Tamlyn Tomita | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Tomita in 2010 | |
| Born | Tamlyn Naomi Tomita (1966-01-27)January 27, 1966 (age 59) |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse(s) | Daniel Blinkoff (m. 2021) |
Tamlyn Naomi Tomita (born January 27, 1966)[1] is an American actress. She made her screen debut asKumiko inThe Karate Kid Part II (1986) and reprised the character for the streaming seriesCobra Kai (2021). She is also well known for her role asWaverly inThe Joy Luck Club (1993). Additional films includeCome See the Paradise (1990),Picture Bride (1994),Four Rooms (1995),Robot Stories (2003),The Day After Tomorrow (2004) andGaijin 2: Love Me as I Am (2005).
Tomita also has played several recurring roles on television series, including24,Glee,Teen Wolf,Eureka, andHow to Get Away with Murder. She starred on theEpix drama seriesBerlin Station (2016), and in 2017 began starring in the ABC medical dramaThe Good Doctor. In 2020, she had a recurring role inStar Trek: Picard.
Tamlyn Tomita, a second generationJapanese-American (nisei), was born January 27, 1966,[2] on a U.S. military base inOkinawa and grew up inLos Angeles.[3][4][5] Her Japanese-American father was in aninternment camp duringWorld War II.[4][3] He met her mother while stationed inOkinawa between theKorean andVietnam Wars.[5] Her mother was of half-Native Okinawan and half-Filipino descent, born inManila and emigrated to Okinawa afterWorld War II.[5][3] Her father became aLAPD officer upon returning to Los Angeles.[3]
Tomita graduated fromGranada Hills High School[3] and attendedUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she studied history and planned to become a history teacher.[3][6] While a junior at UCLA, she participated inNisei Week, where she was crowned its 1984 queen.[3][7] She and several other Japanese-American girls were asked by Helen Funai, the 1963 pageant queen,[8] to audition for the role of Kumiko inThe Karate Kid II.[3][8] She promised her parents that she would finish college, and then explore acting.[8]
AfterThe Karate Kid II, Tomita had major roles in a number ofindependent movies. Her biggest role was in the 1990 drama filmCome See the Paradise.[9] In 1993, she co-starred oppositeMing-Na Wen in theensemble cast dramaThe Joy Luck Club and the next year she had a role in the 1994 independent filmPicture Bride. In 1995 Tomita appeared alongsideAntonio Banderas in theRobert Rodriguez-directed segment of thevignetteanthology comedyFour Rooms.[10]
In the 21st century, Tomita has had roles in other independent films and co-starred in several major Hollywood productions, including playing Janet Tokada inThe Day After Tomorrow. In 2005, she starred in the Brazilian drama filmGaijin 2: Love Me as I Am and also had a leading role in the independent filmRobot Stories in 2003. She was also inOnly the Brave about theJapanese American segregated fighting unit, the442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II, which included two otherKarate Kid stars,Yuji Okumoto andPat Morita.[11]
Tomita appeared as a character named Ming Li on theNBC daytime soap operaSanta Barbara from May to September 1988.[12] In 1994, she guest-starred in the first episode of season 3 ofHighlander: The Series. In 2008, she made her return to daytime soaps with a recurring role on ABC'sGeneral Hospital.[13] In 2012, she had another recurring role on NBC'sDays of Our Lives.
From 1996 to 1997, Tomita was a regular cast member in the short-livedUPN drama series,The Burning Zone. In 1993, she appeared in the pilot movie forBabylon 5 as Lt. Commander Takashima, second-in-command of the titular space station, but she declined the opportunity to continue as a cast member of the subsequent series. During her career she has guest starred on shows such asSeven 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;Tour of Duty;Criminal Minds; and many other dramas and comedies. She had longer term recurring roles onCrossing Jordan,JAG,24,Eureka,Heroes,Law & Order: Los Angeles,Glee,Teen Wolf,Resurrection,How to Get Away with Murder, andChasing Life.
In 2016, Tomita played a series regular role on theEpix drama seriesBerlin Station. From 2017 to 2019 she was arecurring character on theABC medical dramaThe Good Doctor.[14]
Tomita began a recurring role as the Vulcan/Romulan hybrid Commodore Oh on theCBS All Accessweb television seriesStar Trek: Picard in 2020.
