11: Rosalind Chao

In Episode 11 of All The Asians on Star Trek, we welcome Rosalind Chao. She is best known for her recurring role as Keiko O'Brien, wife of Miles O'Brien, on multiple seasons of both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. A veteran actress whose career started when she a teen, her long list of film and TV credits include MASH, The Joy Luck Club and Mulan. But while Star Trek viewers know Rosalind as Keiko, she was actually once in serious contention for another Next Generation role...




Show Notes:

Rosalind Chao on IMDb:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001034/

Rosalind Chao on Memory Alpha:
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Rosalind_Chao

Rosalind Chao on Social Media:
Instagram | Twitter

Here's Rosalind's first episode guest starring on Diff'rent Strokes, entitled "Almost American." The episode was a backdoor pilot for a potential series about the students of an immigration and naturalization class.


This Paramount memo from 1987 reveals, among other fascinating casting choices, that Rosalind Chao was in contention to play Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, Denise Crosby, the actress who eventually got the role of Tasha, was apparently the "only possibility" to play Deanna Troi.



Keiko O'Brien's pink chiffon "space kimono" wedding dress, worn by Rosalind Chao in "Data's Day," was sold at auction in 2006 for $2000.



The Keiko O'Brien action figure! Released in 1998 from Playmates, its accessories include a Starfleet Thermal Bottle, a Desktop Monitor, a Starfleet Type II Phaser, and Starfleet Action Base. They should have included a plant. She's a botanist, after all.


Thank you for listening!

Our theme music is by Mike Relm.

This podcast is a member of the Potluck Podcast Collective.

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