John Yohan Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea, on June 16, 1972. He moved to the United States with his family at age six and was raised in the Los Angeles area. Cho later studied English at the University of California, Berkeley, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1996. He discovered acting through a student production and gained early professional experience in a stage adaptation of Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior. After college, he returned to Los Angeles, taught seventh-grade English and performed with the Asian American theater company East West Players.

Cho built his screen career through roles in films including Wag the Dog, American Pie and Better Luck Tomorrow. His memorable partnership with Kal Penn in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle established him as a leading comedy performer. He then reached an even wider audience as Hikaru Sulu in the 2009 Star Trek reboot, returning for Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond.

His work also demonstrates an impressive dramatic range. Cho earned acclaim as a devoted father searching for his missing daughter in the technology-driven 2018 thriller Searching, a performance that brought him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead. Alongside film roles such as Columbus, his television credits include FlashForward, Selfie and Cowboy Bebop. With his versatility, thoughtful role choices and enduring screen presence, Cho remains a standout favorite among movie and television fans.