In 2021, she reprised her 1980s role asKumiko for two episodes in Season 3 ofCobra Kai, a television sequel to theKarate Kid films.[15][16][6]
Tomita has been married twice. After her first marriage ended in divorce, she started a long-term relationship with actor Daniel Blinkoff, and they had been together for 13 years as of 2017;[17] as of August 2021,[update] they were married and had founded the Outside In Theatre in theHighland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.[18]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Karate Kid Part II | Kumiko | Debut role |
| 1987 | Hawaiian Dream | Karren Saito | |
| 1990 | Vietnam, Texas | Lan | |
| Come See the Paradise | Lily Yuriko Kawamura / McGann | ||
| 1993 | The Joy Luck Club | Waverly Jong | |
| 1994 | Picture Bride | Kana | |
| Notes on a Scale | |||
| 1995 | Four Rooms | Wife | Segment "The Misbehavers" |
| Requiem | Fong | Short film | |
| 1997 | The Killing Jar | Diane Sanford | |
| Touch | Prosecutor | ||
| 1998 | Hundred Percent | Thaise | |
| Soundman | Butch's Wife | ||
| Living Out Loud | Mrs. Nelson | ||
| 1999 | Life Tastes Good | Julie Sado | |
| 2000 | Betty Anderson | Detective Miyamoto | Short film |
| 2003 | Robot Stories | Marcia | |
| Day of Independence | Choir Member | Short film | |
| 2004 | The Perfect Party | Mom | |
| The Day After Tomorrow | Janet Tokada | ||
| 2005 | Gaijin 2: Love Me as I Am | Maria Yamashita Salinas | |
| True Love & Minosa Tea | Rebecca Nakasone | Short film | |
| 2006 | Only the Brave | Mary Takata | |
| Peace | Sandy Sakai | Short film | |
| 2007 | Pandemic | Melissa Lo | Short film |
| 2008 | The Eye | Mrs. Cheung | |
| Finding Madison | Beth | ||
| 2009 | Why Am I Doing This? | Donna | |
| Tekken | Jun Kazama | ||
| 2010 | The Mikado Project | Viola | |
| Nómadas | |||
| Starlight Inn | Grace Kim | Short film | |
| 2011 | The Charles Kim Show | Herself | Short film |
| 2012 | White Room: 02B3 | Five | Short film |
| 2014 | Awesome Asian Bad Guys | Tamlyn / Pamlyn (2013) | |
| Teacher of the Year | Vivian Lew | ||
| Operation Marriage | Lee | Short film | |
| 2015 | Daddy | Sharlene Hong | |
| 2016 | The Good Neighbor | Heather Cromwell | |
| The Unbidden | Lauren Lee | ||
| Seppuku | Linda | Short film | |
| 2017 | Real Artists | Anne Palladon | Short film |
| 2019 | The Living Worst | Chita Montague | |
| 2020 | I Will Make You Mine | Julia | |
| 2024 | Ultraman: Rising | Mina / Emiko Sato | Voice[19] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Tour of Duty | VC Peasant Woman | Episode: "Sitting Ducks" |
| 1987–1988 | Santa Barbara | Lily Murakami, Ming Li | 31 episodes |
| 1988 | Hiroshima Maiden | Miyeko Matsuda | Television film |
| 1988 | To Heal a Nation | Maya Ying Lin | Television film |
| 1989 | The Karate Kid | Additional Characters (voices) | Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" |
| 1990 | Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes | Sally | Television film |
| 1992 | Quantum Leap | Tamlyn Matsuda | Episode: "Temptation Eyes - February 1, 1985" |
| 1992 | Raven | Kim Tanaka | Episode: "Return of the Black Dragon" |
| 1993 | Babylon 5: The Gathering | Lt. Cmdr. Laurel Takashima | Television film |
| 1994 | Time Trax | Toshi | Episode: "Return of the Yakuza" |
| 1994 | Vanishing Son II | Lanchi | Television film |
| 1994 | One West Waikiki | Taylor Chun | Episode:"'Til Death Do Us Part" |
| 1994 | Highlander: The Series | Midori Kent/Maia Koto | Episode: "The Samurai" |
| 1994 | Living Single | Mary | Episode: "Bristle While You Work" |
| 1994 | Vanishing Son IV | Lanchi | Television film |
| 1994 | Murder, She Wrote | Det. Sharon Matsumoto | Episode: "Death in Hawaii" |
| 1994 | Roseanne | Waitress | Episode: "Isn't It Romantic?" |
