Eri Nakao is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with the talent agency Osawa Office. She was born on May 15, 1980, in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Nakao is a graduate of the Film Studies Department's acting course at Nihon University College of Art.

Her path to becoming a voice actor was unique, as she did not attend a dedicated voice actor training school. Instead, she successfully passed the audition for Osawa Office shortly after graduating from university. During her university years, she obtained a civilian lifesaver qualification, and her demonstration of CPR performance during the audition is noted as a memorable factor in her hiring. She made her debut as a voice actress in 2004, with her first role being a female student in the anime "This Ugly Yet Beautiful World".

Nakao is recognized for her versatile vocal range, capable of portraying a wide array of characters. Her repertoire includes cool and collected women, cute younger sisters, dual-personality characters, distinctive supporting roles, as well as young boys, mothers, and even elderly women. Beyond animation, she is also active as a narrator for television programs, commercials, and documentaries, and has contributed to various video games and drama CDs.

Throughout her career, which began in 2004, Nakao has built an extensive list of anime credits. Some of her notable television anime roles include Shiori Usami in "World Trigger," Natsuko Tokiwa in "Psychic Squad" (Zettai Karen Children), Sayaka Nakao in "Kämpfer," Escartin Mutsumune in "Getsumen to Heiki Mina," and Miki Hanabishi in the "Hayate the Combat Butler" series. She has also played recurring roles in major franchises, such as Sae Saegusa (三枝由紀香) in the "Fate/stay night" series, Hannah in "Little Witch Academia," and Fiora in the critically acclaimed video game "Xenoblade Chronicles". She also voiced Noriko in the OVA and film "Kowarekake no Orgel".

Within the industry, Nakao is known by the nickname Nakao Pro, which was popularized by a fellow voice actor on a web radio program. She is also known for her distinctive speaking style, which has been imitated by colleagues such as Eri Kitamura, Sayuri Yahagi, and Kana Hanazawa. A lifelong fan of anime and manga, she also enjoys singing character songs at karaoke. Beyond voice acting, she demonstrated her artistic skills by providing original key animation for an episode of "Hayate the Combat Butler," which earned her a credit in the show's ending staff roll.