One of our most dynamic actors and New York Times best-selling author, John Cho’s esteemed career has spanned over two decades. Cho has continued to deliver compelling performances in both film and television, positioning him as one of the first Korean-American actors in the mainstream to break through business and cultural barriers. Cho’s debut middle-grade book, "Troublemaker," landed on both The New York Times and IndieBound bestseller lists in its first week.
Cho starred in the Amazon Studios’ father-daughter dramedy, "Don’t Make Me Go." He also executive produced Erick Oh’s animated short film "Namoo." "Namoo" appeared on the 2022 Oscar’s Short List and was nominated for Best Special Production and Best Character Animation - TV/Media for the Annie Awards 2021.
Cho starred in the live-action Netflix series "Cowboy Bebop," based on the worldwide phenomenon from the original Japanese animated series in 1997. On the big screen, Cho starred in Aneesh Chaganty’s film "Searching," which garnered him an Independent Spirit Award nomination in the category of Best Male Lead. The film was named one of the National Board of Review’s top 10 independent films of 2018. Cho was also seen starring in Kogonada’s "Columbus," opposite Haley Lu Richardson. Variety raved about Cho’s performance and his “untapped ability as a captivatingly sincere leading man,” – and the film was nominated for four Gotham Awards and three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best First Feature. In 2024, he starred in the AI thriller, “Afraid,” about a smart home device that becomes too involved in his family.
Cho previously lent his voice to the father in the Oscar-nominated "Mirai" and in the Sony Pictures Animation film titled "Wish Dragon," alongside Jackie Chan and Constance Wu. The film was nominated for an Annie Award in the category of "Best Character Animation - Feature." Cho first came into the spotlight in the 1999 hit comedy "American Pie" and the sequel, "American Reunion." He starred as 'Harold Lee' opposite Kal Penn in the cult comedies "Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle," "Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay," and "A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas." Cho went on to star in the iconic role of 'Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu' in the motion picture reboots of the legendary "Star Trek" franchise, appearing in all three films – "Star Trek" and "Star Trek Into Darkness" for J.J. Abrams, and "Star Trek Beyond," directed by Justin Lin.
On television, Cho was recently seen in the CBS All Access reboot of "The Twilight Zone," in which he starred opposite Allison Tolman and Jacob Tremblay for one episode. Additional credits include the leading role in FOX’s "The Exorcist," the ABC comedy "Selfie" opposite Karen Gillan, FOX’s "Sleepy Hollow," NBC’s comedy "Go On," and ABC's drama series "Flash Forward," the Weitz Bros’ "Off Centre," and FOX’s "Kitchen Confidential."
Born in Seoul, Korea, and raised in Los Angeles, California, Cho began acting while studying English literature at the University of California, Berkeley. He toured the country with his first show, "The Woman Warrior," an adaptation of the renowned memoir by Maxine Kingston. Other stage roles include ‘Laertes’ in the Singapore Repertory Theater's production of "Hamlet" and a variety of shows for East West Players.
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