History of John Cho in Timeline

John Cho is a prominent American actor recognized for his versatile roles in both comedic and dramatic films. He gained fame as Harold Lee in the "Harold & Kumar" franchise and achieved further recognition for portraying Hikaru Sulu in the rebooted "Star Trek" film series. Cho has also made significant contributions to Asian-American representation in Hollywood, starring in films like "Better Luck Tomorrow" and "Searching," the latter making him the first Asian American lead in a mainstream thriller. His performance in "Searching" garnered him an Independent Spirit Award nomination.

June 16, 1972: Birth of John Cho

John Cho was born on June 16, 1972 in Seoul, South Korea.

1978: John Cho's Family Moves to the United States

In 1978, John Cho's family moved from Seoul, South Korea to the United States.

1990: John Cho Graduates High School

John Cho graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California in 1990.

1994: John Cho Performs in "The Woman Warrior"

In 1994, John Cho toured nationally with the Berkeley Repertory Theatre for a stage production of Maxine Hong Kingston's "The Woman Warrior".

1996: John Cho Performs in "The Taste of Kona Coffee"

John Cho appeared in Edward Sakamoto's "The Taste of Kona Coffee" at East West Players in downtown Los Angeles in 1996.

1996: John Cho Graduates from UC Berkeley

John Cho graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature in 1996.

1998: John Cho Guest Stars on "Charmed"

In 1998, John Cho guest-starred on the fantasy television series "Charmed" as the ghost of Mark Chao.

1999: John Cho Appears in "American Pie"

John Cho gained recognition for his small role as "MILF guy #2" in the 1999 comedy "American Pie", popularizing the slang term MILF.

2000: John Cho Performs in "My Tired Broke Ass Pontificating Slapstick Funk"

John Cho appeared in Euijoon Kim's film "My Tired Broke Ass Pontificating Slapstick Funk" in 2000.

2001: John Cho Stars in "Off Centre"

John Cho starred in the situation comedy "Off Centre" from 2001 to 2002, with his character Chau Presley becoming a breakout character.

2002: John Cho Stars in "Better Luck Tomorrow" and "Big Fat Liar"

John Cho starred in Justin Lin's critically acclaimed film "Better Luck Tomorrow" and appeared in the movie "Big Fat Liar", for which he refused to do the scripted accent for his character, in 2002.

2002: John Cho's Role in "Off Centre" Ends

John Cho's role in the situation comedy "Off Centre" ended in 2002.

July 2004: John Cho Featured in "KoreAm Journal"

John Cho was featured in the July 2004 issue of "KoreAm Journal".

2004: John Cho Stars in "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle"

John Cho starred as Harold Lee in the film "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" in 2004, a role specifically written for him.

September 2006: John Cho Cast in "The Singles Table"

John Cho was cast in NBC's comedy "The Singles Table" in September 2006, but the series never aired.

2006: Marriage to Kerri Higuchi

John Cho married actress Kerri Higuchi in 2006, whom he met at UC Berkeley and later dated in Los Angeles.

2007: John Cho Appears in "Ugly Betty" and "Star Trek"

John Cho began his recurring role as Kenny in "Ugly Betty" and played Hikaru Sulu in J.J. Abrams's "Star Trek", receiving critical acclaim for his performance, in 2007.

2008: Birth of Son

John Cho and Kerri Higuchi welcomed their son in 2008.

2008: John Cho Stars in "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay"

John Cho reprised his role as Harold Lee in "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay", which was released in 2008 and grossed $38 million at the box office.

2009: John Cho Stars in "FlashForward"

John Cho began starring as FBI Special Agent Demetri Noh in the television series "FlashForward" in 2009.

2009: John Cho Named One of "People" Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive

John Cho was selected as one of the sexiest men alive in "People" magazine in 2009.

2010: John Cho's Role in "FlashForward" Ends

John Cho's role in the television series "FlashForward" ended in 2010, though his character's storyline was revised after his popularity increased following his role in "Star Trek".

2011: John Cho Stars in "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas"

John Cho starred in "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas", the third installment of the Harold & Kumar franchise, which grossed $35 million at the box office.

2012: Support for Barack Obama

John Cho showed his support for the re-election campaign of Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama in 2012.

2012: John Cho Appears in "Go On"

John Cho was part of the cast ensemble of the television show "Go On" as Steven in 2012.

2013: Birth of Daughter

The Cho family expanded with the birth of their daughter in 2013.

2014: John Cho stars in Selfie

In 2014, John Cho made history as the first Asian American actor to play a romantic lead in a U.S. romantic comedy television series with his role as Henry Higgs in "Selfie".

2014: John Cho Makes History with Role in "Selfie"

John Cho's role as Henry Higgs in "Selfie" in 2014 marked the first time an Asian American man played a romantic lead on a U.S. romantic comedy television series.

2015: Residence in Los Angeles

As of 2015, John Cho, his wife, and their two children reside in Los Angeles, California.

2015: Speaking Out Against Asian Stereotypes

In 2015, John Cho expressed his views on Twitter, advocating against the practice of casting white actors in Asian roles, stating, "Stop turning Asian roles white. It's bullshit and we all know it."

2016: John Cho Stars in "The Exorcist"

John Cho starred as Andy Kim in the second season of the television show "The Exorcist" in 2016.

2016: #StarringJohnCho Movement

The "#StarringJohnCho" social media campaign, initiated by William Yu, emerged in 2016, featuring John Cho's image Photoshopped onto movie posters as the lead actor, highlighting the limited opportunities for Asian American actors in Hollywood.

2017: John Cho Stars in "Columbus"

John Cho starred in the critically acclaimed film "Columbus" in 2017.

2018: John Cho Makes History in "Searching" and Receives Spotlight Award

John Cho starred in the film "Searching" in 2018, becoming the first Asian American actor to headline a mainstream thriller in Hollywood. He was also honored with the Spotlight Award at the San Diego International Film Festival that year.

April 2019: John Cho Cast as Spike Spiegel in "Cowboy Bebop"

John Cho was cast as Spike Spiegel in a live-action adaptation of the "Cowboy Bebop" series in April 2019.

September 2020: "Cowboy Bebop" Production Resumes

Production on the live-action "Cowboy Bebop" series resumed in late September 2020 after being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

November 19, 2021: "Cowboy Bebop" Premieres on Netflix

"Cowboy Bebop", starring John Cho as Spike Spiegel, premiered on Netflix on November 19, 2021 after production delays due to Cho's knee injury and the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: "Selfie" Director Discusses Casting John Cho

Julie Anne Robinson, a director and executive producer of "Selfie", revealed in 2021 that she strongly advocated for casting John Cho as the lead, overcoming resistance to secure his casting.