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John Cho, actor
Actor

John Cho: Movies, Awards & Box Office

films
37
on screen
1998–2026
box office
$1.2B
nomination
1
average score
58
Born
June 16, 1972 (age 54)
Birthplace
Seoul, South Korea
Full name
Cho Yo-Han
Citizenship
American
Occupations
Actor
Years active
1997-present
Spouses
Kerri Higuchi
Children
2
Known for

The Best John Cho Movies

The highest-rated films John Cho is credited on, by the Movie Echo Score that blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. Searching (2018) scores highest, at 85. The full ranking adds the biggest box office hits and the most awarded films.

Full ranking
Career at a glance

John Cho's Career in Numbers

John Cho's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres John Cho works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Yellow (1998) to Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother (2026), and the 2010s were the busiest decade.

John Cho Movies by Decade

  1. 1990s 2
  2. 2000s 8
  3. 2010s 18
  4. 2020s 7

The 2010s were John Cho's busiest decade, with 18 films.

John Cho Movies by Genre

  • Comedy 8
  • Drama 7
  • Adventure 5
  • Action 4
  • Horror 2
  • Mystery 2
  • Sci-Fi 2
  • Documentary 1
  • Thriller 1
  • Crime 1

Comedy is the genre John Cho has worked in most, with 8 films, ahead of drama (7).

John Cho Career Milestones

First film
Yellow 1998
Biggest box office hit
Star Trek Beyond $343M worldwide
Best-rated film
Searching Movie Echo Score 85
37 credits

John Cho Filmography: Every Movie

Every film John Cho is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Rated films average a score of 58. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

John Cho Movies as an Actor

35
  1. 2026 Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother (2026) movie poster Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother as Pastor Hwan · Action
  2. 2024 The Graduates (2024) movie poster The Graduates as John · Drama
  3. 2024 Afraid (2024) movie poster Afraid as Curtis · Horror Movie Echo Score: 34
  4. 2022 Don't Make Me Go (2022) movie poster Don't Make Me Go as Max Park · Drama Movie Echo Score: 52
  5. 2021 Wish Dragon (2021) movie poster Wish Dragon as Long · Adventure Movie Echo Score: 80
  6. 2020 Over the Moon (2020) movie poster Over the Moon as Father · Adventure Movie Echo Score: 75
  7. 2020 The Grudge (2020) movie poster The Grudge as Peter Spencer · Mystery Movie Echo Score: 47
  8. 2019 The Grudge (2019) movie poster The Grudge as Peter Spencer · Horror Movie Echo Score: 38
  9. 2019 Korea: The Never-Ending War (2019) movie poster Korea: The Never-Ending War as Narrator · Documentary
  10. 2018 Mirai (2018) movie poster Mirai as Father · Adventure Movie Echo Score: 84
  11. 2018 The Oath (2018) movie poster The Oath as Peter · Action Movie Echo Score: 52
  12. 2018 A Happening of Monumental Proportions (2018) movie poster A Happening of Monumental Proportions as Mr. Ramirez · Comedy Movie Echo Score: 48
  13. 2018 Searching (2018) movie poster Searching as David Kim · Drama Movie Echo Score: 85
  14. 2018 Gemini (2018) movie poster Gemini as Detective Edward Ahn · Mystery Movie Echo Score: 60
  15. 2017 Literally, Right Before Aaron (2017) movie poster Literally, Right Before Aaron as Mark · Drama Movie Echo Score: 27
  16. 2017 Columbus (2017) movie poster Columbus Drama Movie Echo Score: 78
  17. 2016 Star Trek Beyond (2016) movie poster Star Trek Beyond Action
  18. 2016 The Hindenburg Explodes! (2016) movie poster The Hindenburg Explodes! as Reggie · Comedy
  19. 2015 Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit (2015) movie poster Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit as Agent Nick Morgan (voice) · Action
  20. 2014 That Burning Feeling (2014) movie poster That Burning Feeling as Roger Whitacre · Comedy
  21. 2013 Identity Thief (2013) movie poster Identity Thief Comedy
  22. 2012 Total Recall (2012) movie poster Total Recall as McClane · Sci-Fi
  23. 2011 Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz (2011) movie poster Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz as Harold Lee · Comedy
  24. 2010 Backwash (2010) movie poster Backwash as Narrator (voice) · Comedy
  25. 2010 Caller ID: Entity (2010) movie poster Caller ID: Entity as Kamal · Thriller
  26. 2008 Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) movie poster Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay Adventure
  27. 2007 West 32nd (2007) movie poster West 32nd as John Kim · Crime
  28. 2006 Bickford Shmeckler’s Cool Ideas (2006) movie poster Bickford Shmeckler’s Cool Ideas as Bob · Comedy
  29. 2005 Bam Bam and Celeste (2005) movie poster Bam Bam and Celeste as Stephan · Comedy
  30. 2004 Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) movie poster Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle Adventure
  31. 2004 See This Movie (2004) movie poster See This Movie as Larry Finkelstein · Drama
  32. 2001 Earth vs. the Spider (2001) movie poster Earth vs. the Spider as Han · Sci-Fi
  33. 2001 Delivering Milo (2001) movie poster Delivering Milo as Mr. Hugo · Fantasy
  34. 1998 Yellow (1998) movie poster Yellow as Joey · Romance
  35. 1998 The Tiger Woods Story (1998) movie poster The Tiger Woods Story as Jerry Chang · Drama
1 nomination

