Japanese-American celebrities
Celebrities with Japanese ancestry.
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- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Anna Akana was born on 18 August 1989 in Monterey, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Jupiter's Legacy (2021), Let It Snow (2019) and Ant-Man (2015).- Actress
- Producer
Born in New York but raised in California, Devon Aoki is no stranger to the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Her father is former Olympic wrestler and Benihana restaurant magnate Rocky Aoki and her mother is Pamela Hilburger, a jewelry designer. Devon is of Japanese (from her father) and German and English (from her mother) ancestry. She started modeling when she was 13, the same year her godmother introduced her to modeling legend Kate Moss. She is now the face of Lancome and is one of the top earners at her agency, Women.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Gregg Araki was born on 17 December 1959 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Mysterious Skin (2004), White Bird in a Blizzard (2014) and Kaboom (2010).- Actress
- Additional Crew
Strikingly beautiful Asian actress who made a solid impression as the effortlessly sexy, highly capable associate producer on the acclaimed series Sports Night (1998). She has also appeared in such films as Exit to Eden (1994) and Basic Instinct (1992). She married Robert Check at the Sniffen Farm in Kohala, Hawaii, on Sept. 28, 2002. The couple reside in El Segundo, California.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Dean Cain was born Dean George Tanaka in Mount Clemens, Michigan, to actress Sharon Thomas Cain and Roger Tanaka. His mother married his adoptive father, director Christopher Cain, when Dean was three. Though he grew up in Malibu and attended Santa Monica High School, his career plans favored professional football over acting. While at Princeton, he completed a history major, dated Brooke Shields for two years, and set a Princeton record for interceptions in a season (12). After signing with the Buffalo Bills, a knee injury ended his pro career before it began. Though he had already played a part in his father's The Stone Boy (1984), he went through the usual route of commercials and tv-parts (notably, Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) in 1990) before landing his break-through role as Superman/Clark Kent in the series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993).- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Maya Erskine was born on 7 May 1987 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for PEN15 (2019), Wine Country (2019) and Blue Eye Samurai (2023).- John Fujioka was born on 29 June 1925 in Olaa, Hawaii, USA. He was an actor, known for Mortal Kombat (1995), American Ninja (1985) and Pearl Harbor (2001). He died on 13 December 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Karen Fukuhara is a Japanese-American actress from Los Angeles, California. She is fluent in English and Japanese. While attending UCLA, she continued to work on numerous shows in Japan, notably the Disney Channel. She is a martial arts champion, trained in karate and sword fighting. She made her film debut as the sword wielding superhero, Katana, in Suicide Squad (2016). She is represented by UTA.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Kimiko Elizabeth Glenn was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ, where she grew up with her sister Amanda, and parents Mark and Sumiko. She started doing theater when she was ten years old at Valley Youth Theatre and there, began developing her love for performing.
Halfway through her freshman year of college at the Boston Conservatory, she was cast in the 1st National Tour of Spring Awakening. After touring for two years, she finally settled her life in New York.
Since then, she starred as the title role in La Jolla Playhouse's "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots", directed by Des McAnuff; and played the bratty Princess Ssu-Ming in the Playhouse's production of "The Nightingale", directed by Moisés Kaufman. She was honored to perform at the Delacorte Theater for Shakespeare in the Park, in The Public's "Love's Labour's Lost", directed by Alex Timbers. She had a blast originating the role of Emily in the Off-Broadway production of Julianne Moore's Freckleface Strawberry and is proud of the many exciting projects she has been a part of. Favorites include: Behind the Painting written by Maltby & Shire; Plop, written by Bare's Damon Intrabartolo; Yeast Nation from the creators of Urintetown at the NY Fringe festival '11; Crossing Over as part of the National Asian Artists' Project; and the staged reading of Cheer Wars -- her very first New York job.
Kimiko has also appeared in feature films Construction (2021); Nous York (2012); and Hair Brained (2013) starring Brendan Fraser & Parker Posey; and the movie-musical short, Galaxy Comics, by director Kevin McMullin. You may have seen her in the 2011 Disney/ABC Diversity Showcase directed by Ted Sluberski and Joe Ward. She was thrilled to shoot NBCUniversal's half-hour comedy pilot Holding Patterns; and will be joining the cast of Orange Is the New Black (2013), a Netflix series, as Brook Soso.- Actress
- Writer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Born in Walnut Creek, California, Alice Greczyn grew up mainly in the mid-west until finally landing in Colorado. She had no idea that she would stumble into life as an actress. Starring in television shows and films had not even crossed her mind. Instead, her childhood goal was to compete as a figure skater. As she got a little older her focus shifted to more humanitarian purposes, which led her to attend college with plans of being a nurse or paramedic. That all changed when Greczyn was approached by a talent manager in Colorado, who then set her career in motion. Greczyn spends most of her off time traveling, whether it's to visit with family or visit places as far as Mongolia. Her true passion is cooking and exploring other cultures. Greczyn's stunning exotic beauty stems from a unique European-Asian blend of ethnicity.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Sessue Hayakawa was born in Chiba, Japan. His father was the provincial governor and his mother a member of an aristocratic family of the "samurai" class. The young Hayakawa wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a career officer in the Japanese navy, but he was turned down due to problems with his hearing. The disappointed Hayakawa decided to make his career on the stage. He joined a Japanese theatrical company that eventually toured the United States in 1913. Pioneering film producer Thomas H. Ince spotted him and offered him a movie contract. Roles in The Wrath of the Gods (1914) and The Typhoon (1914) turned Hayakawa into an overnight success. The first Asian-American star of the American screen was born.
He married actress Tsuru Aoki on May 1, 1914. The next year his appearance in Cecil B. DeMille's sexploitation picture The Cheat (1915) made Hayakawa a silent-screen superstar. He played an ivory merchant who has an affair with the Caucasian Fannie Ward, and audiences were "scandalized" when he branded her as a symbol of her submission to their passion. The movie was a blockbuster for Famous Players-Lasky (later Paramount), turning Hayakawa into a romantic idol for millions of American women, regardless of their race. However, there were objections and outrage from racists of all stripes, especially those who were opposed to miscegenation (sexual contact between those of different races). Also outraged was the Japanese-American community, which was dismayed by DeMille's unsympathetic portrayal of a member of their race. The Japanese-American community protested the film and attempted to have it banned when it was re-released in 1918.
The popularity of Hayakawa rivaled that of Caucasian male movie stars in the decade of the 1910s, and he became one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. He made his career in melodramas, playing romantic heroes and charismatic heavies. He co-starred with the biggest female stars in Hollywood, all of whom were, of course, Caucasian. His pictures often co-starred Jack Holt as his Caucasian rival for the love of the white heroine (Holt would later become a top action star in the 1920s),
Hayakawa left Famous Players-Lasky to go independent, setting up his own production company, Haworth Pictures Corp. Through the end of the decade Haworth produced Asian-themed films starring Hayakawa and wife Tsuru Aoki that proved very popular. These movies elucidated the immigrant's desire to "cross over" or assimilate into society at large and pursue the "American Dream" in a society free of racial intolerance. Sadly, most of these films are now lost.
With the dawn of a new decade came a rise in anti-Asian sentiment, particularly over the issue of immigration due to the post-World War I economic slump. Hayakawa's films began to perform poorly at the box office, bringing his first American movie career to an end in 1922. He moved to Japan but was unable to get a career going. Relocating to France, he starred in La bataille (1923), a popular melodrama spiced with martial arts. He made Sen Yan's Devotion (1924) and The Great Prince Shan (1924) in the UK.
In 1931 Hayakawa returned to Hollywood to make his talking-picture debut in support of Anna May Wong in Daughter of the Dragon (1931). Sound revealed that he had a heavy accent, and his acting got poor reviews. He returned to Japan before once again going to France, where he made the geisha melodrama Yoshiwara (1937) for director Max Ophüls. He also appeared in a remake of "The Cheat" called Forfaiture (1937), playing the same role that over 20 year earlier had made him one of the biggest stars in the world.
After the Second World War he took a third stab at Hollywood. In 1949 he relaunched g himself as a character actor with Tokyo Joe (1949) in support of Humphrey Bogart, and Three Came Home (1950) with Claudette Colbert. Hayakawa reached the apex of this, his third career, with his role as the martinet POW camp commandant in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), which brought him an Academy Award nomination for Best Suporting Actor. His performance as Col. Saito was essential to the success of David Lean's film, built as it was around the battle of wills between Hayakawa's commandant and Alec Guinness' Col. Nicholson, head of the Allied POWs. The film won the Best Picture Academy Award, while Lean and Guiness also were rewarded with Oscars.
