Tamlyn Tomita
Encyclopedia
Tamlyn Naomi Tomita is an actress, who has appeared in many Hollywood films and television series.
Officer, rising to the rank of sergeant. He succumbed to cancer in 1990. Tomita is a graduate of Granada Hills High School in the San Fernando Valley
in Los Angeles
. She is one-quarter Filipino
(her mother is Filipino mestizo
: half Filipina, half Japanese). Before becoming an actress, she won the title of Queen at the Nisei Week
Pageant in Los Angeles in 1984, and Miss Nikkei International in 1985.
, playing Ralph Macchio
's character's love interest, Kumiko. On the film's set, she met Nobu McCarthy
, herself a former beauty queen. McCarthy became a role model, mentor and close friend to Tomita, making it especially difficult when, in 2002, McCarthy died unexpectedly while on location in Brazil with Tomita, filming Gaijin 2 - Ama-me como sou.
Polydor DX-1515 EP: "Hitomi no Majutsu ~Hypnotized~" c/w "I Can't Stand the Pain"
Polydor H33P-20179 LP: "Sweet Surprise"
(Primirive / I Can't Stand the Pain -English Version- / Hitomi no Majutsu ~Hypnotized~ / Arrivederci / Just Say You Love Me / Seiza o Tsunagu Love Song / Beauty and Beast of Love / I Can't Stand the Pain -Japanese Version- / Santa Monica no Koibito e -Instrumental- / Hawaiian Wind / Insult to Injury)
Early life
Tomita was born in Okinawa, the daughter of Shiro and Asako Tomita. Her father then later became a Los Angeles PoliceLos Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
Officer, rising to the rank of sergeant. He succumbed to cancer in 1990. Tomita is a graduate of Granada Hills High School in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. She is one-quarter Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
(her mother is Filipino mestizo
Filipino mestizo
Filipino mestizo is a term used in the Philippines to describe people of mixed Filipino and foreign ancestry. The word mestizo is of Spanish origin, and was originally used in the Americas to only describe people of mixed European and Native American ancestry.- History :Spanish periodThe Spanish...
: half Filipina, half Japanese). Before becoming an actress, she won the title of Queen at the Nisei Week
Nisei Week
is an annual festival celebrating Japanese American culture and history in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Nisei means 2nd generation in Japanese, describing the first American born Japanese, a group which the seven day festival was originally meant to attract. Though named for the Nisei generation,...
Pageant in Los Angeles in 1984, and Miss Nikkei International in 1985.
Acting career
In 1986, Tomita made her acting debut in The Karate Kid, Part IIThe Karate Kid, Part II
The Karate Kid, Part II is a 1986 American martial arts film and is a sequel to 1984's The Karate Kid. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi, respectively. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti...
, playing Ralph Macchio
Ralph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio is an American actor, best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. He is also known to American television audiences for his season five recurring role as Jeremy Andretti on the...
's character's love interest, Kumiko. On the film's set, she met Nobu McCarthy
Nobu McCarthy
Nobu McCarthy was a Japanese Canadian actress, stage director, and fashion model.-Early life:McCarthy was born Nobu Atsumi in Ottawa, Ontario, the daughter of Yuki and Masaji Atsumi, a Japanese fashion designer and diplomatic attache stationed in Canada at the time. She was raised in Japan, where...
, herself a former beauty queen. McCarthy became a role model, mentor and close friend to Tomita, making it especially difficult when, in 2002, McCarthy died unexpectedly while on location in Brazil with Tomita, filming Gaijin 2 - Ama-me como sou.
Singing career
In 1987 Tomita made her Japanese singing debut on the label Polydor. She released a single and an album.Polydor DX-1515 EP: "Hitomi no Majutsu ~Hypnotized~" c/w "I Can't Stand the Pain"
Polydor H33P-20179 LP: "Sweet Surprise"
(Primirive / I Can't Stand the Pain -English Version- / Hitomi no Majutsu ~Hypnotized~ / Arrivederci / Just Say You Love Me / Seiza o Tsunagu Love Song / Beauty and Beast of Love / I Can't Stand the Pain -Japanese Version- / Santa Monica no Koibito e -Instrumental- / Hawaiian Wind / Insult to Injury)
Filmography
- 1986: The Karate Kid, Part IIThe Karate Kid, Part IIThe Karate Kid, Part II is a 1986 American martial arts film and is a sequel to 1984's The Karate Kid. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi, respectively. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti...