John Cho: Awards & Nominations

1 nomination across 1 award body. Every ceremony is listed newest first, with the category and the film.

All movie awards
Biography

Who Is John Cho?

John Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1972 and is 54 years old. Credited on films since 1998, as an actor. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

John Cho (born Cho Yo-Han) is an American actor best known for his roles as Harold Lee in the Harold & Kumar films and Hikaru Sulu in the rebooted Star Trek film series. He has also notably stood out for his performances in movies such as Better Luck Tomorrow, Columbus, and Searching. In the 21st century, Cho was identified as the first Asian American actor cast as a romantic lead in a television series through the sitcom, Selfie in 2014. Throughout his career, Cho has also had lead roles in series like FlashForward, Off Centre, and The Afterparty, and recurring roles in Sleepy Hollow and Difficult People.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Cho moved to the United States in 1978 and was raised in Los Angeles. Receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley, Cho then went on to act in various plays and films. He achieved recognition through his role in the fantasy television series Charmed. His acting career greatly expanded with performances in films like Better Luck Tomorrow, and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. Later, Cho was successfully cast as the character Hikaru Sulu in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. With the exemplary role in the biographical drama Columbus and the thriller Searching, he has continuously raised the bar in the industry. In the realm of television series, his character Henry Higgs in the sitcom Selfie marked a significant milestone for an Asian American man in a U.S. romantic comedy series. However, his journey was not devoid of challenges, Cho faced and overcame issues related to stereotyping and representation. Furthermore, his attributes are not limited to acting, as he is also the lead singer for Viva La Union.

Works with

Who John Cho Makes Movies With

The actors and directors John Cho shares the most films with. Kal Penn comes first, with 3 films together, followed by Chris Weitz (3).

FAQ

John Cho: Questions & Answers

How many movies John Cho has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has John Cho been in?

John Cho is credited on 37 films, from 1998 to 2026. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is John Cho's highest-grossing movie?

Star Trek Beyond (2016) is John Cho's biggest box office hit, with $343M worldwide, ahead of Total Recall (2012) ($198M). Across every film with box office figures, John Cho's movies have made $1.2B.

John Cho's biggest hits

What is the best John Cho movie?

By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, John Cho's best-rated film is Searching (2018) with a score of 85, followed by Mirai (2018) (84).

Best John Cho movies, ranked

Has John Cho won an Oscar?

John Cho has not been nominated for an Oscar. Across every ceremony in the awards database, John Cho has 0 wins from 1 nomination.

How old is John Cho?

John Cho is 54 years old, born on June 16, 1972 in Seoul, South Korea.

What is John Cho's newest movie?

The most recent film on John Cho's filmography is Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother (2026), in the role of Pastor Hwan.

Who does John Cho work with most often?

John Cho shares the most films with Kal Penn (3 films), Chris Weitz (3 films) and Andrea Riseborough (2 films).

The Best John Cho Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 37 credits.

See the ranking

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