Hayakawa continued to act in movies regularly until his retirement in 1966. He returned to Japan, becoming a Zen Buddhist priest while remaining involved in his craft by giving private acting lessons.
Ninety years after achieving stardom, he remains one of the few Asians to assume superstar status in American motion pictures.- Stunts
- Actress
- Producer
- Marc Hayashi is known for The Karate Kid Part II (1986), Remington Steele (1982) and Falcon Crest (1981).
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Ryan Higa was born in Hilo, Hawaii, USA, is an actor and writer, known for Ninja Melk (2009), Agents of Secret Stuff (2010), The Last Skitzo! (2015) and featured in Tell Me How I Die (2016). Also known for his YouTube channel 'nigahiga' with 23.7 million subscribers. He graduated from Waiakea High School in 2008.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jeff Imada was born and raised in Inglewood, California, USA, where he began studying martial arts at the age of fifteen. At El Camino College and UCLA, he majored in pre-med and minored in music. While in college, he started working as a movie "extra," which led to his becoming a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Stunts Unlimited and the Directors Guild of America. Jeff Imada also had been technical advisor on numerous films, including Dutch (1991), Tango & Cash (1989), Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986), Dreamscape (1984), and Streets of Fire (1984), and such television series as Magnum, P.I. (1980), Remington Steele (1982), Dynasty (1981), Matt Houston (1982), Airwolf (1984), Stingray (1986), Hart to Hart (1979) and Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982).- Actor
- Special Effects
- Visual Effects
Electronics wizard Grant Imahara has been behind the scenes of many top Hollywood films for years. An expert at animatronics, his skills were used extensively at George Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic, where his talent was demonstrated on various features including the Matrix sequels, the three Star Wars prequels, Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), and the hit Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). Grant was one of only a few people to have the privilege to operate R2-D2. He continued to use his skills in front of the camera on the Discovery Channel show MythBusters (2003) team. Fans have embraced his talent, unique skills, and sense of humor.- Imamura graduated from Texas Christian with a degree in finance and later pursued an MBA at Colorado State. He began his coaching career in 1997 at his alma mater, Texas Christian, as a defensive assistant, supporting the Horned Frogs' defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator. Prior to entering the NFL, Imamura spent seven seasons on the college level, including 2003 as the outside linebackers' coach at Saginaw Valley State. Prior to Saginaw Valley State, Imamura had a three-year stint from 2000-02 at Northern Arizona coaching the defensive line. Imamura spent eight seasons from 2006-13 with the Minnesota Vikings, where he assisted with the secondary for two years and linebackers for six years. Also prior to Carolina, Imamura worked as a defensive assistant with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams for two seasons, assisting with linebackers in 2016 and defensive backs in 2015. 2018 is Jeff Imamura's second season with the Panthers as assistant secondary coach in charge of cornerbacks and nickelbacks. Imamura has 11 years of NFL coaching experience.
- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Carrie Ann Inaba was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. She is of Japanese, Chinese, and Irish ancestry, and is the youngest of two children. Carrie Ann grew up dancing the hula (native Hawaiian dance) and other dance forms. She also played the piano and violin and sang in the choir. She attended Hanahaouli School and then Punahou School. Carrie Ann played volleyball for a little while but found her true love in performing.
At the age of 16, she and her closest friend Tina Horii won the Hawaii statewide competition, "Search for Talent", dancing a piece that they had choreographed together. While still sixteen, Carrie Ann was scouted to go to Japan to become a "Teen Idol".
However, she waited until she finished high school and then left Hawaii to pursue her career as a musical artist in Japan. During her time in Japan, Carrie Ann released three singles with Pony Canyon Records while attending Sophia University, a Jesuit university in Tokyo. In the two-year period spent living in Tokyo, Japan, she learned a great deal about the entertainment industry, performing, as well as the Japanese language. She also made great friends from all over the world, which later became a theme in her life as a documentarian.
After realizing that the Tokyo lifestyle wasn't for her at the time, Carrie Ann returned to the United States, relocating to California. She began to study choreography at the University of California, Irvine. It wasn't long till she got the bug to dance in Los Angeles and moved up to study with Alex Magno at the Debbie Reynolds Studios in North Hollywood, California. One day in dance class, Carrie Ann was approached by a producer who asked her to be in a music video for an artist named Terry Lin. She met the choreographer and booked the job. She was ready to start working.
One of her first jobs was as a dancer for the Emmy Award-winning television show, In Living Color (1990). Her next big gig was performing with Madonna, being featured as the "Pole Girl" on The Girlie Show tour. For this tour, Carrie Ann had to shave her head and also train with circus trainers and a stripper. She later went on to dance with Ricky Martin, David Copperfield, Chayanne, and did a lot of appearances on shows such as The Creative Arts Emmys, The SAG Awards, The NAACP Awards, The MTV Awards, The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986), and so much more. To this day, she still loves to dance. In her heart of hearts, it is the movement and the music that will always inspire her as an artist. In fact, even as an actress, she likes to incorporate dance and movement.
When Carrie Ann began her acting career, her main interest was in action roles. She studied tae kwon do with Billy Blanks, the creator Taebo, and continues her education in martial arts. She also practices hatha yoga. Carrie Ann always looks for ways to include her background in movement (choreography and martial arts) into her career.
Besides performing, Carrie Ann has many credits behind the scenes as well. Besides her choreography, she opened up her own digital video production company, EnterMediArts, Inc., which produced two of her documentaries and her short film. She hopes that EnterMediArts, Inc. will soon produce more reality/education television programming, behind-the-scenes DVD productions as well as lower-end film projects. She is the president and CEO for the company and has directed and edited most of her own projects. She loves the entertainment industry and loves the accessibility that DV (Digital Video) provides. She invested in a few edit bays and a few cameras and produces projects for fellow artists and "creatives." As her company's name implies, Carrie Ann likes to break down barriers and combine elements, creating hybrids just like she, herself, is a combination of cultures. Her production company, EnterMediArts, Inc., gets its name from Entertainment, Media, and the Arts -- all rolled into one.
Carrie Ann has also modeled here and there and has been on the cover of European magazines and Japanese magazines. She was the national spokesmodel for an AT&T Asian Campaign and has been in many commercials throughout her career.
At the time of this writing, Carrie Ann is in the limelight once more for her participation in the hit show, Dancing with the Stars (2005) and Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann (2008).- Jim Ishida was born on 29 July 1943 in Tokyo, Japan. He is an actor, known for Back to the Future Part II (1989), Predator 2 (1990) and Armageddon (1998). He is married to Margaret.
- Brittany Ishibashi was born in Orange, California, USA. Brittany is an actor, known for Runaways (2017), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016) and Grace and Frankie (2015). Brittany has been married to Jeff Horowitz since 29 May 2011. They have one child.
- Dale Ishimoto was born on 3 April 1923 in Delta, Colorado, USA. He was an actor, known for Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), King Rat (1965) and Kung Fu (1972). He was married to Miiko Taka. He died on 4 March 2004 in Culver City, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Yuna Ito was born on 20 September 1983 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Nana (2005), Yuna Ito: Precious (2006) and Nana 2 (2006).- Danny Kamekona was born on 15 November 1935 in Hilo, Hawaii, USA. He was an actor, known for The Karate Kid Part II (1986), Problem Child (1990) and Robot Jox (1989). He was married to Michiko. He died on 2 May 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Stunts
- Actor
Micah Karns is known for Black Panther (2018), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Janice Kawaye is a Japanese-American actress from Los Angeles, California. She had a minor role in Night of the Comet before voicing Gi in Captain Planet and the Planeteers. She voiced in several cartoons and games such as Jenny Wakeman and Tammy in My Life as a Teenage Robot, Ami Onuki and Tekirai in Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Ayane in Ninja Gaiden, Sara in Invader Zim, Little Robot in Bump in the Night, and Numbuh 83 and Numbuh 84 in Codename: Kids Next Door. She is the most prolific Japanese-American voice actress in the industry. She speaks both English and Japanese, which is demonstrated in episodes of My Life as a Teenage Robot, Bump in the Night and Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi.- Actress
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Hayley first appeared in national commercials for GM, On Star, K-Mart, and Slim Jim, and became the TV spokesperson for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. In addition, she had a couple of guest star roles on Nickelodeon's Unfabulous (2004). As a dancer, she studied with Scotty Nyugen. She is a prolific songwriter and she plays the drums, keyboards, and guitar. She was a member of a five girl-singing group, the Stunners up until their disbandment in 2011. The Stunners have released their first five-song EP with the video "Dancing Around the Truth." Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009) debuted on Cartoon Network in 2009 with Hayley in the iconic role of Velma Dinkley. She appeared in the role of Stevie on Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place (2007). Hayley, with the Stunners, toured as Justin Bieber's opening act in the summer of 2010.
