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Jonathan Kos-Read

b. 1973

Actor

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About Jonathan Kos-Read

Born 1973. Jonathan Kos-Read is an American actor and film actor.

Jonathan Kos-Read (born 1973), also known by the stage name Cao Cao , is an American film and television actor who has worked mostly in China. While well known in China, his work is little-known in the United States. Kos-Read's Chinese stage name is namesaked after the infamous penultimate chancellor of the late Eastern Han dynasty, a historical figure well-known to most Chinese people via the classic literature Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Early life and education Kos-Read was born in Torrance, California, in 1973. Kos-Read began studying Mandarin Chinese at New York University, and re-located to China in 1997. The title of the show was a reference to the Chinese proverb "Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao will be there" ("说曹操曹操就到"), roughly equivalent to the English saying, "Speak of the devil." He has starred in more than 75 productions. As a Caucasian who is fully fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Kos-Read frequently appears as the foreign love interest or villain, in roles that sometimes present stereotypical images of non-Chinese people. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Kos-Read was one of those chosen to carry the Olympic torch on its way to the Olympic Stadium.

Kos-Read had a successful career as a male model.

In 2021, Kos-Read published his first novel, The Eunuch, a mystery set in Imperial China.

Personal life Kos-Read is married to a Chinese citizen, Li Zhiyin, with whom he has two daughters, Roxanne and Persephone. While continuing to work in the Chinese film industry, he has relocated to Barcelona, Spain with his family.

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Important facts

Born
1973, Torrance
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
New York University
Also known as
Cao-Cao

People in Jonathan Kos-Read's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jonathan Kos-Read's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Jonathan Kos-Read?

actor

When was Jonathan Kos-Read born?

Jonathan Kos-Read was born in 1973 in Torrance.

What is Jonathan Kos-Read's occupation?

Jonathan Kos-Read is an actor and film actor.

What nationality is Jonathan Kos-Read?

Jonathan Kos-Read is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jonathan Kos-Read

· Wikidata: Q982875

· DBpedia: Jonathan Kos-Read

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jonathan Kos-Read. https://biography.guide/jonathan-kos-read/

MLA: "Jonathan Kos-Read." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jonathan-kos-read/.

Chicago: "Jonathan Kos-Read." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jonathan-kos-read/.

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