Mao Inoue is a Japanese actress who was born in Yokohama, Japan, on January 9, 1987. While she is primarily known for her extensive career in live-action television dramas and films, she has also performed voice acting roles in animated projects. Her career in entertainment began in childhood, and she gained widespread recognition for her leading roles in popular television series such as Boys Over Flowers.

Inoue's debut as a voice actress occurred in 2014 when she provided the voice for the character Ringo Boya in the animated film Soreike! Anpanman: Ringo Bōya to Minna no Negai. This role marked her entry into the field of anime voice acting. Her voice is noted for being suited to young boy characters, which was a factor in her being cast in this role.

Her next significant voice acting project was the lead role in the 2016 3DCG animated film Rudolf the Black Cat. In this film, she voiced the title character, Rudolf, a black cat who embarks on an adventure in Tokyo. For this role, she worked to create a voice that evolved from that of a younger child to an older one as the character developed, and she also provided various cat sounds, which she noted were all done with her own voice. In interviews about her voice work, Inoue has discussed the differences between live-action and voice acting, noting that while she typically acts with a co-star, voice acting requires performing while watching the film's images, which takes time to become accustomed to. She has expressed a desire to take on more voice acting roles, including those of human characters.

Aside from these two credited voice roles, Mao Inoue's filmography is overwhelmingly composed of live-action performances, for which she has received numerous accolades, including multiple Best Actress awards from the Television Drama Academy Awards and the Japan Academy Film Prize.