Hayley recently joined the cast of the new CBS mid-season drama CSI: Cyber (2015). The series revolves around Special Agent Avery Ryan (Patricia Arquette), who is in charge of the Cyber Crime Division at Quantico, Virginia. Hayley plays Raven, a rookie techie working in the division who is an expert in social media, cyber trends, and international relations.
This past summer, Hayley filmed the Universal feature Jem and the Holograms (2015), in which she plays Aja. This Jon M. Chu-helmed film is set to be released on October 23, 2015. She followed that with Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), the third installment in the successful franchise. Hayley can also be seen in the recurring role of Gabi, an ex-cyberbully in an all-girl group home on the breakout ABC Family show The Fosters (2013). Prior to this, she guest-starred on the hit CW series The Vampire Diaries (2009) and also appeared in the Disney Channel original movie Lemonade Mouth (2011).
In addition to a successful acting career, Hayley is a prolific songwriter and gifted musician. To follow up her solo artist debut in 2013, she is scheduled to release her new EP, "This Side of Paradise," in 2015. Working in collaboration with producer James Flannigan, she recorded the new album in London as well as in a makeshift studio in the garage of her Los Angeles home. Her music has garnered praise in multiple online publications including Nylon, Just Jared, Earmilk, and Hype Machine.- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Michael "Cub" Koda was born on October 1, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan. His father Max owned a small-town newspaper in Manchester, Michigan. He got his nickname Cub from the character of Cubby on the TV show The Mickey Mouse Club (1955). Koda was a drummer at age five and formed his first group, The Del-Tinos, while attending Manchester High School. The group recorded three singles before breaking up in 1966. Cub formed the rock band Brownsville Station in 1969, which scored a big hit in 1973 with the terrifically thrilling teen attitude anthem classic "Smokin' in the Boy's Room," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard pop charts and sold over two million copies. Brownsville Station continued to perform in concert and record albums, but disbanded in 1979.
Koda began recording one-man band songs in such diverse music genres as country, blues, R&B, jazz, rockabilly and early rock'n'roll with a multi-track tape recorder while still a member of Brownsville Station; these recordings were released as the album "That's What I Like About the South!" in 1984. In 1979 he started writing the regular column "The Vinyl Junkie" for "Goldmine" magazine. In 1980 Koda worked with blues singer Hound Dog Taylor's backing band The Houserockers. He also began writing liner notes and compiled records for numerous CD compilations issued by Rhino Records, Time-Life, MCA and Motown; among the compilations he wrote liner notes for are three volumes of the acclaimed "Blues Masters" series and "Best of" retrospective compilations for such artists as Link Wray, The Trashmen, Jimmy Reed and The Miller Sisters. He was the editor and a contributing writer for the book "The All Music Guide to Blues" and both co-wrote and edited the paperback publication "Blues for Dummies" in 1998. In addition, Koda recorded and released albums of his own material, which include "Welcome to My Job," "Abba Dabba Dabba: A Bananza of Hits," "Box Lunch," and the especially well-received "Noise Monkeys."
Cub Koda was still writing and recording music when he died suddenly of kidney failure at the tragically young age of 51 on July 1, 2000.- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Hiro got his first glimpse into the world of film and television when he received his SAG card at the young age of 12. By the time he was 16, he convinced his parents to let him finish high school early and move by himself across the country in order to pursue his life long dream of becoming a stuntman. For the last 25 years he has used his martial arts and motocross background to fulfill that dream.
In the beginning Hiro knew little about the stunt industry. But in 1986 when stuntman and family friend, Shane Dixon, took him to visit the set of the first Lethal Weapon, Hiro was hooked. He knew he had to be a stuntman.
He began his career working on early Roger Corman films. Shortly after, he worked his way onto the popular kids show, Power Rangers where he spent the next 7 years perfecting his craft and learning what it took to be a stuntman. His hard work paid off. Since then, Hiro has worked on over 150 films and television shows. He has been nominated for 2 Taurus World Stunt Awards and continues to work on some of the industry's top shows as a stunt coordinator and 2nd unit director. In 2002, Hiro became a member of the Directors Guild of America, allowing him to move into the next phase of his career as a film maker. His directing accomplishments include several short films, t.v. shows, commercials, and a full length feature film. He became a series director on Supah Ninjas, for which he won the Emmy for Outstanding Stunt Coordination last year.
Despite all of his hard work, Hiro also enjoys taking time off to travel and spend time with his family. His children; Chloe, Chaeli, Kai, and Takéo and wife, Jahnel.- Actor
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Hiro Kanagawa is a Vancouver-based actor and writer. Born in Sapporo, Japan, he spent his childhood in Guelph, Ontario and Sterling Heights, Michigan before attending International Christian University High School in Tokyo where he acted in his first student films and stage productions. Returning to the U.S., he attended Middlebury College, VT, the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and the Tyler School of Art at Temple University before settling in Vancouver, BC. Since 1990, his multi-faceted career has earned him numerous stage awards and distinctions in his native Canada. Internationally, he is perhaps best known for his recurring roles and guest appearances on popular American television series such as Altered Carbon (2018), The X-Files (1993), iZombie (2015), and Smallville (2001), and for memorable comedic turns in hits like Best in Show (2000) and Supernatural (2005). His screenwriting credits include story editing on the critically-acclaimed Canadian series Da Vinci's Inquest (1998), Da Vinci's City Hall (2005), Intelligence (2005), and Blackstone (2009). Also an accomplished playwright, he received the 2017 Governor-General's Literary Award for Drama for his play Indian Arm.- Akiji Kobayashi was born on 6 September 1930 in Tokyo, Japan. He was an actor, known for Ultraman: A Special Effects Fantasy Series (1966), Harakiri (1962) and Ultraman (1967). He died on 27 August 1996.
- Christina Kokubo was born on 27 July 1950 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She was an actress, known for Midway (1976), St. Elsewhere (1982) and The Yakuza (1974). She died on 9 June 2007.
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Emily Kuroda has performed in numerous plays including Luis Alfaro's "Straight as a Line" at Playwrights Arena, directed by Jon Rivera, Chay Yew's "Red" at East West Players and "Winter People" at the Boston Court. Other theatres include Kirk Douglas Theatre, South Coast Rep, New York's Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle Rep, Singapore Repertory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theater, Doolittle Theater, Huntington Theater (Boston), Los Angeles Theater Center, Zephyr Theater, LA Women's Shakespeare Company, and the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival.
She is the recipient of five Dramalogue Awards, a Garland Award for outstanding performance, an L.A. Ovation award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Play, Playwrights' Arena Outstanding Contribution to LA Theatre, and East West Players' Rae Creevey Award.
