Yao is a versatile actor from Southeast Asia and the Bay Area, known for his remarkable work in both film and theatre. He has led prominent Singaporean films including MORE, MORE, MORE! (dir. James Thoo), #LOOKATME (dir. Ken Kwek), which earned him the 'Best Performance' award at the New York Asian Film Festival in 2022, and Tiong Bahru Social Club (dir. Tan Bee Thiam). His extensive work in the Singapore Theatre has earned him three 'Best Actor' nominations (2015, 2016), with a win in 2018. yao has MFA from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale (2023).