Sab Shimono
Encyclopedia
Sab Shimono is an American actor
who has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows in character roles.
and in regional theaters including San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre
. He was cast as Ito opposite Angela Lansbury's Auntie Mame
in Jerry Herman
's Broadway musical hit Mame in 1966. This was followed by Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
(1970), The Chickencoop Chinaman
(1972), Ride the Winds (1974), and the role of Manjiro
in Stephen Sondheim
& Harold Prince's Pacific Overtures
(1976). In 2010 he appeared in the world premiere of No-No Boy
by Ken Narasaki
based on the novel
by John Okada
.
His more memorable film roles include Hiroshi Kawamura in the 1990 drama Come See The Paradise
, the coroner "Painless" Kumagai in 1990's Presumed Innocent
, an uncredited appearance as the voice of Harold who advertises the doomsday in Flushed Away
and in Old Dogs
, alongside John Travolta and Robin Williams, as Japanese billionaire Yoshiro Nishamura. He can also be seen in Asian American
independent films, The Sensei
(2008), Americanese
(2009) and Life Tastes Good (1999).
On television, Shimono provided the voices of antique-shop owner/Chi Wizard Uncle Chan on the hit TV series Jackie Chan Adventures
, of Airbending Master Monk Gyatso and Master Yu on the popular series Avatar: The Last Airbender
and of Mister Sparkle on an episode
of The Simpsons
.
, was born in Sacramento, California
, the son of restaurant owners Edith Mary (née
Otani) and Masauchi Shimono.
He is the twin
brother of Dr. Jiro Shimono, director of the Delaware
Psychiatric Center, and is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley
. He has been in a relationship with writer Steve Alden Nelson since 2001. The couple registered their domestic partnership in April 2005 and married in San Diego June 23, 2008.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows in character roles.
Career
An accomplished stage actor, he has appeared on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and in regional theaters including San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a regional theater company located in Berkeley, California. It was founded in 1968, as the East Bay’s first resident professional theatre. Michael Leibert was the founding artistic director, who was then succeeded by Sharon Ott in 1984. The company runs seven...
. He was cast as Ito opposite Angela Lansbury's Auntie Mame
Auntie Mame
Auntie Mame is a 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis that chronicles the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his deceased father's eccentric sister, Mame Dennis. The book is a work of fiction inspired by the author's eccentric aunt, Marion Tanner, whose life and outlook in many...
in Jerry Herman
Jerry Herman
Jerry Herman is an American composer and lyricist, known for his work in Broadway musical theater. He composed the scores for the hit Broadway musicals Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles. He has been nominated for the Tony Award five times, and won twice, for Hello, Dolly! and La Cage...
's Broadway musical hit Mame in 1966. This was followed by Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen is a musical with a book by John Patrick and music and lyrics by Stan Freeman and Franklin Underwood.Based on Patrick's play and screenplay The Teahouse of the August Moon, it focuses on Capt. Fisby who, assigned the task of Americanizing the village of Tobiki on...
(1970), The Chickencoop Chinaman
The Chickencoop Chinaman
The Chickencoop Chinaman is a 1972 play by Frank Chin. It was the first play by an Asian American to have a major New York production.-Story:...
(1972), Ride the Winds (1974), and the role of Manjiro
Nakahama Manjiro
, also known as John Manjirō , was one of the first Japanese people to visit the United States and an important translator during the Opening of Japan.-Voyage to America:...
in Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
& Harold Prince's Pacific Overtures
Pacific Overtures
Pacific Overtures is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a libretto by John Weidman, and additional material by Hugh Wheeler. The musical is set in 1853 Japan and follows the difficult Westernization of Japan, through the lives of two friends caught in the change...