She is married to Actor/director Alberto Isaac. She has two brothers, Paul Kuroda (an award winning photographer in Oakland) and Douglas Kuroda (An award winning mechanic and is now an electrics in Fresno).- Writer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
After training as a painter (he storyboards his films as full-scale paintings), Kurosawa entered the film industry in 1936 as an assistant director, eventually making his directorial debut with Sanshiro Sugata (1943). Within a few years, Kurosawa had achieved sufficient stature to allow him greater creative freedom. Drunken Angel (1948) was the first film he made without extensive studio interference, and marked his first collaboration with Toshirô Mifune. In the coming decades, the two would make 16 movies together, and Mifune became as closely associated with Kurosawa's films as was John Wayne with the films of Kurosawa's idol, John Ford. After working in a wide range of genres, Kurosawa made his international breakthrough film Rashomon (1950) in 1950. It won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, and first revealed the richness of Japanese cinema to the West. The next few years saw the low-key, touching Ikiru (1952) (Living), the epic Seven Samurai (1954), the barbaric, riveting Shakespeare adaptation Throne of Blood (1957), and a fun pair of samurai comedies Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962). After a lean period in the late 1960s and early 1970s, though, Kurosawa attempted suicide. He survived, and made a small, personal, low-budget picture with Dodes'ka-den (1970), a larger-scale Russian co-production Dersu Uzala (1975) and, with the help of admirers Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, the samurai tale Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior (1980), which Kurosawa described as a dry run for Ran (1985), an epic adaptation of Shakespeare's "King Lear." He continued to work into his eighties with the more personal Dreams (1990), Rhapsody in August (1991) and Madadayo (1993). Kurosawa's films have always been more popular in the West than in his native Japan, where critics have viewed his adaptations of Western genres and authors (William Shakespeare, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Maxim Gorky and Evan Hunter) with suspicion - but he's revered by American and European film-makers, who remade Rashomon (1950) as The Outrage (1964), Seven Samurai (1954), as The Magnificent Seven (1960), Yojimbo (1961), as A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and The Hidden Fortress (1958), as Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).- Actor
- Producer
- Executive
Clyde Kusatsu was born on 13 September 1948 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Paradise Road (1997), The Interpreter (2005) and Midway (1976). He has been married to Gayle Shuffler since 29 August 1976. They have two children.- Actor
- Composer
- Writer
Sean Lennon was born on 9 October 1975 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Monster-in-Law (2005), Going the Distance (2010) and Ava's Possessions (2015).- Actress
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Although Lily Mariye is a DGA Award nominee for "Just Add Magic," she may be best known for her role as Nurse Lily Jarvik on ER (1994) for its entire 15 season run. An award-winning actress/dancer/singer, she was discovered by agent Joan Scott in the LA stage production of Elizabeth Swados musical, Runaways. Now a successful TV and film director, she directed "The Walking Dead," "The Good Fight," "The Terror: Infamy," "Prodigal Son," "Council Of Dads," "Stumptown," "NCIS: Los Angeles," "Chicago PD," "Criminal Minds," "Nashville," and "Partner Track" after her feature film debut, "Model Minority." She is active at the DGA, appointed by President Tommy Schlamme to the DGA PAC Leadership Council and the Special Projects Committee, as well as being elected twice as Co-chair of the DGA Asian American Committee. Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, she has a BA in Theatre from UCLA. She is married to Grammy-nominated Concord Recording artist, Boney James.- Actress
- Director
- Additional Crew
Karen Maruyama was born on 29 May 1958 in the USA. She is an actress and director, known for The American President (1995), The Bucket List (2007) and The Campaign (2012).- Actress
- Director
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Alicia Michioka is known for Blood of the Samurai 2 (2007), Beyond the Break (2006) and Blood of the Samurai: The Series (2004). She is married to Matt Jones. They have one child.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Abundantly busy and much-loved Asian-American actor who became an on-screen hero to millions of adults and kids alike as the wise and wonderful Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid (1984), the sparkling Noriyuki Morita was back again dishing out Eastern philosophy and martial arts lessons for The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and even for The Next Karate Kid (1994). However, putting all that karate aside, the diminutive Morita actually first started out as a stand-up comedian known as the Hip Nip in nightclubs and bars, and made his first on-screen appearance in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). He quickly adapted to the screen and showed up in small parts in such comedy films as The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), alongside Don Knotts, and in Evil Roy Slade (1972) supporting John Astin. He also appeared in such popular series as Sanford and Son (1972) and M*A*S*H (1972).
Morita got his next break playing the often-perplexed restaurant owner Matsho "Arnold" Takahashi in 26 episodes of the hugely popular sitcom Happy Days (1974) between 1975 and 1976, and again between 1982 and 1983. Morita was quite in demand on the small screen and also scored the lead in his own police drama Ohara (1987), and guest-starred on other high-profile television series including Magnum, P.I. (1980), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Baywatch (1989) and The Hughleys (1998). Although most often used as a minor character actor, he remained consistently busy and occasionally lent his vocal talents to animated features such as Mulan (1998). However, his real strengths lay in portraying slightly oddball or unusual characters in offbeat films. He died at age 73 of natural causes at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 24, 2005.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Alan Muraoka was born on 10 August 1962 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and director, known for It Could Happen to You (1994), Sesame Street (1969) and Sesame Street in Communities (2016).- Production Designer
- Art Director
- Art Department
Alan Muraoka has been pursuing a career in entertainment media design since graduating from Yale University with a BA majoring in Art History and Music, and MFA from New York University Tisch School of the Arts in Theatrical Design. His work ranges from feature film, television production design and art director to work as a theatrical scenic designer for the theater, opera and cooperation communication around the country. Alan splits his time between Los Angeles and New York City.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kellye Nakahara was born on 16 January 1948 in Oahu, Hawaii, USA. She was an actress, known for Clue (1985), M*A*S*H (1972) and Doctor Dolittle (1998). She was married to David Wallett. She died on 16 February 2020 in Pasadena, California, USA.- Amy Okuda is an American actress. Her film debut was Chastity Bites (2013).
In 2007 she landed a role in the TV show Californication with David Duchovny. Also in 2007, Okuda got the role of Tinkerballa in The Guild, her first recurring role.
In 2015, she appeared in Season 2 of Shonda Rhimes' television drama series How To Get Away With Murder on ABC. In 2017 she starred in the the Netflix comedy television series Atypical. - Director
- Actress
- Composer
Yoko Ono was born on Saturday, February 18th, 1933, in her ancestral estate in Tokyo, Japan. Her father, Eisuke Ono, was the descendant of a 9th Century Emperor of Japan. Her mother, Isoko Yasuda Ono, was the granddaughter of Zenijiro Yasuda, the founder of Yasuda Bank. Yoko was two years old when she was brought to California, and joined her father for the first time. She returned to Japan before WWII and survived the bombings of Tokyo in 1945. Yoko went to school with Emperor Hirohito's two sons. Though boys and girls were separated, Yoko was visited by Emperor's son Yoshi, and in turn she visited the boy's school in defiance of the rules. In the early 50s she and her parents moved to New York. She went to Sarah Lawrence College, where she was particularly adept in music, with her perfect pitch and untamed creativity. She married a Julliard student, Toshi Ichiyanagi, and moved to Manhattan. Her admiration with Franz Kafka, Vincent van Gogh, and Arnold Schönberg gave root and was fertilized by the New York avant-garde scene. In 1960, Yoko Ono & her friend La Monte Young staged the legendary loft events on Chambers Street. She also provided the loft for John Cage and his ground-braking classes of experimental music. She collaborated with Karlheinz Stockhausen, Nam June Paik, George Maciunas and Fluxus. Yoko cut herself from her parents and was on her own, working as a waitress, an apartment manager, and a music teacher in New York's public schools.
In 1962, after separating from Toshi, she gave in to her parents and returned to Japan. There, she heavily suffered from a clinical depression, and was locked up in a mental hospital. Anthony Cox went to Japan and managed to release Yoko Ono from captivity. She married Cox in Tokyo, later in the year, and their daughter, (as she became a mother), Kyoko, was born on Saturday, August 3rd, 1963. Cox became her artistic assistant. But in 1964 they separated and Cox returned to New York. Yoko joined him later in 1964 with Kyoko. She dreamed up the concept for 'Bottoms' (1966), completed only after 365 friends and volunteers provided their naked buttocks for close-ups. Her ad was "Intelligent-looking bottoms wanted for filming. Possessors of unintelligent-looking ones need not apply." Yoko promoted 'Bottoms' (1966) by being tied to a bronze lion in London's Trafalgar Square. While there, she first met her future husband-to-be (also 3rd & last), John Lennon at her art show in London on Wednesday evening, November 9th, 1966. At first they were very impressed with each other's intellect, personalities & everything else followed later. They married. John was lambasted by the British public. Yoko lost her daughter Kyoko (second ex-husband Cox kidnapped Kyoko in 1971 & hid her with an alias name Rosemary in the cult The Walk) for 27 years. Finally in 1998, Yoko and Kyoko reunited. John and Yoko were together 24/7 for six years until their fifteen-month break in 1973-74. Back together again, they sustained attacks from the media, politicians and all kinds of harassment. John and Yoko created art, music & had a son, Sean Lennon, on Wednesday, October 9th, 1975. They nourished each other's artistic nature with enough humor to survive through almost everything. Until Yoko Ono became a widow!- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Yuji Okumoto was born on 20 April 1959 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Karate Kid Part II (1986), Inception (2010) and Johnny Tsunami (1999). He has been married to Angela Okumoto since 2001. They have three children.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Actor, Producer and Director Nick Sakai majored in Theatre Arts at The State University of New York at Buffalo, later transferred to CUNY Hunter. It was in his senior year Nick had the opportunity to audition for his first off-Broadway show, Stonewall, directed by Tina Landau and produced by En Garde Arts. During the run, the casting director for All My Children called Nick for his first audition, which launched his television career. Nick went on to work in prime-time/daytime television, independent films, commercials, voice-overs, and theatre. His television credits include High Maintenance (Season 2), Orange is the New Black (Season 4), The Affair (Season 3), Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Third Watch and so on.
