John Cho, born June 16, 1972, in Seoul, South Korea, is an American actor known for his roles as Harold Lee in the Harold & Kumar films and Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek reboot series. He has also starred in Better Luck Tomorrow, Columbus, and Searching, which made him the first Asian American actor to headline a mainstream thriller film in Hollywood.

     Cho moved to the United States at age six and grew up in Los Angeles. His father, originally from North Korea, was a minister in the Church of Christ. He attended Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California, and later earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley in 1996.

      After graduation, Cho taught English literature at Pacific Hills School in West Hollywood while acting at East West Players, a theater company in Los Angeles. His early career included roles in Wag the Dog (1997), Bowfinger (1999), and Better Luck Tomorrow (2002). He gained attention with a small role in American Pie (1999), where he helped popularize the slang term "MILF".

      Cho starred in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), reprising the role in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011). In 2009, he was cast as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, reprising the role in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016).
Beyond Star Trek, Cho starred in Columbus (2017), Searching (2018), and The Grudge (2019).

     He also made history as the first Asian American actor cast as a romantic lead in a network TV romantic comedy, starring in Selfie (2014). His television credits include FlashForward, Sleepy Hollow, Difficult People, and The Afterparty.

     Cho is married to actress Kerri Higuchi, and they have two children. He is also a musician, performing in the band Viva La Union.