John Cho
Template:Short description Template:Family name hatnote Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person
John Yo-Han Cho (Template:Korean/auto; born June 16, 1972) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as John/MILF guy #2 in the American Pie film series (1999–2012), Harold Lee in the Harold & Kumar film series (2004–2011), and Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek reboot film series (2009–2016).
Cho became the first Asian American actor cast as a romantic lead in a romantic comedy series when he played Henry Higgs in the sitcom Selfie (2014)<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> and the first to headline a mainstream Hollywood thriller film when he starred in Searching (2018), for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.
Cho has had lead roles in television series such as FlashForward, Off Centre, and The Afterparty, and recurring roles in Sleepy Hollow and Difficult People. In his early career, Cho attained recognition for guest-starring in the fantasy television series Charmed.
Early life and education
Cho was born as Cho Yo-Han (Template:Korean/auto) on June 16, 1972<ref name="tvg">Template:Cite web</ref> in Seoul, South Korea. He moved to the United States with his family when he was 6 years old in 1978.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was raised in Los Angeles, where his family settled after living in Houston, Texas; Seattle, Washington; Daly City, California; and Monterey Park, California.<ref name="Kevin" /><ref name="UCLA">Template:Cite web</ref> His father was a minister in the Church of Christ and was originally from North Korea.<ref name="Kevin">Kevin Pollak's Chat Show, Hulu.com and Ustream, episode 96</ref><ref name="UCLA" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He grew up with one younger brother.<ref name="wired.com">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite podcast</ref> At the time, his father believed in order to survive and assimilate in the U.S., Cho and his brother would need to stop speaking Korean and speak English instead. They would also watch American television as much as they could to absorb the new culture.<ref>Template:Cite podcast Alt URL</ref>
Cho graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California, in 1990.<ref name="UCLA" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Cho attended the University of California, Berkeley. In 1994, he toured nationally for a stage production of Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior by the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. He graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="UCLA" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Career
Acting
After graduation, Cho taught English literature<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref name="wired.com"/> at Pacific Hills School in West Hollywood, California, while acting at East West Players in downtown Los Angeles.<ref name="Kevin"/><ref name="UCLA"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There, he appeared in Edward Sakamoto's The Taste of Kona Coffee in 1996 and in Euijoon Kim's film My Tired Broke Ass Pontificating Slapstick Funk in 2000.<ref>EWP 34th Season Template:Webarchive on East West Players site</ref>
Cho gained attention with a small role as "MILF guy #2" in the 1999 comedy American Pie, in which he popularized the slang term MILF.<ref name="UCLA" /> Cho reprised the role in three sequels: American Pie 2, American Wedding, and the latest installment American Reunion in which he has a much larger role. His character initially had no name, but he was given the name "John" in the third film, named after Cho himself.
Cho guest-starred on Charmed as the ghost of Mark Chao, one of leading character Piper Halliwell's most prominent love interests, in the episode "Dead Man Dating" in 1998; he indicated in 2024 that it was a role that he "gets asked about... all the time".<ref>Template:Cite Podcast</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> He was one of the stars of the short-lived situation comedy Off Centre from 2001 to 2002; his character, Chau Presley, became the series' breakout character.
He was a costar on the Fox sitcom Kitchen Confidential, based on Anthony Bourdain's best-selling book. He had supporting roles in the science fiction comedy Evolution, directed by Ivan Reitman; Down to Earth; and Bowfinger.
In 2002, Cho had a starring role in the ensemble cast of Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow, a drama focusing on the travails of a group of Asian Americans living in Southern California who are academically successful but socially discontented, and as a result engage in wantonly violent, criminal behavior. It was well received by critics, with Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times describing Cho's character's "lazy magnetism of which he is charmingly aware".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later that year, the movie Big Fat Liar was released, in which Cho played a Hong Kong-based film director. He refused to do the accent scripted for his character. The director worked with him to re-develop the role.<ref>Sullivan, Gail (October 9, 2014), "John Cho of 'Selfie': 'I experienced racism'" Template:Webarchive. The Washington Post. Retrieved June 16, 2015.</ref>
Cho had a successful starring role as Harold Lee in 2004's Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and reprised the role in 2008's Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay which earned $38Template:Nbspmillion at the box office,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and again in 2011's A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas which made $35Template:Nbspmillion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cho's role in the popular franchise was written specifically for him by Hayden Schlossberg, and Cho has recounted that when Schlossberg first approached him with the role, he was initially suspicious.<ref name="Kevin" />
Cho appeared in the July 2004 issue of KoreAm Journal and, in September 2006, was cast in NBC's new comedy The Singles Table, but the series never aired due to changes in scheduling and production. In 2006<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and again in 2009,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cho was selected as one of the sexiest men alive in People magazine.