His venture into production started after meeting award winning filmmaker Anya Meksin when he had a role in her short film Couch. Nick collaborated with Anya on her next production, The Professor, which starred Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad) and Rick Peters (Dexter), an action thriller inspired by Occupy Wall Street. Nick served as Associate Producer on the film, which won the CINE Golden Eagle Award and Best Action/Adventure Film at Comic-con in 2014 and is on the festival circuit. The most recent producing credit includes Bluebirds starring James Chen ("The Walking Dead", "FBI", "Law & Order:SVU" and "Iron Fist") and Ayesha Adamo ("Dance Till Dawn" and "We Are The Prototypes")
Other producing credits include Going Home (co-producer), a short film which explored the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on former soldiers, "12", a parody short of "24" and is in production for "Ms. Kiss", a project he acted in, produced and directed. This film is going on the festival circuit this year.
He is represented by ATB Talent, bi-coastal agency based in Los Angeles and New York City.- Seth Sakai was born on 22 May 1932 in Hawaii, USA. He was an actor, known for Pearl Harbor (2001), The Next Karate Kid (1994) and Magnum, P.I. (1980). He died on 10 May 2007 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Hawaiian-born James Shigeta was, for a time, the biggest East Asian U.S. star the country had known for decades. His up-and-down career reflected the country's changing interest in films with East Asian themes, but, when called upon, he filled both A-movie starring roles and minor T.V. guest appearances with the same cool and classy style. An aspiring song-and-dance man early in his career, he had a series of romantic leading roles in the late fifties, culminating in his most important one, the lead in Ross Hunter's glitzy production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, Flower Drum Song (1961). Supporting parts followed, his last showy turn coming again from Ross Hunter, with star billing and his own production number in the ill-fated musical remake of Lost Horizon (1973). Along the way, there have been many notable T.V. guest appearances showcasing Shigeta's facility with both sympathetic and villainous roles. His status as the foremost East Asian leading man of twentieth century U.S. film will endure undiminished by an erratic career.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Sab Shimono was born on 31 July 1937 in Sacramento, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), Southland Tales (2006) and The Shadow (1994). He has been married to Steve Alden Nelson since 23 June 2008.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Pat Suzuki was born Chiyoko Suzuki in Cressey, California (in Merced County, central California) on September 23, 1930. As the youngest of four children, she was nicknamed "Chiby", which was Japanese for "squirt". She grew up on the family farm, and discovered her love for singing early on at church on Sundays and at local events. But things took a bad turn with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and Pat and her family were one of many Japanese-American families forced to enter internment camps. After release from the camp, her family returned to California. After attending college at San Jose State, she left for New York, and obtained a job as an understudy in a touring production of "Tea House of the August Moon". While in Seattle, an impromptu performance so impressed the owner of a local club, called The Colony, that she was offered a permanent job there. It was during this time when she hit her first big break. Bing Crosby happened to catch her act one summer night in 1957, and was so taken with her that he immediately referred her to RCA Records. This led to the 1958 release of her first album, titled "The Many Sides of Pat Suzuki". She was in high demand, and made appearances on such shows as "The Frank Sinatra Show", which also led to a role in Rodgers & Hammerstein's production of "Flower Drum Song". After the show's run, she met and married her husband, photographer Mark Shaw, and gave birth to a son. Throughout the 1970s, she continued to perform and record her music. She also appeared alongside Pat Morita on the short-lived sitcom "Mr. T. and Tina", which was a first sitcom starring an Asian-American family. She is active in supporting Asian-American rights, and performs occasionally (in places as prestigious as Lincoln Center). In 1999 she released "The Very Best of Pat Suzuki".- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Satoshi Tajiri was born on 28 August 1965 in Tokyo, Japan. He is a writer and director, known for Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019), Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998) and Pokémon (1997).- Tricia Takasugi is known for Lie to Me (2009), The Real Murders of Orange County (2020) and Blood & Money (2023).
- Producer
- Art Department
- Production Designer
Iwao Takamoto had recently graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Los Angeles when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Iwao, his parents and siblings were interned as enemy aliens in the Manzanar internment camp where he learned the rudiments of drawing and animation from two fellow internees who had worked as art directors at Hollywood film studios. When given a chance to leave the camp to pick fruit in Idaho, Iwao applied to Walt Disney for a job as an animator; he spent the weekend before his appointment drawing and sketching almost everything he saw. He got the job as an assistant illustrator working as an apprentice under the tutelage of Disney's "Nine Old Men", particularly Bob Carlson and Milt Kahl. While at Disney, Takamoto worked on both short films and features. In 1961 he left Disney for Hanna-Barbera where he would have a hand in developing many well-known and beloved cartoon characters such as Scooby Doo, George Jetson's dog Astro, and Penelope Pitstop. He retired as Vice President of Special Prohjects for Warner Brothers.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Born in Colorado, Scott Takeda got his start in television in 1990 as a TV news reporter in Pocatello, Idaho (KIDK). As his career grew, he then moved on to newsrooms in Ohio (WTOL), Denver (KCNC), and finally Philadelphia (WPHL) where he worked behind the camera as a producer-photojournalist. During his time as a TV journalist, he won two regional Emmy awards and two "Photographer of the Year" titles.
In 1995, he joined the staff of "News-for-Kids" and spent three seasons producing segments for the Emmy-award winning syndicated children's show. During that time, he also formed his own production company, producing the documentary film "The Holocaust: Colorado Remembers." With his company, Scott has won four additional Emmys, more than thirty national Telly Awards and the international Gold WorldMedal from the New York Festivals TV Film Awards. His client list includes Buick GMC, Eli Lilly, Proctor and Gamble, and MSN.
In 2001, he made his national acting debut as Sgt. Tai Lee in the Animal Planet series "Busted."
He now splits his time between LA and Colorado, working on both sides of the camera as an actor-director.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Writer
George Takei was born Hosato Takei in Los Angeles, California. His mother was born in Sacramento to Japanese parents & his father was born in Japan. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he & his family were relocated from Los Angeles to the Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas. Later, they were moved to a camp at Tule Lake in Northern California. His first-hand knowledge of the unjust internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans in World War II, poignantly chronicled in his autobiography, created a lifelong interest in politics & community affairs.
After graduating from Los Angeles High School in 1956, he studied architecture at UC Berkeley. An ad in a Japanese community paper led to a summer job on the MGM lot where he dubbed 8 characters from Japanese into English for Rodan (1956). Bitten by the acting bug, he transferred to UCLA as a theater arts major. Contacting an agent he had met at MGM led to his appearance as an embittered soldier in postwar Japan in the Playhouse 90 (1956) production. Being spotted in a UCLA theater production by a Warner Bros. casting director led to his feature film debut in Ice Palace (1960), various roles in Hawaiian Eye (1959) &other feature work. In June 1960, he completed his degree at UCLA and studied at the Shakespeare Institute at Stratford-Upon-Avon in England that summer.
After starting a master's degree program at UCLA, he was cast in the socially relevant stage musical production Fly Blackbird! but was replaced when the show moved to New York. He took odd jobs until returning to his role at the end of the run. Getting little work in Manhattan, he returned to Los Angeles to continue his studies, once again appearing in TV & films. He earned his master's in 1964. Wanting a multi-racial crew, Gene Roddenberry cast him in Where No Man Has Gone Before, the second Star Trek (1966) pilot. Mr. Sulu remained a regular character when the series went into production. In the hiatus after the end of shooting the first season, he worked on The Green Berets (1968), playing a South Vietnamese Special Forces officer.
After Star Trek (1966) was canceled, he did guest stints in several TV shows, voiced Sulu for the animated Star Trek series & regularly appeared at Star Trek conventions. He also produced & hosted a public affairs show Expression East/West, which aired in Los Angeles from 1971-1973. That year, he ran for the L.A. City Council. Although he lost by a small margin, Mayor Tom Bradley appointed him to the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District, where he served until 1984 & contributed to plans for the subway. During this period, he co-wrote a sci-fi novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe. He campaigned to get more respect for his character in the Star Trek features, resulting in Sulu finally obtaining the rank of captain in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), a role reprised in the Star Trek: Voyager (1995) episode Flashback.
He has run several marathons and was in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Torch Relay. He received a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame in 1986. He also left his signature & hand print in cement at the Chinese Theater in 1991. His 1994 autobiography, To the Stars, was well-received. He remains active as a stage, TV & film actor as well as as an advocate for the interests of Japanese Americans.- Sara Tanaka was born in Huntington, New York, USA. Sara is an actor, known for Rushmore (1998), Old School (2003) and Imaginary Heroes (2004).
