Kaipo Schwab was born and raised in the vibrant city of Honolulu, Hawaii, as the second of five children to a mother of Hawaiian and Chinese descent and a father of German and Irish heritage.
His early introduction to the world of acting began at the tender age of four, when he started appearing in commercials for his father's furniture company. This initial exposure soon led to a plethora of local television shows, and he went on to win various state and national awards in Shakespeare recitation and Speech and Debate with the National Forensics League.
Kaipo continued to hone his craft at Boston University School for the Arts, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting in 1993. He also had the opportunity to attend The British American Drama Academy, where he studied acting under the guidance of renowned master teacher Earle Gister and esteemed actress Diana Quick.
After completing his education, Kaipo relocated to New York to pursue his acting career. Over the course of the next two decades, he worked extensively as an actor and director with numerous prominent theaters, including The Roundabout, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Public Theatre, Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, Hartford Stage Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Geva Theater, and The New York Theatre Workshop, where he holds the esteemed title of Usual Suspect.
In 2004, Kaipo was selected to direct a portion of ABC Television's Cultural Diversity Showcase. His dedication to his craft is evident in his tireless efforts to create opportunities for himself and others. He co-founded the Imua! Theatre Company in 1994, where he produced and directed several critically acclaimed productions, including THE GREEKS, BALM IN GILEAD, and JULIUS CAESAR.
In addition to his work on stage, Kaipo is also a skilled filmmaker. He has directed two short films for Imua! Theatre Company, WHITE RABBIT and DEAD END, as well as a web series, HELP WANTED. His versatility extends to both in front of and behind the camera, as he has appeared in a variety of films and television shows, including The Royal Tenenbaums, It Could Happen To You, Fair Game, Anesthesia, Orange Is the New Black, Grey's Anatomy, Gotham, and The Mysteries of Laura.
Kaipo is also the proud owner of 15 Minutes of Frame, a video and film production company. He has studied with renowned acting coach Peter Kelley and is represented by Janelle Bernard at the Daniel Hoff Agency and Sean Dubravac at Entertainment Lab in Los Angeles.
In his personal life, Kaipo is married to Hope and they reside in Los Angeles with their son, Giovanni, and their lovable one-eyed pug, Wink.
