Originally from China, Kao moved to Hong Kong in 1951, where she acted in minor roles before joining Shaw Brothers Studio in 1958.
Here, she starred in over 80 films, working alongside directors Yueh Feng and Cheng Kang, and she made her directorial debut in 1970 in Lady with a Sword.
[1] Kao was born in Jiangsu, China, and left school at the age of 13 to find work following the death of her father.
She worked as a reporter in Anhui and joined a drama troupe where she met actor Chiang Nan, whom she later married.
[1][2] By 1971, Kao had left the Shaw Brothers and started up her own production company alongside her second husband, Vengee Park.