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Brian Tochi is celebrated around the world for starring in three of the most popular and successful film franchises of all time, and has created some of the most beloved & memorable recurring characters in each of them.
Film audiences & television viewers know him as a star of several hit films, a collection of six on-camera television series, theater, and a multitude of guest-starring and co-starring roles in episodic television. Brian has starred or co-starred in over 25 motion pictures and their sequels, among them Revenge of the Nerds (1984) and Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation (1992), as well as Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986) and Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987), where his creation of outlandish characters has been the prototype for countless other portrayals in television, commercials and feature film productions. Another hugely successful film franchise is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and its two sequels, starring as "Leonardo", the pizza-loving leader of the Turtles. Brian's television work is diverse and highly acclaimed. He has starred in numerous television series, including Anna and the King (1972) (opposite Yul Brynner for CBS), Space Academy (1977) (CBS), the The Renegades (1983) (ABC) and Santa Barbara (1984) (NBC). Also, for over 3-1/2 years, he replaced Barry Bostwick and was named Host and Star of his own CBS television series entitled Razzmatazz (1977), garnering the network a Daytime Emmy in the process.
Another unique series outing came from Time/Warner's "Channel One", the educational news program with a daily audience of over 11.5 million students. His 2.5-year involvement not only included hosting and narrating duties, but he also functioned as a writer, producer and segment director, as well as being named chief foreign correspondent for the show.
Another area in which Brian has focused his attention is directing and the creation of unique properties, one of them being Tales of a Fly on the Wall (2004), of which he is the producer, creator, writer and director.
Through his years of work in the entertainment industry, Brian has been able to use his position to help support many causes for young people, including Famous Phone Friends (calling and lending encouragement to catastrophically and terminally ill children), the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Special Olympics, Young Artists United (celebrities & entertainment professionals who've donated their time to help troubled teens throughout the country), and others.
A native of Los Angeles, Brian has been educated through the L.A. public school system in addition to being privately tutored through the studios' education program. His outstanding scholastic abilities rated him in the highest percentile in national academic levels. Brian has also been educated at the University of Southern California (USC), University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and University of California at Irvine (UCI).
Besides several of the projects Brian is developing and creating, one is passionately closest to his heart - that of helping to fix a broken planet. His greatest ambition is to enlist the help of others to lift humanity, to give back, to create change, and to ultimately lay a foundation towards building a better and greener future. With everyone's help, Brian believes it can and will be done.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Tamlyn Tomita was born on 27 January 1966 in Okinawa, Japan. She is an actress and writer, known for The Day After Tomorrow (2004), The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Eye (2008). She is married to Daniel Blinkoff.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Miyoshi Umeki was born as the youngest of 9 children. The daughter of a prominent Japanese iron factory owner, she developed an early passion for music, learning to play the mandolin, harmonica & piano. She also enjoyed singing American-styled tunes, much to the chagrin of her parents. This propensity for Americanized pop songs later paid off.
Although she projected the typical Japanese female stereotype of humbleness, delicacy & subservience in most of her prime film & stage roles, she was nevertheless an assertive scene-stealer. This docile & deceptive-looking talent w/ cropped hair as well as a heart-shaped face radiated charm in addition to innocence so effortlessly, she managed to make history at Academy Awards time as the 1st Asian actor to receive an acting Oscar for her superb work in the tragic post-WWII film drama Sayonara (1957).
Following World War II, she traveled w/ a U.S. Army G.I. jazz band in Japan as Nancy Umeki & was the 1st to record American songs for RCA Victor Japan. She became an extremely popular radio & nightclub artist, which sparked a move to the U.S. in 1955. Again, she demonstrated a demure prowess for gaining attention w/ her 1-season regular role (1955-1956) on the musical variety show Arthur Godfrey and His Friends (1949). W/ that popularity, she was able to sign w/ Mercury Records, eventually releasing 2 albums.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. From this recognition, she was immediately cast in Sayonara (1957), which was based on James A. Michener's best-selling romantic tale. Inspired casting opposite comedian Red Buttons in a tragic, counterpoint romance as a World War II airman & his naive Japanese war bride who fall victim to post-war prejudice led to supporting Academy Awards for both actors. Despite her win, she would not make another film for 4 years.
Following her Oscar win, she starred on Broadway w/ the 1958 musical Flower Drum Song, in which she proved a highlight as a starry-eyed Chinese immigrant/mail-order bride w/ her captivating rendition of A Hundred Million Miracles, earning a Tony nomination in the process. She scored additional points after recreating her role for the film version of Flower Drum Song (1961).
In total, she made only 5 American films in all. Her other appearances were supporting roles in the naval comedy Cry for Happy (1961), The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962) & A Girl Named Tamiko (1962). She also tread fairly lightly on TV w/ random 60s appearances on The Donna Reed Show (1958), Dr. Kildare (1961), Rawhide (1959) & Mister Ed (1961), among others.
Duing the 50s & 60s, she was an occasional guest on variety shows for TV titans such as Perry Como, Dinah Shore, Merv Griffin, Andy Williams & Ed Sullivan. Arguably her biggest claim to fame was Mrs. Livingston in the heart-tugging TV comedy The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969). Following this renewed attention, she went into a complete self-imposed retirement.
She lived a sedate family life for more than 3 decades. Her 1958 marriage to TV producer/director Win Opie ended in divorce after 9 years. She subsequently married TV director Randall Hood in 1968. They ran a business renting editing equipment to film studios & university film programs until his sudden death in Los Angeles in 1976. A longtime resident of North Hollywood, she eventually moved to Missouri w/ advancing age to be nearer to her son & his family. She died of cancer at age 78 on August 28, 2007 in Licking, Missouri.- Patti Yasutake was born on 6 September 1953 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992).
- Animation Department
- Art Department
- Writer
Willie Ito was born on 17 July 1934 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is a writer, known for It's the Wolf (1969), NBC Children's Theatre (1963) and The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie (1972).- Animation Department
- Art Department
- Art Director
Mike Kawaguchi was born on 11 April 1916 in Washington, USA. He was an art director, known for Jonny Quest (1964), Spider-Man (1967) and Super Friends (1973). He died on 4 June 1999 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.- Visual Effects
- Art Department
- Writer
Kelvin Yasuda is known for Aladdin (1992), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and The Little Mermaid (1989).- Actor
- Soundtrack
A genial, laid back, slumber-eyed character player especially adept at the relaxed wisecrack or dry comment, Japanese-American actor Jack Soo was born in Oakland, California, in 1917, his real name being Goro Suzuki. In the post-WWII years, he entertained as a stand-up performer in nightclubs and had made a reasonable dent on the Midwest circuit by the time he earned his big break playing the club MC/comedian in the Rodgers and Hammerstein hit Broadway musical "Flower Drum Song" in 1958. Three years later, Soo was upgraded to the Sammy Wong character in the film version and decided to settle in Hollywood. Over the next decade, despite a typical lack of roles for Asian-Americans, he managed to find a niche for his hip, deadpan demeanor on TV and a few other films including Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963), the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), and John Wayne's controversial pro-Vietnam War film The Green Berets (1968). Soo is probably best remembered for his smart-aleck Detective Sgt. Nick Yemana on Barney Miller (1975), one of the more popular sitcoms of the 1970s alongside Hal Linden and Abe Vigoda. Sadly, he died of cancer during the show's fifth season in 1979 at the height of his popularity.- Kimiko Hiroshige was born on 3 July 1912 in Hilo, Hawaii, USA. She was an actress, known for Blade Runner (1982), China Beach (1988) and M*A*S*H (1972). She died on 7 September 1989 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
George Sasaki was born on 10 May 1931 in Auburn, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for Bachelor Party (1984), Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and Varan the Unbelievable (1962). He died on 10 November 2020 in Gardena, California, USA.- Cinematographer
- Director
- Executive
Daryn Okada was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a cinematographer and director, known for Mean Girls (2004), Anna Karenina (1997) and Just Like Heaven (2005). He has been married to Cean Okada since 28 December 1986. They have one child.- Actor
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Art Director
Rodney Kageyama was born on 1 November 1941 in San Mateo, California, USA. He was an actor and art director, known for Pretty Woman (1990), Teen Wolf (1985) and Quantum Leap (1989). He was married to Ken White. He died on 9 December 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Mari Takahashi is a bilingual Japanese-American actor, award-winning TV and digital host, and producer. Mari can be seen in Artificial, Action! Action!, and Coyote Sunset. She has done commercial work for Lacoste, Ericsson, Gunnar Optics, and Verizon. Mari is a classically trained former professional ballerina and cinematic martial artist. She is a Conservatory graduate of The Lee Strasberg Film & Theatre Institute for Method Acting and Holds a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts from St. Mary's College of California.