- 1987: Hawaiian Dream
- 1988: "Hiroshima Maiden"
- 1990: Vietnam, Texas
- 1990: Come See The ParadiseCome See the ParadiseCome 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...
- 1993: The Joy Luck ClubThe Joy Luck Club (film)The Joy Luck Club is a 1993 American film about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese mothers. It is based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Amy Tan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bass. The film was produced by Oliver Stone and directed by Wayne Wang...
- 1994: Picture BridePicture Bride (film)Picture Bride is a 1995 feature-length independent film directed by Kayo Hatta from a screenplay she co-wrote with Mari Hatta, and co-produced by Diane Mei Lin Mark and Lisa Onodera. It follows Riyo, who arrives in Hawaii as a "picture bride" for a man she has never met before. The story is based...
- 1995: RequiemRequiem (1995 film)Requiem is a narrative short film directed by actress Elizabeth Sung, made in the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women...
- 1995: Four RoomsFour RoomsFour Rooms is a 1995 portmanteau comedy film telling four stories set in a hotel in the US city of Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. Tim Roth stars as the principal character of the frame tale; he also takes part to some degree in all four stories....
- 1996: The Killing Jar
- 1997: TouchTouch (film)Touch is a 1997 film written and directed by Paul Schrader, based on a novel by Elmore Leonard.The film, which has elements of drama and black comedy, stars Christopher Walken, Richard Schiff, Bridget Fonda, Skeet Ulrich, Tom Arnold, Gina Gershon, Lolita Davidovich, Janeane Garofalo and Paul Mazursky...
- 1997: Hundred Percent
- 1998: Soundman
- 1999: Life Tastes Good
- 1999: The Last Man on Planet EarthThe Last Man on Planet EarthThe Last Man on Planet Earth was a 1999 TV movie about a female-dominated society.-Plot:During a war with Afghanistan, an incurable biological weapon called the "Y-bomb", which targets only the male Y-chromosome, is used and results in the eventual deaths of 97% of the world's men...
- 2002: Gaijin 2 - Ama-me como sou
- 2003: Robot StoriesRobot StoriesRobot Stories is a 2003 independent film written and directed by Greg Pak.-Plot:The film consists of four stories in which human characters struggle to connect in a world of robot babies and android office workers...
- 2004: The Day After TomorrowThe Day After TomorrowThe Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American science-fiction disaster film that depicts the catastrophic effects of global warming in a series of extreme weather events that usher in global cooling which leads to a new ice age. The film did well at the box office, grossing $542,771,772 internationally...
- 2005: Only the BraveOnly the BraveOnly the Brave is a 2006 independent film about the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated World War II fighting unit completely made up of Japanese Americans, which for its size and length service became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history...
- 2005: True Love & Mimosa Tea
- 2006: PeacePeacePeace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
- 2006: "My Life... Disoriented"
- 2008: The EyeThe Eye (2008 film)The Eye is a 2008 supernatural horror film starring Jessica Alba. It is a remake of the Pang Brothers' 2002 film of the same name.-Plot:Sydney Wells is a successful classical violinist who has been blind since the age of five. Fifteen years later, Sydney undergoes a cornea transplant, which causes...
- 2008: Finding Madison
- 2009: The Mikado Project
- 2009: Tekken
- 2009: Why Am I Doing This?
TV appearances
- 1992: Quantum Leap, playing Tamlyn Matsuda, a psychic in the episode "Temptation Eyes".
- 1993: Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
, playing Lt. Commander Laurel TakashimaLaurel TakashimaLaurel Takashima is a fictional character from the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, portrayed by Tamlyn Tomita. Her only appearance was in the pilot movie The Gathering.-Character background:...
in the pilot telefilm The GatheringBabylon 5: The GatheringBabylon 5: The Gathering is the pilot movie of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. The telefilm aired on February 22, 1993...
. - 1994: Highlander: The SeriesHighlander: The SeriesHighlander: The Series is a fantasy-adventure television series featuring Duncan MacLeod of the Scottish Clan MacLeod, as the Highlander. It was an offshoot and another alternate sequel of the 1986 feature film with a twist: Connor MacLeod did not win the prize and Immortals still exist post-1985...
