Well Known Japanese-american Actors

Whether first, second, or third generation, these actors epitomize the American dream

in more ways than one because they prove that the country that creates the majority of the world's popular culture is also a melting pot appreciative of many different flavors and cultures. From Broadway to the big-screen, here are the top five Asian film actors .

Pat Suzuki. Born in central California, this popular American Broadway star found her fame by singing well-known standards such as "I Enjoy Being a Girl" from the 1958 production of "Flower Drum Song"; the song drove her popularity as a stage personality, and to this day, her version is the considered the classic recording of the musical hit. Suzuki also enjoyed stints in off-Broadway productions as well as a short time on television; she helped make history by becoming a part of the first all-Asian cast on American television with the sitcom "Mr. T and Tina".

Gedde Watanabe. Utah-born Watanabe is a third-generation Japanese-American best known for his portrayal of the whimsical character of Long Duk Dong in the classic 1984 romantic comedy "Sixteen Candles". Getting equal amounts of criticism and praise, this role showed a fine line that Watanabe was prepared to walk between Asian stereotypes and lovable comedy. In retrospect, the best Asian actor counts it as a learning experience. He has since moved on to less controversial roles and has enjoyed an admirable career of recurring roles in television productions such as "The Simpsons" and "ER".

Patti Yasutake. She will forever be revered for her role in one of America's most beloved series--Star Trek. Yasutake played 'Nurse Alyssa Ogawa' in the series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as well as in the movies "Star Trek Generations" and "Star Trek First Contact". Moving on from the realm of science fiction, however, she has also made appearances in popular television series like "Boston Legal" and "Cold Case".

Alan Muraoka. Anyone under the age of five is likely to know his face, but you might struggle with it. Alan Muraoka is a California-born and raised actor who currently rounds out the cast of the popular children's television program "Sesame Street" as the owner of "Hooper's Store". The role fits perfectly with his history of mentoring Asian-Americans and lifting the profile of Asians in the United States. Not only a stage character, Muraoka has turned his hand to directing and have been successful with productions like "Urinetown: The Musical" and "High School Musical".

Masi Oka. Long before he was acclaimed for his turn as "Hiro Nakamura" in the NBC series "Heroes", Masayori Oka was making waves in the entertainment industry. As an ivy-league scholar (he holds a Bachelor's degree in computer science from Brown University) who was raised in Los Angeles, he found a way to combine his two passions of production and science by taking a job at Industrial Light & Magic, the production company founded by movie legend George Lucas. Without a doubt, his most well-known accomplishment so far has come in "Heroes" but OKa is still an actor and is currently part of the "Hawaii Five-0" television remake.

by: Terry Philips

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