 2020 live-action retelling of Mulan. In 2019, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, citing her contributions to the critically acclaimed films The Joy Luck Club and I Am Sam.
Personal life Chao met her husband Simon Templeman while they were working in theatre at the Mark Taper Forum. They have a son and a daughter.
Filmography Film YearFilmRoleNotes1980The Big BrawlMae1981Spider-Man: The Dragon's ChallengeEmily Chan1981An Eye for an EyeLinda Chen1983The Terry Fox StoryRika NodaTheatres in Canada and BritainGoing BerserkKung Fu Girl1987Slam DanceMrs. BellThe Tribulations of a Chinese GentlemanLianhua1988White GhostThi Hau1990DenialTerryThousand Pieces of GoldLalu Nathoy/Polly Bemis1992Memoirs of an Invisible ManCathy DiTolla1993The Joy Luck ClubRose1994NorthChinese MomLove AffairLee1997The End of ViolenceClaire1998What Dreams May ComeLeona2000Enemies of LaughterCarla2001The Man from Elysian FieldsFemale CustomerImpostorNewscasterUncreditedI Am SamLily2003Freaky FridayPei-Pei2005Life of the PartyMei LinJust like HeavenFran2007NankingChang Yu Zheng2009The Rising TideNarrator2012Knife FightKate - Focus Group Moderator2015Stockholm, PennsylvaniaDr. Andrews2017Tragedy GirlsMayor Campbell2019Plus OneAngelaThe LaundromatGu Kailai2020MulanHua LiMagic CampLorraineUncredited2021Together TogetherDr. AndrewsThe StarlingFawn 2024SacramentoDr. Lisa Murray 2025 Freakier Friday Pei-Pei
Television YearFilmRole Notes/ 1970 Here's Lucy Linda Wong 1 episode 1972 Anna and the King Princess Serana 1 episode 1973 Kung Fu Dancer Season 1, Episode 5, "The Tide;" uncredited 1976 ABC Afterschool Specials The Kurmese Ambassador's Daughter 1 episode1977The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew MysteriesLilyEpisode: "The Secret of the Jade Kwan Yin"KojakGrace ChenEpisode: "The Summer of '69: Part 1"1978The Incredible HulkReceptionistEpisode: "Married"1979How the West Was WonLi SinEpisode: "China Girl"The Ultimate ImposterLai-PingTelevision filmEmergency! The ConventionKathyTelevision filmThe Amazing Spider-ManEmily ChanEpisode: "The Chinese Web" (Part 1 & 2)A Man Called SloaneSoom NukEpisode: "Tuned for Destruction"Mysterious Island of Beautiful WomenFlowerTelevision film1981The Misadventures of Sheriff LoboLeslie ChiuEpisode: "The Roller Disco Karate Kaper"The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's IslandHotel ClerkTelevision filmTwirlKim KingTelevision filmOne Day at a TimeGloriaEpisode: "Julie Shows Up: Part 2"1981–1983Diff'rent StrokesMing Li / Miss ChungRecurring role (8 episodes)1982MoonlightDaphne WuTelevision filmBring 'Em Back AliveEpisode: "The Reel World of Frank Buck"1983The Terry Fox StoryRikaTelevision filmM*A*S*HSoon-LeeRecurring role (2 episodes)1983–1985AfterMASHSoon-Lee KlingerMain cast (30 episodes)1986RiptideLucyEpisode – "Smiles We Left Behind"Falcon CrestLi YingRecurring role (4 episodes)Jack and MikeHolly SykesEpisode: "Pilot"St. ElsewhereMary WilsonEpisode: "Not My Type"The A-TeamAlice HeathEpisode: "Point of No Return"American PlayhouseKu LingEpisode: "Paper Angels"1987SpiesEpisode: "From China with Love"StingrayColette TranEpisode: "Anytime, Anywhere"Max HeadroomAngie Barry2 episodesPrivate EyeKai-LeeEpisode: "Nobody Dies in Chinatown"1988Beauty and the BeastLin WongEpisode: "China Moon"Tour of DutyLi KiemEpisode: "Gray-Brown Odyssey"ShooterLanTelevision filmMiami ViceMai YingEpisode: "Heart of Night""Rosalind Chao – Overview – MSN Movies". MSN Movies. MSN. Retrieved February 15, 2010.1989Jake and the FatmanElaine NakasoneEpisode: "The Way You Look Tonight"1990Drug Wars: The Camarena