, playing Midori Koto in the episode "The Samurai." - 1997 The SentinelThe Sentinel (TV series)The Sentinel is a Canadian-produced television series that aired on UPN in the United States from 1996 to 1999. It premiered on March 20, 1996, and ran for 65 episodes . The series later reaired on Syfy.-Plot and characters:...
, playing Suzanne Tamaki, Chief of Campus Security, The Sentinel, Season 2, episode "Smart Alec" - 1996-1997: The Burning ZoneThe Burning ZoneThe Burning Zone is a television drama broadcast on the UPN network as part of its 1996–97 lineup. It ran for 19 episodes. The series was rerun on SciFi Channel in the mid to late 90's....
, playing Dr. Kimberly Shiroma - 1999: Will & GraceWill & GraceWill & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
, playing Naomi in Season 2 Episode three - 2002-2003: 24, playing Jenny, Press SecretaryPress secretaryA press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
to PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
David Palmer. - 2002-2003: JAGJAG (TV series)JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
, playing Lieutenant CommanderLieutenant CommanderLieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Tracy Manetti. - 2006: Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief (TV series)Commander in Chief is an American drama television series that focused on the fictional administration and family of Mackenzie Allen , the first female President of the United States, who ascends to the role from the Vice Presidency after the death of the sitting President from a sudden cerebral...
, playing Randy, a JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
translator to the PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Mackenzie Allen in the episode "No Nukes is Good Nukes." - 2006: Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
, playing IOA Chinese diplomat Shen Xiaoyi in the Season 9 episodes "The Scourge" and in "Crusade". - 2006: Stargate AtlantisStargate AtlantisStargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
, playing IOA Chinese diplomat Shen Xiaoyi in the Season 3 premiere "No Man's Land". - 2006: EurekaEureka (TV series)Eureka is an American science fiction television series that premiered on Syfy on July 18, 2006. Since then four seasons have aired, and a fifth is currently being filmed. The second half of season 4 began on SyFy on July 11, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011...
, playing scientist Kim Anderson in the episodes "Before I Forget" and "Once in a Lifetime", and "Phoenix Rising", and later, Kim's clone in "Ship Happens" and "Shower the People". - 2008: General HospitalGeneral HospitalGeneral Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
, Giselle, Editor-in-Chief of Couture Magazine, and Connie FalconeriKate HowardKatherine "Kate" Hardwicke Howard is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. The character was introduced to the show in May 2007, and was portrayed by Megan Ward since the character's introduction. Ward last appeared on-screen on October 20, 2010...
's rival Fashionista competitor. - 2008 and 2009: HeroesHeroes (TV series)Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, playing Ishi Nakamura in the episodes "Our Father" and "Pass/Fail". - 2008: Stargate AtlantisStargate AtlantisStargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
, again playing IOA Chinese diplomat Shen Xiaoyi in the Season 5 episode "Remnants". - 2008: MonkMonk (TV series)Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, as councilwoman Eileen Hill in "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall" (Episode #716) - 2009: The MentalistThe MentalistThe Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
, season one, episode 16. - 2009: Criminal MindsCriminal MindsCriminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
, season four, episode 24. - 2009: CSI: MiamiCSI: MiamiCSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
, season seven, episode 25. - 2009: Private Practice, in "Strange Bedfellows" (Episode #305)
- 2010–2011: Law & Order: Los AngelesLaw & Order: Los AngelesLaw & Order: LA, originally titled Law & Order: Los Angeles, is an American police procedural and legal drama television series set in Los Angeles, where it was produced...
, recurring role as Medical Examiner - 2011: GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
playing Julia Chang (the mother of Mike ChangMike ChangMichael "Mike" Chang, Jr. is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor and dancer Harry Shum, Jr., and has appeared on Glee since the fourth episode in the first season, "Preggers", first broadcast on September 23, 2009...
) in "Asian FAsian F"Asian F" is the third episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 47th overall. Written by series co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, it first aired on Fox in the United States on October 4, 2011...
" and "The First TimeThe First Time (Glee)"The First Time" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 49th overall. Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and directed by co-executive producer Bradley Buecker, it first aired on Fox in the United States on November 8, 2011...
".