John Cho is one Hollywood star whose career spans decades. Throughout his career, it almost seems like he’s done it all. After all, he’s starred in major film franchises and worked on several TV shows over the years.
More recently, Cho has become quite the Netflix star too, taking on the lead role of Spike Spiegel in the short-lived series Cowboy Bebop.
And although Cowboy Bebop has already been canceled after just one season, fans would be happy to know that it won’t be long before they see Cho again.
After all, a veteran actor such as himself is always in demand. Not to mention, he does behind-the-scenes work from time to time too. This may also explain how he’s managed to amass quite an impressive net worth.
John Cho’s Breakout Role Was In This 90s Cult Classic
Cho’s Hollywood career started in the late '90s when he landed minor roles in shows such as Felicity, Charmed, and Boston Common. But then, the actor ended up nabbing the role of the “MILF guy” in the R-rated comedy American Pie.
And just like that, Cho got the attention from the industry that he deserved. Not to mention, this Korean actor has since been credited for popularizing the term once the film was released.
“Listen, the acronym is - I don't know that we needed it in our cultural vocabulary, but it was there, and I was the conduit at that moment in time,” the actor once wrote on Reddit.
“It's funny, and it started my comedy career inadvertently, but my joke answer is that I apologize for all the websites I've proliferated upon the world.”
John Cho Went On To Be The Star Of This Sci-Fi Franchise
Following American Pie, Cho ended up doing several films. These include the Oscar winner American Beauty, Big Fat Liar, and Bowfinger among others. Later on, he also ended up getting cast as Sulu in the 2009 film Star Trek.
The movie was essentially a reboot and for Cho, it was quite important to get the blessing of George Takei, the original Sulu, before getting to work on the film.
“You know, he was just very encouraging with me, because I was very very nervous, and he had put in a good word to JJ [Abrams] on my behalf. And I didn't know that,” the actor explained.
“And it meant the world to me that he approved of my casting. When we had lunch together, I asked him to lunch after I got the role and before we started shooting, and he also - one thing he reminded me of was sort of the Gene Roddenberry's vision for a peaceful world, and what his goals were via the show, and it was good to be reminded of that from George.”
John Cho Also Co-Starred In This Comedy Franchise
Early on in his career, Cho ventured into slapstick comedy as he took on one of the lead roles in the Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle alongside actor Kal Penn.
At that time, it was rare to see Asians take on lead roles and so, Cho and Penn were both aware of how big of a deal it was to put a movie like this out there. They also recognized that their characters were like them in some ways.
“The story of the movie is two underdogs overcoming certain obstacles on a journey to White Castle,” Cho told SPLICEDwire. “And the story of the project, to a certain degree, is two underdog actors getting their shot at playing the leads in a movie.”
In the film’s trailer, Cho and Penn had themselves referred to as that guy from American Pie and that guy from Van Wilder respectively because they felt the need to have an “icebreaker” for the audience.
“The trailer is funny because it says exactly what people are thinking,” the actor explained. “It also kind of dissipates -- I think there is some unspoken measure of tension, like this is so unusual seeing Asian-Americans headlining a movie.”
The two actors went on to do a couple of Harold and Kumar films together, too.
Here’s Where John Cho’s Net Worth Stands Today
After decades of being in the business, Cho is now said to be worth an incredible $25 million. And while it is unclear how much he typically earns from a project for his acting, it’s safe to say that the actor has been managing to negotiate quite a lucrative deal for himself.
Aside from acting, Cho has started producing films as well. In fact, he’s been credited as a producer in Netflix’s Tigertail.
Cho is also set to star in an upcoming drama from Amazon Studios. He’s set to play Sulu again in an upcoming Star Trek film. In addition, the actor is reportedly producing an upcoming TV movie, adding even more to his bottom line.
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