In 2007, Cho was added to the cast of Ugly Betty as a recurring character. Cho plays Kenny, a best friend of accountant Henry Grubstick. Cho played helmsman Hikaru Sulu in J. J. Abrams's feature film Star Trek.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Manohla Dargis of The New York Times praised him for making his role "ultimately and rather wonderfully [his] own".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Cho appeared in Nas' "Be a Nigger Too" music video along with various celebrities and had a guest appearance on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, in the episode "I'm Not That Guy" where he played a partner in an evil law firm. Of the latter, Staci Krause of IGN, wrote that Cho was "the scene stealer in this episode" and that she would "definitely like to see more of him" in the series.<ref name="IGN">Template:Cite web</ref>
From 2009 to 2010, Cho starred in the television series FlashForward as FBI Special Agent Demetri Noh.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His character was originally slated to be killed off during what turned out to be the show's only season, but after his turn as Sulu in Star Trek boosted his popularity, the producers revised the show's storyline so that he survived, in an attempt to boost declining ratings.<ref name="FlashForward Keck">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2012, he was part of the cast ensemble of Go On as Steven.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cho starred as Henry Higgs in the short-lived sitcom Selfie, a retooling of the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw,<ref>Doll, Jen (October 20, 2014), "YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON TELEVISION Template:Webarchive." Business Week. (4399):70</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> becoming the first Asian American man to play a romantic lead on a U.S. romantic comedy television series in 2014.<ref name=":4" /> At the time, Keli Lee was the executive vice president of Talent and Casting at ABC who selected Cho as a candidate<ref name=":14">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and also previously cast Cho in Flashforward.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Julie Anne Robinson, one of the directors and executive producers of Selfie, revealed in 2021 interviews that she strongly supported casting Cho and had to persuade "top to bottom of everybody in that chain" that he was the perfect choice for the role, which took considerable time. Robinson fought for Cho and won, saying, "That's what I'm most proud of about that whole pilot."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite podcast</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref> The show continued to have a dedicated fan following after its broadcast, especially in China. The slow burn romance was similar to a Korean drama, which appealed to fans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2022, when Cho was asked about his thoughts on the show's cancellation, he answered, "I'm still stunned to see how many people still love that series. And yeah, I was bummed when it got canceled. I just thought that was a good show."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2023, Cho mentioned he had not received many offers for romantic comedy roles since Selfie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There were talks of a Selfie movie revival with Stars Collective, but plans have been stalled due to the Warner Brothers not selling the film rights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2016, he was a series regular for the television show as Andy Kim in the second season of The Exorcist television series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, he starred in the film Columbus, which received critical acclaim.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2018, Cho starred in the film Searching, playing a man combing social media for clues to his daughter's disappearance. He was the first Asian American actor to headline a mainstream thriller in Hollywood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Also in 2018, he was presented with the Spotlight Award at the San Diego International Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In April 2019, Variety reported that Cho had been cast as Spike Spiegel in a live-action version of the Cowboy Bebop series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, production shut down when Cho suffered a knee injury in October and remained shut down until late September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cowboy Bebop premiered on Netflix on November 19, 2021.
Cho wrote a middle school novel for younger readers called Troublemaker, which was released on March 22, 2022.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite book</ref> Also in 2022, Cho was cast in the second season of Apple TV+'s comedy series The Afterparty as "Funcle" Ulysses Zhu.<ref name="afterparty1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="afterparty2">Template:Cite tweet</ref> The new season premiered in July 2023.
In May 2024, he had a cameo in the television adaptation of The Sympathizer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In early August 2024, Cho voiced in the audiobook version of the romantic comedy book, Drop Dead, written by Lily Chu.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cho starred in a sci-fi horror film, Afraid, released on August 30, 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In February 2025, Cho was cast in the second season of Poker Face.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref> He also had cameos in several Murderbot episodes, which premiered on May 16, 2025.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Cho made his Korean drama debut in Tempest, which was released on Disney+ and Hulu on September 10, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Music
Cho is the lead singer for Viva La Union (formerly known as Left of Zed),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a Los Angeles garage rock band composed of former Berkeley and USC students. They have one album, self-titled, while their song "Chinese Baby" is on the Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay soundtrack.