(1976). In 2010 he appeared in the world premiere of No-No Boy
No-No Boy (play)
No-No Boy is a play written by Ken Narasaki adapted from the novel of the same title by John Okada, originally produced at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica, California, in association with Timescape Arts Group. It is a drama in two acts...
by Ken Narasaki
Ken Narasaki
Ken Narasaki is a Sansei playwright and actor. He is the former Literary Manager at East West Players theatre company in Los Angeles...
based on the novel
No-No Boy
No-No Boy is the only novel published by Japanese American writer, John Okada. It deals with the aftermath of the Japanese American internment during World War II. The novel begins as Ichiro Yamada is returning home from prison, and follows him as he struggles to come to terms with his decision of...
by John Okada
John Okada
John Okada was a Japanese-American writer. Born in Seattle, Washington, he was a student at the University of Washington when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Okada and his family were interned at Minidoka in 1942...
.
His more memorable film roles include Hiroshi Kawamura in the 1990 drama Come See The Paradise
Come See the Paradise
Come See the Paradise is a 1990 film directed by Alan Parker, starring Dennis Quaid and Tamlyn Tomita. Set before and during World War II, the film depicts the treatment of Japanese people in America following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the subsequent loss of civil liberties within the...
, the coroner "Painless" Kumagai in 1990's Presumed Innocent
Presumed Innocent (film)
Presumed Innocent is a 1990 film adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Scott Turow, which tells the story of a prosecutor charged with the murder of his female colleague and mistress....
, an uncredited appearance as the voice of Harold who advertises the doomsday in Flushed Away
Flushed Away
Flushed Away is a 2006 computer animated British film directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell. It is a partnership between Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame, and DreamWorks Animation, and is Aardman's first completely computer-animated feature as opposed to the usual stop-motion.The film...
and in Old Dogs
Old Dogs (film)
Old Dogs is a 2009 American ensemble comedy film directed by Wild Hogs Walt Becker and starring Robin Williams and John Travolta with an ensemble supporting cast played by Kelly Preston, Matt Dillon, Justin Long, Seth Green, Rita Wilson, Dax Shepard, and Bernie Mac...
, alongside John Travolta and Robin Williams, as Japanese billionaire Yoshiro Nishamura. He can also be seen in Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
independent films, The Sensei
The Sensei
The Sensei is an independent feature film, written, produced and directed by Diana Lee Inosanto .-Synopsis:...
(2008), Americanese
Americanese
Americanese is a 2006 American independent film acquired by IFC Films but not yet released. It is a romantic drama about the break-up of a couple, about love and memory, and how race plays into the lives of contemporary Asian Americans and Hapa/mixed-race Americans.- Background :The film was...
(2009) and Life Tastes Good (1999).
On television, Shimono provided the voices of antique-shop owner/Chi Wizard Uncle Chan on the hit TV series Jackie Chan Adventures
Jackie Chan Adventures
Jackie Chan Adventures is an animated television series chronicling the adventures of a fictionalized version of action film star Jackie Chan. Many of the episodes contain references to Chan's actual works. This series ran on Kids' WB! from September 9, 2000 to July 7, 2005 for a total of 95...
, of Airbending Master Monk Gyatso and Master Yu on the popular series Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series that aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. The series was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who served as executive producers along with Aaron Ehasz...
and of Mister Sparkle on an episode
In Marge We Trust
"In Marge We Trust" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired April 27, 1997. It was written by Donick Cary and directed by Steven Dean Moore. The episode guest stars Sab Shimono as Mr. Sparkle, Gedde Watanabe as the factory worker, Denice Kumagai and Karen...
of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
.
Personal life
Shimono, a Japanese AmericanJapanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
, was born in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, the son of restaurant owners Edith Mary (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Otani) and Masauchi Shimono.
He is the twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
brother of Dr. Jiro Shimono, director of the Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
Psychiatric Center, and is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He has been in a relationship with writer Steve Alden Nelson since 2001. The couple registered their domestic partnership in April 2005 and married in San Diego June 23, 2008.
External links
- Sab Shimono at New York Times Movies http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=65329
- Sab Shimono at Rotten Tomatoes http://www.rottentomatoes.com/p/sab_shimono/
- Sab Shimono at Internet Broadway Database http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=81205