Yuji Okumoto

Yuji Don Okumoto (雄二・ドン・奥本, Yūji Don Okumoto, born April 20, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker best known for his intimidating movie roles, primarily as a villain, such as Chozen Toguchi in The Karate Kid Part II. His other films include Aloha Summer, Nemesis, Pearl Harbor and The Truman Show, as well as guest roles on television series such as T.J. Hooker, Knots Landing, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Bones.

Yuji Okumoto
Born (1959-04-20) April 20, 1959
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor
Years active1985-present
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Spouse(s)Angela (Present)

Early life

Yuji Okumoto, a third generation Japanese American (Sansei), was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended Hollywood High School, where he played both baseball and basketball and Cal State Fullerton, where he eventually took up acting. Okumoto has also been involved with several theater companies, including the celebrated East West Players, where he appeared in the play, Webster Street Blues.

Career

Okumoto's first feature film role was in the 1985 comedy film Real Genius as Fenton. Later in 1985, he appeared in Better Off Dead as Yee Sook Ree, a Korean immigrant who along with his non-English speaking brother Chen (Brian Imada) frequently challenges Lane Myer (John Cusack) to drag races whenever they are together at a set of traffic lights. Yee Sook Ree learned his English from watching Wide World of Sports and spoke like Howard Cosell.

He is also well known for his convincing portrayal of the venomous, ever-smiling Chozen Toguchi in The Karate Kid Part II. He played a Korean character, Shu Kai Kim, in the 1989 film True Believer alongside James Woods and Robert Downey Jr. Okumoto then played the role of Pete Kapahala in the 1999 Disney Channel original movie Johnny Tsunami and its 2007 sequel Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board. In 2005, he played a role in Lane Nishikawa's film Only the Brave about the Japanese American segregated fighting unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II. He also played alongside Ken Watanabe in Christopher Nolan's 2010 thriller Inception. Okumoto was announced to have joined Nicholas Gyeney's Seattle-based drama, Ultra Low, in February 2017. The film is scheduled to begin production the following March.[1]

Personal life

Okumoto lives in Seattle, Washington, where he and his family own a Hawaiian-themed restaurant, Kona Kitchen/Yuji Lounge.

Filmography
YearTitleRoleNotes
1985Real GeniusFentonFilm
1985Better Off DeadYee Sook ReeFilm
1985Crime KillerVietnam SoldierFilm
1986The Check Is in the Mail...BellboyFilm
1986T. J. HookerHowie KalanumaEpisode: "Blood Sport"
1986The Karate Kid Part IIChozenFilm
1987Simon & SimonMasakiEpisode: "Desperately Seeking Dacody"
1988Aloha SummerKenzo KonishiFilm
1988HunterJimmy2 episodes
1989True BelieverShu Kai KimFilm
1990Murder in Paradisen/aTV movie
1990Only One SurvivedPeter FujkoTV movie
1990Midnight CallerLee MinhEpisode: "Home to Roost"
1991American PlayhouseTeruo KurodaEpisode: "Hot Summer Winds"
19913x3 EyesChou / Transvestite #2Video (voice: English version) (as Yujii Okumoto)
1991-1993Knots LandingArt Nam6 Episodes
1992NemesisYoshiro HanFilm
1993Silent CriesMickeyFilm, Uncredited
1993Robot WarsChou-SingFilm
1993Brainsmasher... A Love StoryWuVideo
1993American YakuzaKazuoFilm
1994Bloodfist V: Human TargetTommyFilm
1994Blue TigerLieutenant SakagamiFilm
1994Menendez: A Killing in Beverly HillsLester KuriyamaTV movie
1994Red Sun RisingYujiFilm
1995Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanChen ChowEpisode: "Chi of Steel"
1995Vanishing SonNguyenEpisode: "Holy Ghosts"
1995Murder, She WroteKim HuanEpisode: "Murder a la Mode"
1995Hard JusticeJimmy WongVideo
19953x3 Eyes: Legend of the Divine DemonNaparvaVideo (voice: English version) (as Yujii Okumoto)
1995Johnny Mnemonic: The Interactive Action MovieShinjiVoice, Video Game
1996Kindred: The EmbracedLieutenant Kwan2 episodes
1996SupermanSecurity GuardVoice, Episode: "A Little Piece of Home"
1996Walker, Texas RangerChangEpisode: "Higher Power"
1997BlastFBI AgentFilm
1997Mean GunsHossFilm
1997ContactElectricalFilm
1997The GameNikko Hotel ManagerFilm
1997PlayersMr. HayashiEpisode: "Rashocon"
1998The SentinelLoEpisode: "Love Kills"
1998The Truman ShowJapanese FamilyFilm
1998JAGJiro Kitamura(1995 TV series) Episode: "Innocence"
1998SorcerersSecretaryFilm
1999Just Shoot Me!Kevin TanakaUncredited, Episode: "Miss Pretty"
1999Johnny TsunamiPeteTV movie
2000Martial LawMr. StrincEpisode: "Scorpio Rising"
2000Fortress 2: Re-EntrySatoFilm
2000Max Steeln/aVoice, Episode: "Seraphim"
2000Guilty as ChargedDavisTV movie
2000I'll Remember AprilMatsuo YommaFilm
2001The DistrictOfficerEpisode: "A Southern Town"
2001Pearl HarborJapanese Shy BomberFilm
2001TickerEmbassy ConsulFilm
2001A Kitty Bobo ShowGraffitiVoice, TV movie
2001V.I.P.Morton ZhouEpisode: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Val"
2001Throne of DarknessSwordsmanVoice, Video Game
2003True Crime: Streets of LAAdditional VoicesVoice, Video Game
2003PartnersOne EyeTV movie
2005The Crow: Wicked PrayerPestilenceFilm
2006Big Momma's House 2ParsonsFilm
2006Only the BraveSgt. Yukio 'Yuk' NakajoFilm
2006End GameDoctor LeeFilm
2007The UnitMr. MichaelEpisode: "The Broom Cupboard"
2007Johnny Kapahala: Back on BoardPeteTV movie
2007Cookies for SaleGrumpy ManShort
2008TouchKenShort
2008Heroes and VillainsNaomasa Iidocumentary, Episode: "Shogun"
2008Mask of the NinjaNakanoTV movie
2009KatanaKenjiEpisode: "Pilot" (also producer and writer)
2009BonesBruce TakedoEpisode: "The Girl in the Mask"
2009Black CoffeeDavidShort
2009Anatomy of a FlyPoliticianShort
2010InceptionSaito's AttendantFilm
2014Awesome Asian Bad GuysYuji (2013)
2015Beta TestThe SurgeonFilm
2017Unspoken: Diary of an Assassin
2018DrivenJudge Takasugi
2018Ultra LowYujiFilm

See also

References
  1. N'Duka, Amanda (February 20, 2017). "Lauren Holly To Star In Indie 'Ultra Low'; Mollee Gray Set For 'The Favorite'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
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