John Yohan Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea, and relocated to Los Angeles, California as a child. His father was a Christian minister, who played a significant role in his life. Cho was educated at Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California, where he laid the foundation for his future academic pursuits.
Following his high school graduation, Cho moved on to the University of California at Berkeley, where he majored in English literature. Upon completing his degree, he returned to Los Angeles and pursued a career in teaching, working as an English teacher at Pacific Hills School, where he taught 7th-grade students. During this period, he also began his acting career with the renowned Asian American theatre company East West Players.
As his acting career progressed, Cho landed small roles in various projects, including Wag the Dog (1997),Bowfinger (1999),and the critically acclaimed Better Luck Tomorrow (2002). His breakthrough role came when he appeared in the teen romance comedy American Pie (1999),which helped popularize the phrase "MILF." He went on to secure other notable roles, including the slacker comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004).
In 2009, Cho landed the highly sought-after role of Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek franchise reboot, which catapulted him to international recognition. He continued to work steadily in Hollywood, starring in the indie drama Columbus (2017),the thriller film Searching (2018),and the horror sequel The Grudge (2019). In addition to his acting career, Cho is also a skilled singer and performs with the band Viva La Union.
In his personal life, Cho is married to actress Kerri Higuchi, and they have two children together.
