Originally born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Carl Chao spent much of his childhood and teenage years growing up in Shanghai, China, where he began to explore his creative talent through music. He graduated with a BA in economics and a minor in Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and subsequently moved to Chicago to begin a career in corporate finance. Driven by creative passion, he moved to Los Angeles after only a year in finance and began to study the art of acting. He made his television debut in 2015 as a recurring role on NBC's State of Affairs. Since then, he has appeared in numerous network shows, such as NCIS: Los Angeles and Fresh Off The Boat.