Mari is a 10+ year hosting veteran. Past shows/clients include Netflix Geeked, Polygon Speedrun, Paramount Pictures, Google Play Live, and Comic-Con International. During her 10-year tenure with the YouTube channel SMOSH, Mari won a Webby, two Streamy Awards, co-founded SMOSH Games, and produced and starred in shows like Maricraft (47MM+ views), Smosh Pit Weekly (120MM+ views), and Operation: Open World, which bridged gaming with adventurous travel.
Mari owns and operates Rebel Atom Production alongside her business partner and husband, Peter Kitch. Rebel Atom has produced original narrative short films, conceptualized and produced commercial campaigns, and built a global content creator brand in @AtomicMari.- Animation Department
Marcia Kimura Dougherty is known for Hercules (1997), Aladdin (1992) and The Princess and the Frog (2009).- Animation Department
- Actor
- Art Department
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Paul Seiko Chihara was born in Seattle, Washington in 1938. He received his doctorate degree (D.M.A.) from Cornell University in 1965 as a student of Robert Palmer. Mr. Chihara also studied with the renowned pedagogue Nadia Boulanger in Paris, Ernst Pepping in Berlin, and Gunther Schuller at Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony. With Toru Takemitsu, he was composer-in-residence at the Marlboro Music Festival in 1971. Chihara is currently on the faculty of U.C.L.A. and was the first composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Neville Marriner, Conductor.
Mr. Chihara's prize-winning concert works have been performed in most major cities and arts centers in the U.S. and Europe. His numerous commissions and awards include those from The Lili Boulanger Memorial Fund, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Fulbright Fellowship, the Aaron Copland Fund, and National Endowment of the Arts, as well as from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Active in the ballet world; Mr. Chihara was composer-in-residence at the San Francisco Ballet from 1973-1886. While there, he wrote many trailblazing works, including Shin-ju (based on "the lover's suicide" plays by great Japanese dramatist Chikamatsu), as well as the first full-length America ballet, The Tempest.
In addition to his many concert works, Mr. Chihara has composed scores for over 90 motion pictures and television series. he has worked with such luminaries as directors Sidney Lumet, Louis Malle, Michael Ritchie, and Arthur Penn. His movie credits include "Prince of the City", "The Morning After" and "Crossing Delancy". His works for television include "China Beach, Noble House "," Brave New World and "100 Centre Street". Mr. Chihara also served as music supervisor at Buena Vista Pictures (Walt Disney Co,). Also active in the New York musical theater world, Mr. Chihara served as musical consultant and arranger for Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, and was the composer for James Clavell's Shogun, the Musical.- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Gedde Watanabe was born on 26 June 1955 in Ogden, Utah, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Sixteen Candles (1984), UHF (1989) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Ken Watanabe was born on October 21, 1959 in Uonuma, Japan. Both of his parents were teachers: his mother taught general education and his dad taught calligraphy. He became interested in acting at the age of 24, when a director of England's National Theater Company, where he was studying, told him that acting was his special gift. In 1978, he moved to Tokyo to pursue acting. He drew the attention of the critics when Yukio Ninagawa, a famous Japanese director, chose him for the lead role in one of his plays, even though Ken was still an acting student. He made his first TV appearance in 1982. His big career breakthrough came when he was chosen to play the lead in the Japanese national TV drama series called "Dokugan ryu Masamune". He played a samurai leader hero, making him a household name in Japan. In 1989, he collapsed while filming a movie in Canada due to leukemia. He made a miraculous comeback & co-starred with Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai (2003), which pushed him to the center stage of Hollywood.
Ken has a daughter, model, actress, & singer Anne Watanabe, & a son. He's an avid fan of Hanshin Tigers (Japanese professional baseball team) & Kobe Steel rugby team. He loves noodles.- Born in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in a military family, Don grew up primarily in the mainland United States. Mom, brother and one sister live in Hawaii, another sister lives in Guam. Dad was retired Army, but a victim of Agent Orange from Vietnam War and died in 2004 at the age of 64.
Don's acting career got started on a dare in Junction City Senior Highschool, Kansas when his dad was stationed in Ft. Riley, Kansas. Best friend Lewan Alexander (school thespian) dared Don (school introverted music type) to try for the school play "Annie Get Your Gun" and basically called him "chicken" if he didn't audition. With coaching from Lewan, Don landed the lead Frank Butler, the bug bit, the rest is...well...you know...anything you can do...he can do better!
Don's credits include actor for films, TV episodics, commercials, voice-overs, industrials, theater dramas and musicals, master of ceremonies, acting and performance coach, singer, musician, composer, songwriter, writer, promoter and producer.
Having lived in Los Angeles and New York City, Don's home base is now Honolulu and has a son named Alexander. - With a unique and exotic look, Stacy Kamano makes a stunning addition to the "Baywatch Hawaii" cast this season as local Hawaii lifeguard "Kekoa Tanaka." Since childhood, Stacy has spent considerable time behind the camera as a successful model and actress. Born and raised in Honolulu, Stacy comes from a multi-cultural background of Japanese, German, Russian and Polish descent. Her career began at age 11 when she won the "Miss Tropical Pre-Teen Hawaii." Soon after, Stacy was selected to model for posters, calendars and catalogs and her reputation began to spread. She has done numerous fashion shows and most recently modeled for international designers Versace, Armani and Ferragamo, among others. Stacy began acting in commercials and later guest-starred on "Fantasy Island, " "Marker" and "Beverly Hills 90210." In her free time, she enjoys surfing, body boarding, tennis, swimming, roller blading and water-skiing. Stacy spends every spare moment with her Maltese dog, Brando.
- Actress
- Producer
Joanna Sotomura was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. She is known for Sunny (2024), Barry (2018) and The Good Place (2016).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Shuko Akune was born on 17 April 1959 in Wahoo, Nebraska, USA. She is an actress, known for E/R (1984), G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987) and Alien Nation (1988).- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Reiko was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois with her younger brother and single mother. Her mother worked as a counselor in a methadone clinic and later ran a rehabilitation corrections facility. As a teen, she moved to Seattle, WA where she briefly attended the University of Washington. She then moved to NYC and soon began acting in new and developing plays in off-broadway and regional theaters. Among the playwrights were John Patrick Shanley, Anna Deavere Smith, Eric Bogosian, Lyle Kessler. She's also worked with Obie and Tony winning theater directors such as Marshall Mason, Jo Bonney, Robert O'Hara as well as many other respected theater makers. Her breakthrough came with the role of Michelle Dessler on the critically acclaimed series, 24. She's also had ongoing roles on Lost, Damages, Hawaii 5-0 and has worked on many other television shows, films and plays. More recently, she's expanded her career to include VoiceOver work, including Lady Bullseye in the Marvel animated show, Hit Monkey. She's also directed and produced 2 award winning short films. Her husband, Rob Clare is a well-respected Shakespeare teacher and director. They are an adoptive family with a child who was born in 2014.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Darren Barnet was born on 27 April 1991 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Anyone But You (2023), Love Hard (2021) and Gran Turismo (2023).- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Prior to booking her films "Model Minority" and "Project X," Nichole has done commercial work and modeled for American Apparel. Although she cannot pinpoint the exact moment she realized she wanted to start acting, Nichole recalls that she loved recreating characters and doing funny voices from a very young age. As a kid, she begged her parents to help her get an agent, and then at the age of 14, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting as a career. Nichole went on to attend USC as a Theater major and graduated early, after only three years. She says it was a challenge for her to get cast in the university's own plays because she dedicated so much of her spare time to professional auditions outside of school.- Kaylee Marie Kaneshiro (formerly known by her stage name 'Kaylee Bryant') was born on November 1, 1997 in Florida, USA. Kaylee is an Actor who starred as the titular character in the 2014 indie thriller film Mary Loss of Soul (2014). They began acting at the age of 8. She had previously been working as a model, and participated in Ralph Lauren print campaigns until she was 10 years old. In 2016, they began appearing on the ABC Family series The Real O'Neals (2016). She has also made appearances on Criminal Minds (2005) & American Horror Story (2011) as well as several Disney Channel series. In 2018, they were cast as Josette "Josie" Saltzman on The Vampire Diaries spin off series Legacies (2018).
