Rao Ramesh is an actor and is the son of legendary Tollywood actor Rao Gopal Rao. He never wanted to become an actor. He wanted to become an acclaimed still photographer. But the destiny has other plans for him. He became a late bloomer in Telugu film industry. His character as reformed Naxalite in Gamyam film changed his future forever.

Rao Ramesh was born in Srikakulam and brought up in Chennai. He completed his B. Com in Chennai. He wanted to drop out of school in his +2. He got interested in still photography during that time and used to go to British library & American library to study books on photography. He used to be so much passionate about reading that he usually forget shaving his beard.

Rao joined KS Prakasa Rao (brother of K. Raghavendra Rao) as an assistant. But Rao was not provided with any petty work because of the respect Prakasa Rao carries towards his father. During that time cinematographer VSR Swamy encouraged and sent him to a friend of his at Bangalore. He learnt about industrial photography over there. They used Cinar cameras which costs around 16 lakhs each. He also applied for a course in live action and animation in The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, California. But his parents did not want Rao to pursue it.

Later he penned a couple of stories and wanted to direct films. But his mother encouraged him to pursue acting in line ela his father. Initially he was reluctant about acting but his mother brainwashed him for a year and made him finally to agree to act. Ghantasala Ratna Kumar was doing TV serials and he made me act in one such serial. The opening shot was about getting intimate with a girl and I was all nervous. That serial was stalled in the middle.

Then he got an offer to act as the brother of Simran in Bala Krishna’s Seema Simham. It was a small and passive character without a dialogue. Afterwards he couldn't get many offers. Then he was back in Chennai and started acting in serials like Pavitra Bandham, Kalavari Kodalu etc. He worked on TV serials for over 4 and half years.

Bibo Srinivas, Murali Srinivas and Panguluri Srinivas were his classmates in Chennai. Director Krish is the brother-in-law of Bibo Srinivas. Krish was trying to direct a film for around three years and as Rao was an avid reader of poetry and very fond of C. Narayana Reddy’s work ‘Kavitha Naa Chirunama’, they made him to narrate some poetry to Krish. Krish liked the ferocity in Rao's narration and promised him a role in his film. It took over three years to start Krish’s Gamyam.

Rao is happily married with two kids - a son and a daughter.