Personal life
Cho married actress Kerri Higuchi in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They met at UC Berkeley and later dated when they moved to Los Angeles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They have a son, born in 2008,<ref name="People Baby">Template:Cite web</ref> and a daughter, born in 2013.<ref name="People second baby">Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2015, he and his family live in Los Angeles, California.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is close to his father, a former preacher; he has said he would like to play a role in the story of his father's generation, growing up in North Korea through the Korean War.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
Cho has said he found freedom in portraying Harold in the Harold and Kumar films because the stoner character goes against the grain of Asian Americans on screen.<ref name=":3" /> He has said he has experienced racism during his career in Hollywood and that he tries to take roles that do not perpetuate Asian stereotypes.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Cho said he refused a request to do an Asian accent for Big Fat Liar, writing, "I don't want to do this role in a kid's comedy, with an accent, because I don't want young people laughing at an accent inadvertently".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a 2015 tweet, he said, "Stop turning Asian roles white. It's bullshit and we all know it."<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> He described his casting in Selfie, which made him the first Asian to play a romantic lead on a U.S. romantic comedy television series, as being "revolutionary" and a "personal revolution". He said, "Asians narratively in shows are insignificant. They're the cop, or waitress, or whatever it is. You see them in the background. So to be in this position...is bit of a landmark".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2016, Cho was the face of the "#StarringJohnCho" social movement and hashtag campaign, a bid to call attention to the lack of opportunities for Asian American actors in Hollywood. Created by William Yu, it Photoshopped Cho's face onto existing movie posters as the male lead.<ref name=":2"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This created a domino effect: it inspired director Jon M. Chu to create the film adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and that film's success inspired Ke Huy Quan to return to acting in Everything Everywhere All at Once.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cho supported the 2012 re-election campaign of Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama.<ref name="hollywooddonors">(2011-07-16) Template:Cite web</ref> He supported the Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cho also supported the 2024 election campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Shopping for Fangs | Clarence | |
| Wag the Dog | Aide #3 | ||
| 1998 | Yellow | Joey | |
| 1999 | American Beauty | Sale house man #1 | |
| American Pie | MILF guy #2 | ||
| Bowfinger | Nightclub cleaner | ||
| 2000 | The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas | Parking valet | |
| 2001 | American Pie 2 | John (MILF guy #2) | |
| Delivering Milo | Mr. Hugo | ||
| Down to Earth | Phil Quon | ||
| Evolution | Student | ||
| Pavilion of Women | Fengmo Wu | ||
| 2002 | Better Luck Tomorrow | Steve Choe | |
| Big Fat Liar | Dustin Wong | ||
| Solaris | DBA emissary #1 | ||
| 2003 | American Wedding | John | |
| 2004 | Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle | Harold Lee | |
| In Good Company | Petey | ||
| See This Movie | Larry Finkelstein | ||
| 2005 | American Dreamz | Frank Ittles | |
| Bam Bam and Celeste | Stephan | ||
| 2006 | Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas | Tom | |
| 2007 | West 32nd | John Kim | |
| 2008 | Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay | Harold Lee | |
| Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist | Hype Man | ||
| Smiley Face | Mike | ||
| 2009 | Saint John of Las Vegas | Carnival Human Torch | |
| Star Trek | Hikaru Sulu | ||
| 2011 | A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas | Harold Lee | |
| 2012 | American Reunion | MILF guy #2 | |
| Total Recall | Bob McClane | ||
| 2013 | Identity Thief | Daniel Casey | |
| Star Trek Into Darkness | Hikaru Sulu | ||
| The Tale of the Princess Kaguya | Middle Counselor Isonokami (voice) | English dub | |
| That Burning Feeling | Roger Whitacre | ||
| 2015 | Grandma | Chau | |
| Zipper | EJ | ||
| Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit | Nick Morgan | Short film<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> | |
| 2016 | Get a Job | Brian Bender | |
| Star Trek Beyond | Hikaru Sulu | ||
| 2017 | Columbus | Jin Lee | |
| Gemini | Edward Ahn | ||
| A Happening of Monumental Proportions | Mr. Ramirez | ||
| Literally, Right Before Aaron | Mark | ||
| 2018 | The Oath | Peter Barber | |
| Mirai | Mr. Ota (voice) | English dub<ref name="btva2">Template:Cite web A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> | |
| Searching | David Kim | ||
| 2019 | Between Two Ferns: The Movie | Himself | |
| 2020 | The Grudge | Peter Spencer | |
