Detective Lt. Michael Tao

Detective Lt. Michael Tao

Detective Lieutenant Michael Tao is a fictional character featured in TNT's The Closer, portrayed by Michael Paul Chan. Tao is a Detective on the Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) Priority Homicide Department, formerly a member of the LAPD's SID.

Intelligent and well-educated, Lieutenant Tao is a talented expert in all forms of technology, computers and electronics. He sometimes talks down to the other detectives when discussing technology. Tao, of Chinese ancestry, has a Japanese wife (portrayed by Patti Yasutake), and a 16-year-old son, Kevin. Tao speaks some Japanese, but he can neither read nor speak Chinese.

While he was on vacation in Hawaii in season 2, Gabriel was providing information on a case to the squad and was describing grass wherein an altercation took place. Because he was trying to "accurately" describe the grass and was coming off a little geeky, one of his squad-mates pointed out that he must be "channeling Tao from Hawaii."

Lt. Tao enjoys snacks while on duty, and he frequently offers these to Deputy Chief Johnson even though Johnson is trying to cut back on her snacking. In one episode wherein Johnson was getting somewhat emotional about a case, Tao gives her two éclairs wrapped in tissue to try to calm her down, saying "Please, for all our sakes."