Zoë Chao

Zoë Carroll Chao (born September 19, 1985) is an American television and stage actress and screenwriter, principally known for her role as Isobel in Strangers, and Zoe in The Afterparty.

Zoë Chao
Born
Zoë Carroll Chao[1]

(1985-09-19) September 19, 1985[2]
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.[2]
Education
Occupations
  • Actress
  • screenwriter

Early life

Chao was born in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.[2] Her mother has Irish and English ancestry, while her father is of Chinese descent. Her paternal grandmother immigrated from China to Michigan.[3] Chao has stated that she grew up in a family of visual artists.[3] After graduating from The Wheeler School in 2004,[4] she received her BA in art history from Brown University and her MFA from the graduate acting program at UCSD.[5]

Career

Chao has participated in theatre productions, including La Jolla Playhouses' Sideways, Surf Report, and WoW Festivals' Our Town, and Ensemble Theatre Company's Amadeus. In 2016, she appeared in the Off Broadway play Friend Art at Second Stage.[6] She has worked with directors Christopher Guest, Les Waters, Ping Chong and Chris Ashley.

Chao also starred in her own TV series, The God Particles, which she wrote and produced. She co-produced the 2017 short Like Animals. She is perhaps best known for starring as Isobel in Strangers,[7] the first three episodes of which were screened at the Sundance Film Festival.[8]

In 2022, Chao was in the main cast of the Apple TV+ mystery comedy series The Afterparty. In April 2023, Chao was cast as Nina Mazursky in the animated television series Creature Commandos, written and created by James Gunn for the DC Universe based on the comic book team of the same name.[9]

Personal life

During the filming of Strangers, Chao relocated from New York City to Los Angeles.[3]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2006My Girlfriend's Abroad
2014The Gordon GameWifeShort
The God ParticlesRue
2015Dirty BeautifulJamie
Dirty GardenShort
Center PedalYShort
2017Like AnimalsMaryShort
2019Where'd You Go, BernadetteSoo-Lin
Almost Love Haley
2020DownhillRosie
The High NoteKatie
I Used to Go HereLaura
2021Long WeekendVienna
2022Family SquaresKellyAlso FF & GG Camera Operator
Senior YearTiffany Blanchette
2023Your Place or MineMinka
Somebody I Used to KnowRamona
If You Were the LastJane Kuang[10]

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2011The ProtectorBAO House GirlEpisode: "Beef"
2012Hart of DixieDr. LeeEpisode: "Disaster Drills & Departures"
2014God ParticlesRue4 episodes
2014The ComebackShayna4 episodes
2015Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & DawnMs. NakamuraEpisode: "Sweet Foot Rides"
2015Monster GirlsHalfoffTV short
2016Rizzoli & IslesMimi TanakaEpisode: "A Shot in the Dark"
2016That's What She SaidTV miniseries
2017–2018StrangersIsobelMain role
2019The OAMo2 episodes
2019Living with YourselfKaylynRecurring role
2020–2021Love LifeSara YangMain role (season 1)
Guest role (season 2)
2021Modern LoveZoeEpisode: "The Night Girl Finds a Day Boy"
2022–presentThe AfterpartyZoë ZhuMain role
2023Celebrity Jeopardy!HerselfContestant
2023–presentParty DownLucy DangMain role
2024Creature Commandos †Nina Mazursky (voice)Main role

Awards and nominations
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2015 Best Female Performance in a Comedy International Academy of Web Television Awards Won

References
  1. "Zoë Chao and Tracee Ellis Ross On Airplane Rituals, Instagram, and the Art of the Irish Exit". Interviewmagazine.com. August 15, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  2. "ZOË CHAO". ISSUE Magazine. Retrieved October 9, 2019. BIRTH DATE: 9/19/85 BIRTH PLACE: Providence, RHODE ISLAND
  3. "In 'Strangers,' Actress Zoe Chao Explores Bisexuality and the Late-20s Identity Crisis". NBC News. October 20, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  4. "Facebook Post". The Wheeler School. August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  5. "STRANGERS- An original series by Mia Lidofsky". Indiegogo.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  6. Isherwood, Charles (May 27, 2016). "In the Comic 'Friend Art,' Some Opinions Are Better Left Unsaid". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  7. ""Strangers" Is The Show Nailing The Hilarious, Sad Struggles of Adulting". Refinery29.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  8. "Refinery29 Debuts Scripted Series 'Strangers' at Sundance". Wwd.com. January 25, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  9. Oddo, Marco (April 12, 2023). "Here's the Full Cast of DC's 'Creatures Commandos' [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  10. Mintzer, Jordan (March 12, 2023). "'If You Were the Last' Review: Anthony Mackie and Zoë Chao in an Outer-Space Rom-Com Whose Boosters Fail to Ignite". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
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