| Tigertail | Grover | Scenes cut; also executive producer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Over the Moon | Ba Ba (voice) | <ref name="btva2" /> | |
| 2021 | Wish Dragon | Long (voice) | English dub<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="btva2" /> |
| 2022 | Don't Make Me Go | Max Park | |
| 2023 | Ghosted | The Leopard | Cameo |
| The Graduates<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | John | Also executive producer | |
| 2024 | Afraid | Curtis | |
| Template:TableTBA | Template:Pending film | Template:TableTBA | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | Pizza delivery man | Episode: "Twister of Fate" |
| 1998 | Felicity | Larry | Episode: "The Last Stand" |
| 1998 | Charmed | Mark Chao | Episode: "Dead Man Dating" |
| 2001 | Static Shock | Thomas Kim / Tantrum, Navigator (voices) | 2 episodes<ref name="btva2" /> |
| 2001–2002 | Off Centre | Chau Presley | Main role |
| 2002 | The Jamie Kennedy Experiment | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2005 | The Men's Room | Bob | 4 episodes |
| 2005 | House M.D. | Harvey Park | Episode: "Love Hurts" |
| 2005–2006 | Kitchen Confidential | Teddy Wong | Recurring role |
| 2006 | Grey's Anatomy | Marshall Stone | Episode: "Damage Case" |
| 2006–2023 | American Dad! | Vince Chung (voice) | 6 episodes |
| 2007 | How I Met Your Mother | Jefferson Coatsworth | Episode: "I'm Not That Guy" |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty | Kenny | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | 'Til Death | Lucas Bender | Episode: "Come Out and Play" |
| 2008 | Hollywood Residential | Himself | Episode: "It Happens" |
| 2009–2010 | FlashForward | Demetri Noh | Main role |
| 2010 | Childrens Hospital | Park | Episode: "Frankfurters. Allman Brothers. Death. Frankfurters" |
| 2011 | 30 Rock | Lorne | Episode: "Double-Edged Sword" |
| 2011 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Chip | Episode: "The Birthday Part That Was Neither" |
| 2012–2013 | Go On | Steven | Main role |
| 2013–2014 | Sleepy Hollow | Andy Brooks | 7 episodes |
| 2014 | Selfie | Henry Higgs | Main role |
| 2015 | BoJack Horseman | Lead improv-er (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | The Mindy Project | Big Murder | Episode: "Lahiri Family Values" |
| 2016 | New Girl | Daniel | Episode: "Jury Duty" |
| 2016 | House of Lies | Sean Chew | Episode: "Holacracy" |
| 2016 | Drunk History | William Shakespeare | Episode: "Landmarks" |
| 2016 | Lip Sync Battle | Himself | Episode: "Ben Kingsley vs. John Cho" |
| 2016 | The Hindenburg Explodes! | Reggie | Pilot |
| 2017 | Difficult People | Todd Ross | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | The Exorcist | Andrew Kim | Main role (season 2) |
| 2017 | Do You Want to See a Dead Body? | Himself | Episode: "A Body and Some Quicksand" |
| 2019 | The Twilight Zone | Raff Hanks | Episode: "The Wunderkind"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2020 | Home Movie: The Princess Bride | Inigo Montoya | Episode: "Chapter Nine: Have Fun Storming The Castle!" |
| 2021 | Cowboy Bebop | Spike Spiegel | Main role |
| 2023 | The Afterparty | "Funcle" Ulysses Zhu | Main role (season 2)<ref name="afterparty1" /><ref name="afterparty2" /> |
| 2023 | Praise Petey | Bandit (voice) | |
| 2023 | Artbound | Himself | Season 14, episode 6: "East West Players: A Home on Stage";<ref>Template:Citation</ref> documentary |
| 2024 | The Sympathizer | James Yoon | Miniseries<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 2025 | Poker Face | Guy | Season 2, episode 8: "The Sleazy Georgian"<ref name=":6" /> |
| 2025 | Murderbot | Eknie Jef Chem (playing Captain Hossein) | Cameo<ref name=":7" /> |
| 2025 | Long Story Short | TAMIT Boss (voice) | Episode: "There's A Mattress In There" |
| 2025 | Tempest | Anderson Miller | Korean drama<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:TableTBA | Template:Pending series | D'John |
Stage
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1994 | The Woman Warrior<ref name="UCLA" /> |
| 1995 | Ikebana |
| 1996 | The Taste of Kono Coffee |
| 1997 | F.O.B. |
| 2000 | My Broke Ass Pontificating Slapstick Funk |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit | Agent Nick Morgan |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | D.A. Pursuit of Justice | Lu Sun | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2003 | Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu | Additional characters | |
| 2013 | Star Trek | Hikaru Sulu | <ref name="btva2" /> |
Audiobooks
- Troublemaker (2022) - author and narrator
- Drop Dead (2024) - narrator
Discography
Band: Left of Zed
- Demo tape (1998)
- Album: Furious Bloom (2004)
Band: Viva La Union
- Album: Viva La Union (2009)
Bibliography
- Troublemaker (March 22, 2022) – middle school grade novel for younger readers<ref name=":5" />
References
External links
- 1972 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- 21st-century American singers
- 21st-century American male singers
- American male actors of Korean descent
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- Living people
- Male actors from Glendale, California
- Male actors from Seoul
- South Korean emigrants to the United States
- University of California, Berkeley alumni
- Audiobook narrators