James Yaegashi Explained

James Yaegashi
Birth Date:10 October 1972
Birth Place:Yokohama, Japan
Alma Mater:University of Missouri–Kansas City
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1999–present
Spouse:Tami Schuch
Children:2

James Yaegashi (born December 10, 1972) is a Japanese American actor based in New York.

Early life

James Yaegashi was born in Yokohama and raised in Yamagata to an American mother and a Japanese father. Upon graduating high school, he moved to America and majored in acting and directing at University of Missouri–Kansas City. He moved to New York with his wife in 1998.[1]

Career

He has acted in various stage productions, including as Mr. Yunioshi in a stage production of Breakfast at Tiffany's; a role that had historically been played in yellowface. Of the character Yaegashi said "He’s a real character, for starters. The film...made so many changes to the story...Yunioshi is a Nisei, a Japanese American from California. In the movie, Mickey Rooney played him as if he was fresh off the boat." He ultimately felt it was necessary to play the character to portray ethnic characters in a positive light.[2] Yaegashi first entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a minor role in Daredevil, but had a more notable role when he was cast as Robert Minoru in the Hulu original series Runaways based on the Marvel Comics series.[3] In 2004, he voiced the Chinese Triad leader, Wu Zi Mu, in the video game, . He later also voiced an undercover police officer called Charlie in GTA IV and GTA IV: The Lost and Damned.

Personal life

James Yaegashi is married with two children.[4] He is also bilingual.

Filmography

+ Film rolesYearTitleRoleNotes
1999The Thomas Crown AffairCrown Acquisitions Executive
1999Spin the BottleCole
2000Lisa Picard Is FamousAlex
2001Thirteen Conversations About One ThingLegal Assistant
2007SuperheroesJames
2007NoiseJapanese Businessman
2008The CollectiveThe Janitor
2011Lefty Loosey Righty TightyDirector
2012Man on a LedgePolice Technician
2024Civil WarCommercial Corporal
+ Television rolesYearTitleRoleNotes
2008Cashmere MafiaFredericEpisode: "Pilot"
2016Madam SecretaryRickEpisode: "Unity Node"
2016Marvel's DaredevilLeaderEpisode: "Regrets Only"
2017–2019Marvel's RunawaysRobert MinoruMain cast
2019New AmsterdamEthan KimuraEpisode: "The Karman Line"
2021The BlacklistAlexander Frayne2 episodes
2023Mech CadetsCaptain Skip Tanaka (voice)10 episodes
2024FalloutLeon Von FeldenEpisode: "The Beginning"
2024ATF Special Agent Marcus Cole2 episodes
+ Theater rolesYearTitleRoleNotes
2003Take Me OutTakeshi KawabataBroadway
2005A Naked Girl on the Appian WayBill LapinBroadway
2013Breakfast at Tiffany'sI. Y. YunioshiBroadway
2014The Oldest BoyFatherOff-Broadway
+ Video game rolesYearTitleRole
2004Woozie
2005Tomoya (Tokyo)
2007BioShockDr. Yi Suchong
2008Grand Theft Auto IVCharlie / The Crowd of Liberty City
2014Yi Suchong / Bartender

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Interview Part Two: James Yaegashi, Director of Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty. blogspot. Davies. Kate. November 11, 2010. December 11, 2017.
  2. Web site: Meet Mr. Yaegashi — The New Yunioshi. Rafu Shimpo. Yamamoto. J.K.. March 29, 2013. December 11, 2017.
  3. Web site: 'Marvel's Runaways' Sets Remaining Cast For Television Project With Hulu. Dinh. Christine. Marvel.com. February 9, 2017. February 9, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170211155519/https://news.marvel.com/tv/59437/marvels-runaways-sets-remaining-cast-television-project-hulu/. February 11, 2017. dead.
  4. Web site: James Yaegashi Tells His Stories. Lincoln Center Theater. Lemon. Brendan. November 24, 2014. December 11, 2017.