Chō is a Japanese voice actor born on December 15, 1957, in Kōnosu, Saitama Prefecture. His real name is Shigeru Nagashima. He is a graduate of the Department of Literature at Nishogakusha University. Before entering the voice acting industry, he received training at the Bungakuza theatrical research establishment and the Seinenza Theater Company. He began his career in 1980 under the stage name Yūichi Nagashima. In 1986, he affiliated with the talent agency Production Baobab. On August 23, 2006, he changed his stage name to Chō, inspired by a character he played in the program Tanken Boku no Machi. He later transferred to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society (Haikyō) in 2007.

Chō is known for a long and prolific career, providing voices for a wide range of characters across numerous anime series and films. He is particularly recognized for his long-running role as the skeletal musician Brook in One Piece, a role he has played since 2008. This character has appeared in many of the series' films as well, including One Piece Film: Strong World, One Piece Film: Z, One Piece Film: Gold, and One Piece: Stampede. Another of his notable and enduring roles is that of the imp-like Jaken, the loyal retainer to Sesshōmaru in the Inuyasha series and its sequel Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon. He played the principal in Nichijou and the character Jiiya in Hi Score Girl and its second season. In the Fire Force series, he voiced Sōichirō Hague. He also took on the role of Kazuo Yamashita in the Netflix series Kengan Ashura. His credits extend to live-action dubbing and video games, such as playing Professor Pickle in Sonic World Adventure. Throughout his career, he has frequently voiced older, comedic, or eccentric characters.