Lawrence Kao
| Lawrence Kao | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hacienda Heights, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, dancer |
| Years active | 2008–present |
Lawrence Kao is an American actor and dancer. He has appeared on shows like The Walking Dead and The Originals.
As a member of Kaba Modern, he was a contestant on America's Best Dance Crew in its first season. The group would make it to the top three before being eliminated in week 7. Currently, he is a member of the dance crew The Kinjaz, a group founded by another former Kaba Modern member Mike Song and dancer Anthony Lee.
Early life and education
Lawrence Kao was born and raised in Hacienda Heights, California to Taiwanese parents. In school, he developed an interest in acting. Following his role of Lysander in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in a high school production, he decided to pursue acting.[1] He attended and studied theatre at UC Irvine where he participated in multiple main stage productions on campus. In addition, he became involved in a campus dance group Kaba Modern and in turn, he and Kaba Modern would compete in the first season of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew.[2]
Career
Kaba Modern and America's Best Dance Crew
In 2008, Kao, as a member of Kaba Modern, competed in Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew. Kaba Modern would eventually make it to the top three only to be knocked out in week 7 of the first season.[3] Due to his participation on America's Best Dance Crew, he is part of Kaba Modern's Legacy Roster.
Film and television
Kao has appeared on numerous shows including, but not limited to Hawaii Five-0, NCIS: Los Angeles, Scorpion, and Veep. In 2012, he appeared as Tim, one of the Governor's lackeys, in multiple episodes of The Walking Dead. In 2015, he recurred as Van Nguyen, a New Orleans-based witch on The CW's The Originals. Outside of film and television, he makes his own content on his YouTube channel, has appeared in Buzzfeed videos and has worked alongside other digital content creators like JustKidding Films and Wong Fu Productions.[4]
Stage and theater
Kao has been the lead in multiple award winning theatre companies. In 2011, he played Norman Lee and Joan Almedilla's son in East West Players' production of Qui Nguyen's hip hop musical Krunk Fu Battle Battle.[5] In 2013, he starred alongside Emily Kuroda in South Coast Repertory's stage production of Fast Company by Carla Ching.[6] In 2015, he returned to the South Coast Repertory for their stage production of Tokyo Fish Story with Sab Shimono.[7]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Insurgent | Erudite Tech #1 | |
| 2015 | Circle | The Asian Kid | |
| 2016 | Max Steel | Dr. Lee | |
| 2016 | From Here on Out | James | lead; short film by Wong Fu Productions |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | America's Best Dance Crew | Himself | 7 episodes |
| 2011 | Franklin & Bash | Netherlands | Episode: "Bachelor Party" |
| 2012 | The Walking Dead | Tim | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Hawaii Five-0 | Ty Amano | Episode: "A ia la aku" |
| 2014 | NCIS: Los Angeles | John Stickler | Episode: One More Chance |
| 2014 | Jennifer Falls | Nerdy Student | Episode: "Everybody Loves Adam" |
| 2015 | Scorpion | Calvin | Episode: "Kill Screen" |
| 2015 | Murder in the First | Asian Man | Episode: "State of the Union" |
| 2016 | Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life | College kid | Episode: "How to Survive Your Loveable Jackass" |
| 2016 | 2 Broke Girls | Hipster | Episode: "And the New New Friends" |
| 2015–2016 | The Originals | Van Nguyen | 5 episodes |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Krunk Fu Battle Battle | Norman Lee | East West Players |
| 2013 | Fast Company | Francis | South Coast Repertory |
| 2015 | Tokyo Fish Story | Nobu | South Coast Repertory |
References
- ↑ "The Originals' Lawrence Kao talks Kinjaz, Witches & the Pursuit of Acting". Kollaboration. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
- ↑ Asians On Film (2012-10-08), Lawrence Kao Interview: AMC's The Walking Dead, I Hate You, Krunk Fu Battle Battle & The Kinjaz, retrieved 2016-11-24
- ↑ NGUYEN, KATHERINE. "Kaba Modern eliminated in MTV 'Best Dance Crew' contest". The Orange County Register. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
- ↑ Wong Fu Productions (2016-09-10), From Here On Out, retrieved 2016-11-24
- ↑ "Asia Pacific Arts: Krunk Fu Battle Battle has its world premiere on May 18". asiapacificarts.usc.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
- ↑ "Press Information for Fast Company". www.scr.org. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
- ↑ "Press information for Tokyo Fish Story". www.scr.org. Retrieved 2016-11-19.