- Actress
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Tricia Fukuhara was born on 30 March 1991 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (2023), Queenpins (2021) and Noggin Knows (2021).- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Cary Joji Fukunaga is a Japanese-American film director, screenwriter, cinematographer and producer from Oakland, California who is known for directing the James Bond film No Time to Die, Kofi, Beasts of No Nation, Jane Eyre and Sin Nombre. He co-wrote the 2017 film adaptation of the Stephen King book It. He directed several episodes of the television show True Detective.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ann Harada was born on 3 February 1964 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. She is an actress, known for Happiness (1998), Admission (2013) and The Art of Getting By (2011). She is married to Peter Litman. They have one child.- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Kayo Hatta was born on 18 March 1958 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. She was a director and writer, known for Picture Bride (1994), Fishbowl (2005) and Independent Lens (1999). She died on 20 July 2005 in San Diego, California, USA.- Don Henrie was born on 27 August 1975 in San Diego, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Abbey of Thelema (2007), Mad Mad House (2004) and Maury (1991).
- Make-Up Department
- Special Effects
- Visual Effects
Kazu Hiro was born on 25 May 1969 in Kyoto, Japan. He is known for Darkest Hour (2017), Bombshell (2019) and Mindhunter (2017).- Jon Miyahara was born on 8 August 1941 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Superstore (2015) and Holding Tight (2022).
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Miki Ishikawa was born in Denver and grew up in Ohau, Hawaii. Her family moved to Los Angeles in 2000.
In 2004, she landed a recurring role on the hit Nickelodeon TV show, Zoey 101. Shortly after, she booked her first feature film as one of the family members in the romantic comedy "Yours, Mine and Ours" starring Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo playing their adopted daughter Naoko North. She signed with Walt Disney Records with the group TSquad and toured with many acts including Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers.
Miki has also appeared in several movies including, "Funny People," dance film "Make Your Move" and TIFF breakout "Sway". More recently she can be seen on FOX's hit show "9-1-1" and "NCIS: LA" and stars in AMC's anthology "The Terror: Infamy" season two executive produced by Ridley Scott. Up next Miki will appear in Disney+'s Marvel highly anticipated show "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" in an undisclosed role.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Janice Kawaye is a Japanese-American actress from Los Angeles, California. She had a minor role in Night of the Comet before voicing Gi in Captain Planet and the Planeteers. She voiced in several cartoons and games such as Jenny Wakeman and Tammy in My Life as a Teenage Robot, Ami Onuki and Tekirai in Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Ayane in Ninja Gaiden, Sara in Invader Zim, Little Robot in Bump in the Night, and Numbuh 83 and Numbuh 84 in Codename: Kids Next Door. She is the most prolific Japanese-American voice actress in the industry. She speaks both English and Japanese, which is demonstrated in episodes of My Life as a Teenage Robot, Bump in the Night and Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Born in Los Angeles but raised in England, Belgium and Texas, Candace Kita graduated from college with degrees in philosophy and contemporary religion. After postgraduate work in sociology, she chose to pursue her dream of acting.
Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, Candace became a series regular lead in all 40 episodes of FOX-TV's "The Masked Rider". She went on to take series regular roles in "Son of the Beach" on the FX Network, "Running with Scissors" on the Oxygen Network and "Dance Fever" on ABC-Family.
Her most notable series recurring role was on ABC's "Complete Savages", portraying Mel Gibson's ill-fated girlfriend, Misty, doomed to die a new and horrible death at the end of each episode.
As a guest star, Candace's credits include "Nip/Tuck", "Two and a Half Men", "The Wayan;s Brothers", "VIP", "Method & Red", "Smith", "Pepper Dennis", "Quintuplets", "Girlfriends", "Ficity", "Even Stevens", "Pl of the Future", "Wall to Wall Records", "Beck and Call" , "The Probe", "Big Happy", "Movies at Our House", "Miriam Teitelbaum: Homicide", and "The Sweet Spot".
On the big screen, Candace can be seen in the Adam Sandler and Kevin James comedy "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry". She also appeared in "The Bad News Bears" with Billy Bob Thornton and Greg Kinnear, "Stealing Time" with Jennifer Garner, and "Barb Wire" with Pamela Anderson.
Candace has appeared in more than a dozen national commercials for brands such as Sprite, Coke, IBM, AIG and MSN. She also starred in a spot for Harvard Medical HMO that was featured on ABC-TV's "America's Funniest Commercials" and has served as an official spokesperson in several spots for the Food network, HGTV and DIY. As a model with prestigious print agency Wilhelmina, Candace walked the catwalk for Diesel, XOXO and Brighton among others.
Candace is the founder of Hotties With a Heart, an organization that brings together young women who donate their time to various charities throughout the United States. Recent events have included Read Across America, The Boys and Girls Club, The Salvation Army, and The Bob Hope USO. She also hosts a weekly radio show in Los Angeles, Hottie Help with Candace Kita. This live call-in show broadcasts each Sunday from 2-3 pm (PST) and is one of the highest-rated shows on LA Talk Radio. Each week Kita discusses women's safety issues with a celebrity guest.
Kita is also the author of "The Hottie Handbook: A Girl's Guide to Safety," a safety primer for young women.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Hayley first appeared in national commercials for GM, On Star, K-Mart, and Slim Jim, and became the TV spokesperson for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. In addition, she had a couple of guest star roles on Nickelodeon's Unfabulous (2004). As a dancer, she studied with Scotty Nyugen. She is a prolific songwriter and she plays the drums, keyboards, and guitar. She was a member of a five girl-singing group, the Stunners up until their disbandment in 2011. The Stunners have released their first five-song EP with the video "Dancing Around the Truth." Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009) debuted on Cartoon Network in 2009 with Hayley in the iconic role of Velma Dinkley. She appeared in the role of Stevie on Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place (2007). Hayley, with the Stunners, toured as Justin Bieber's opening act in the summer of 2010.
Hayley recently joined the cast of the new CBS mid-season drama CSI: Cyber (2015). The series revolves around Special Agent Avery Ryan (Patricia Arquette), who is in charge of the Cyber Crime Division at Quantico, Virginia. Hayley plays Raven, a rookie techie working in the division who is an expert in social media, cyber trends, and international relations.
This past summer, Hayley filmed the Universal feature Jem and the Holograms (2015), in which she plays Aja. This Jon M. Chu-helmed film is set to be released on October 23, 2015. She followed that with Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), the third installment in the successful franchise. Hayley can also be seen in the recurring role of Gabi, an ex-cyberbully in an all-girl group home on the breakout ABC Family show The Fosters (2013). Prior to this, she guest-starred on the hit CW series The Vampire Diaries (2009) and also appeared in the Disney Channel original movie Lemonade Mouth (2011).
In addition to a successful acting career, Hayley is a prolific songwriter and gifted musician. To follow up her solo artist debut in 2013, she is scheduled to release her new EP, "This Side of Paradise," in 2015. Working in collaboration with producer James Flannigan, she recorded the new album in London as well as in a makeshift studio in the garage of her Los Angeles home. Her music has garnered praise in multiple online publications including Nylon, Just Jared, Earmilk, and Hype Machine.- Ariane was born on 7 March 1963 in Hanford, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Year of the Dragon (1985), King of New York (1990) and Skin Art (1993). She was previously married to Juan Eduardo Gómez.
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Hokuto 'Hok' Konishi was born on 11 July 1984 in Tokyo, Japan. He is an actor, known for Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009), LMFAO Feat. Lauren Bennett, GoonRock: Party Rock Anthem (2011) and The AXI: The Avengers of Extreme Illusions (2011).- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Born in California, he is half Japanese and half Chinese. He began his training in martial arts at the age of one and a half. Since moving to Japan at the age of 18, he has done numerous movies and TV shows becoming one of the nation's most popular and recognizable talents. He has worked with some of the action movie greats including Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Jean-Claude Van Damme.- George Kuwa was born on 7 April 1885 in Japan. He was an actor, known for The House Without a Key (1926), Moran of the Lady Letty (1922) and The Bottle Imp (1917). He died on 13 October 1931 in Japan.
- Producer
- Animation Department
- Production Manager
Joel Kuwahara was born on 10 March 1969 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Joel is a producer and production manager, known for Bob's Burgers (2011), The Simpsons Movie (2007) and The Simpsons (1989).- Writer
- Director
- Animation Department
Bob Kuwahara was born on 12 August 1901 in Tokyo, Japan. He was a writer and director, known for The Deputy Dawg Show (1959), Luno the White Stallion (1963) and Honorable Family Problem (1962). He was married to Julia Suski. He died on 10 December 1964 in Larchmont, New York, USA.