Tamlyn Tomita
| Tamlyn Tomita | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tamlyn Naomi Tomita January 27, 1966 Okinawa, Japan |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1986–present |
Tamlyn Naomi Tomita (born January 27, 1966) is a Japanese-born American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in The Karate Kid, Part II (1986), and later was leading and supporting roles in films Come See the Paradise (1990), The Joy Luck Club (1993), Picture Bride (1994), Four Rooms (1995), Robot Stories (2003), and The Day After Tomorrow (2004). In 1991, Tomita was featured in People Magazine.[1]
Early life
Tomita was born in Okinawa, the daughter of Shiro and Asako Tomita, and she is 1/4 Filipino on her mother's side of the family. Her father was a distinguished Japanese-American man who was interned at Manzanar, California, during part of World War II, then later became a Los Angeles police officer, rising to the rank of sergeant and helping to form the first Asian Task force in that Department.[2] Her father died of cancer in 1990. Tomita graduated from Granada Hills High School in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.[3]
Before becoming an actress, Tomita won the title of Queen at the Nisei Week Pageant in Los Angeles in 1984,[4] and Miss Nikkei International in 1985. In 1987, Tomita made her Japanese singing debut on the label Polydor. She released a single and an album.[5]
Career
Film
In 1984, Tomita got her big break by traveling as Queen of Nisei Week to Hawaii, where she was selected as part of a casting call by director John G. Avildsen to make her acting debut in The Karate Kid, Part II.[6][7] She later had major roles in a number of independent movies. Her biggest role was in the 1990 drama film Come See the Paradise.[7][8] In 1993, she co-starred opposite Ming-Na Wen in the ensemble cast drama The Joy Luck Club[7] and the next year she had a role in the 1994 independent film Picture Bride. In 1995 Tomita appeared alongside Antonio Banderas in the Robert Rodriguez-directed segment of the vignette anthology comedy Four Rooms.[9]
In the 21st Century, Tomita has had roles in other independent films and co-starred in several major Hollywood productions, including playing Janet Tokada in The Day After Tomorrow. In 2005, she starred in the Brazilian drama film Gaijin 2: Love Me as I Am and also had leading roles in the independent films Robot Stories in 2003 and Only the Brave in 2006. Tomita also appeared in The Eye and Tekken.
Television
Tomita was regular cast member on the NBC daytime soap opera, Santa Barbara from 1987 to 1989.[3] In 2008, she made her return to daytime soaps with recurring role on the ABC's General Hospital.[10] In 2012 she had another recurring role on NBC's Days of Our Lives.
From 1996 to 1997, Tomita was regular cast member in the short-lived UPN drama series, The Burning Zone. During her career she guest starred on Seven Days, Quantum Leap, Living Single, Murder, She Wrote, Chicago Hope, Will & Grace, Nash Bridges, The Shield, Strong Medicine, Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, The Mentalist, Private Practice, True Blood,Zoo (TV series),Tour of Duty, and many other dramas and comedies. She had recurring roles on Crossing Jordan, JAG, 24, Eureka, Heroes, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Glee, Teen Wolf, Resurrection, How to Get Away with Murder and Chasing Life.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Karate Kid, Part II | Kumiko | |
| 1987 | Hawaiian Dream | Karren Saito | |
| 1990 | Vietnam, Texas | Lan | |
| 1990 | Come See the Paradise | Lily Yuriko Kawamura / McGann | |
| 1993 | The Joy Luck Club | Waverly | |
| 1994 | Picture Bride | Kana | |
| 1995 | Notes on a Scale | ||
| 1995 | Four Rooms | Wife | Segment "The Misbehavers" |
| 1997 | The Killing Jar | Diane Sanford | |
| 1997 | Touch | Prosecutor | |
| 1998 | Hundred Percent | Thaise | |
| 1998 | Soundman | Butch's Wife | |
| 1998 | Living Out Loud | Bob's Wife | |
| 1999 | Life Tastes Good | Julie Sado | |
| 2003 | Robot Stories | Marcia | |
| 2004 | The Perfect Party | Mother | |
| 2004 | The Day After Tomorrow | Janet Tokada | |
| 2005 | Gaijin 2: Love Me as I Am | Maria Yamashita Salinas | |
| 2006 | Only the Brave | Mary Takata | |
| 2008 | The Eye | Mrs. Cheung | |
| 2008 | Finding Madison | Beth | |
| 2009 | Why Am I Doing This? | Donna | |
| 2009 | Tekken | Jun Kazama | |
| 2010 | The Mikado Project | Viola | |
| 2010 | Nómadas | ||
| 2013 | Awesome Asian Bad Guys | Tamlyn | |
| 2014 | Teacher of the Year | Vivian Lew | |
| 2015 | Daddy | Sharlene Hong | |
| 2015 | The Waiting | Heather Cromwell | |
| 2016 | The Unbidden | Lauren Lee | |
| 2016 | Berlin Station | Sandra Abe |
References
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- ↑ http://www.niseiweek.org/court/pastqueens.php
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External links
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- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1966 births
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- American video game actresses
- American actresses of Filipino descent
- American people of Japanese descent
- Living people
- American people of Okinawan descent
- People from Okinawa Prefecture
- Actresses of Japanese descent
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- American soap opera actresses