StoryThanh Steinmetz3 episodesAgainst the LawToy FengEpisode: "Pilot"1991ThirtysomethingWilla CamdenEpisode: "California"1991–1992Star Trek: The Next GenerationKeiko O'BrienRecurring role (8 episodes)1992IntrudersDr. Jenny Sakai2 episodes1993–1999Star Trek: Deep Space NineKeiko O'BrienRecurring role (19 episodes)1994Web of DeceptionDr. Sheila ProsserTelevision film1995Murder, She WrotePhoebe CampbellEpisode: "Nailed"Chicago HopeAllison GrangerEpisode: "Rise from the Dead"1995–1996The Magic School BusMrs. Li (voice)2 episodes1996To Love, Honor and DeceiveSydney's Unnamed FriendTelevision film1998BrimstoneNina ChouEpisode: "Poem"1999Get RealAnne CollinsEpisode: "Passages"ERDr. ChaoEpisode: "Humpty Dumpty"2000Family LawDr. SeabourneEpisode: "Going Home"2001Gideon's CrossingClaire HinesEpisode: "Filaments and Ligatures"The West WingJane GentryEpisode: "The Fall's Gonna Kill You"ArlissKarenEpisode: "As Others See Us"Three Blind MiceLi Mei ChenTelevision filmCitizen BainesDr. Judith Lin"Rosalind Chao Filmography". Fandango.com.Fandango. Retrieved April 9, 2008.Recurring role (3 episodes)Once and AgainTami SeitzEpisode: "Pictures"2002Dharma & GregPatriciaEpisode: "Tuesday's Child"MDsAngela YuanEpisode: "R.I.P."2003–2006The O.C.Dr. KimRecurring role (6 episodes)2003Without a TraceHelen CollinsEpisode: "Hang on to Me"MonkArleen CassidyEpisode: "Mr. Monk Goes Back to School"The ParkersProf. ThornhillEpisode: "Cheaters Never Prosper"2003–200410-8: Officers on DutyLt. Maggie Chen4 episodes2004Century CityDoctorEpisode: "The Face Was Familiar"Medical InvestigationDr. KramerEpisode: "Price of Pleasure"Center of the UniverseDr. GeislerEpisode: "Art's Heart"2005Six Feet UnderCindy3 episodesAccording to JimSally WuEpisode: "James & the Annoying Peach"2006Ben 10Councilwoman Liang (voice)Episode: "Side Effects"W.I.T.C.H.Joan Lin, Mandy (voice)Episode: "V Is for Victory"2007Tell Me You Love MeCynthiaRecurring role (3 episodes)2008Grey's AnatomyKathleen PattersonEpisode: "All By Myself"2009Private PracticeLillie JordanEpisode: "Slip Slidin' Away"2010CSIMichelle HuntleyEpisode: "Long Ball"TraumaTherapist2 episodesThe EventDoctor2 episodes2011Law & Order: Criminal IntentMrs. ZhuangEpisode: "Cadaver"2012Don't Trust the B— in Apartment 23Pastor JinRecurring role (4 episodes)BonesMandy OhEpisode: "The Suit on the Set"2014IntelligenceSheng-Li wangEpisode: "Pilot"ShamelessDoctorEpisode: "Strangers on a Train"The NeighborsBarb Hartley2 episodesForeverFrenchmanEpisode: "The Frustrating Thing About Psychopaths"2015CastleMimi TanEpisode: "Hong Kong Hustle"Sin City SaintsMrs. Wu5 episodes2016The MuppetsWoman #1Episode: "A Tail of Two Piggies"Hawaii Five-0Governor Keiko MahoeEpisode: "Makaukau 'oe e Pa'ani?"The OAPatricia KnowlerEpisode: "Champion"2017Black-ish Dr. Stone Episode: "Manternity"The Catch Kohana Takashi Episode: "The Dining Hall"2018Code BlackJae Eun2 episodes2019This Is UsAnnaEpisode: "The Pool: Part Two "2020The L Word: Generation QGrace LeeEpisode: "Lose It All"2020–2022Better ThingsCaroline6 episodes 2022 The First Lady Tina Tchen 2023–2024 Sweet Tooth Mrs. Zhang Guest season 2; Main season 3 2024 3 Body Problem Ye Wenjie
Theatre YearTitleRoleNotes2008Some Girl(s)Lindsay2018The Great WaveEtsukoNational Theatre of Great Britain
Video games YearTitleRole1995Shanghai: Great MomentsRosalind Chao / Guide
Awards and nominations Year Organisation Category Project Result 2025 Children's and Family Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Preschool, Children's or Young Teen Program Sweet Tooth
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