[6] She has worked with directors Christopher Guest, Les Waters, Ping Chong and Chris Ashley.
Chao also starred in her own TV series, God Particles, which she wrote and produced.
She is perhaps best known for starring as Isobel in Strangers,[7] the first three episodes of which were screened at the Sundance Film Festival.
In 2024, Chao appeared as Nina Mazursky in the animated television series Creature Commandos, written and created by James Gunn for the DC Universe based on the team of the same name.
[10] During the filming of Strangers, Chao relocated from New York City to Los Angeles.