Born in D.C. and raised in Alexandria, VA, Kao attended George Mason University, where he excelled both in and out of the classroom. Prior to earning a bachelor's degree in speech communication, Kao was voted both homecoming king and student body president of his graduating class. He pondered a post-college career as a lawyer or politician, but eventually the pull of acting proved too strong. After landing bit parts on a few forgettable shows like "L.A. Firefighters" (Fox, 1996) and "Maybe This Time" (ABC, 1995-96), Kao nabbed the part of Kai Chen, also known as the Blue Ranger, on the seventh season of Fox's "Power Rangers." His role as Chen ended after a single season, but it would soon prove to be only the beginning of Kao's long career as a professional TV actor.In 2001 Kao landed the role of lab technician Archie Johnson on the second season "CSI," which by then was already a massive hit for CBS. Despite playing a minor character on the show, Kao quickly became a recognizable face to millions of TV viewers each week, as well as a source of inspiration to numerous aspiring actors of Asian descent. Although the long hours spent working on a hit network TV show can be draining for most actors, Kao still managed to squeeze in a few supporting roles in independent films such as the 2002 surfing drama "Local Boys" and the "People I've Slept With" (2009), the latter of which was directed by Quentin Lee and starred a mostly Asian-American cast. He also appeared in the lush period drama "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" (2011), helmed by Wayne Wang. In the fall of 2013, "CSI" entered its 14th season, with Kao once again reprising his role as Johnson.