| 1995 | Vanishing Son | Lan Chi | Episode: "Single Flame" |
| 1995 | Sisters | Kiri Adams | Episodes: "For Everything a Season: Part 1", "Renaissance Woman" |
| 1996 | Chicago Hope | Tina - Sutton's Ex #3 | Episode: "Ex Marks the Spot" |
| 1996–1997 | The Burning Zone | Dr. Kimberly Shiroma | Series regular, 11 episodes |
| 1997 | The Sentinel | Suzane Tomaki | Episode: "Smart Alec" |
| 1997 | Raven: Return of the Black Dragons | Kim Tanaka | Television film |
| 1998 | Chicago Hope | Jennifer Watanabe | Episode: "McNeil and Pray" |
| 1999 | Seven Days | Michelle | Episode: "Walter" |
| 1999 | Will & Grace | Naomi | Episode: "I Never Promised You an Olive Garden" |
| 1999 | The Last Man on Planet Earth | Agent Kara Hastings | Television film |
| 2000 | Runaway Virus | Monique Chao | Television film |
| 2000 | Nash Bridges | Amy Chin | Episodes: "Man Hunt", "Blow Out" |
| 2000 | The Michael Richards Show | Ming | Episode: "USA Toy" |
| 2001 | Destiny | Television film | |
| 2001 | FreakyLinks | Emma Reed | Episode: "Subject: The Final Word" |
| 2001 | Walking Shadow | Rikki Wu | Television film |
| 2001 | Providence | Mary Cassidy | Episode: "Civil Unrest" |
| 2001 | Crossing Jordan | Dr. Grace Yakura | Episodes: "The Dawn of a New Day", "You Can't Go Home Again", "Digger, Part 1" |
| 2002 | The Shield | Wanda Higoshi | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2002 | For the People | Dr. Chaney | Episode: "Come Blow Your Whistle" |
| 2002–2003 | JAG | Lt. Cmdr. Tracy Manetti | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2002–2003 | 24 | Jenny Dodge | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2003 | The Agency | Elizabeth—Female Kidnapper | Episodes: "Our Man in Korea", "Our Man in Washington" |
| 2003 | Threat Matrix | Special Agent Nicole Hill | Episode: "Under the Gun" |
| 2004 | Strong Medicine | Dr. Nash | Episode: "Goodbye/Rest in Peace" |
| 2004–2005 | North Shore | Xiao | Episodes: "Illusions", "The End" |
| 2005 | Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't | Helen Morrison | Television film |
| 2006 | Commander in Chief | Randy | Episode: "No Nukes Is Good Nukes" |
| 2006 | Stargate SG-1 | Shen Xiaoyi | Episodes: "The Scourge", "Crusade" |
| 2006, 2008 | Stargate Atlantis | Shen Xiaoyi | Episodes: "No Man's Land", "Remnants" |
| 2006–2007, 2009 | Eureka | Kim Anderson | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2007 | Women's Murder Club | Sachiko Johannes | Episode: "Maybe Baby" |
| 2007–2008, 2010 | Heroes | Ishi Nakamura | Episodes: "Chapter Nine: Cautionary Tales", "Chapter Twelve: Our Father", "Chapter Fifteen: Pass/Fail" |
| 2008–2009 | General Hospital | Giselle | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | Saving Grace | Tori Chen | Episode: "Have a Seat, Earl" |
| 2008 | Twenty Good Years | Episode: "Come Fly with Me" | |
| 2008 | Two Sisters | Shakti | Television film |
| 2009 | Monk | Eileen Hill | Episode: "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall" |
| 2009 | The Mentalist | Lauri Medina | Episode: "Bloodshot" |
| 2009 | Criminal Minds | Dr. Linda Kimura | Episode: "Amplification" |
| 2009 | CSI: Miami | Dr. Sarah Fordham | Episode: "Seeing Red" |
| 2009 | Private Practice | Katie's Lawyer | Episode: "Strange Bedfellows" |
| 2010 | Memphis Beat | Noreen Drake | Episode: "I Want to Be Free" |
| 2010–2011 | Law & Order: LA | Miwako Nishizawa | Recurring role, 10 episodes |
| 2011 | The Chicago Code | Prosecutor | Episode: "Bathhouse & Hinky Dink" |
| 2011 | The Protector | Katrina | Episode: "Bangs" |
| 2011 | Glee | Julia Chang | Episode: "Asian F" |
| 2012 | Days of Our Lives | Dr. Ellen Yu | 6 episodes |
| 2012 | Make It or Break It | Dr. Lim | Episode: "Listen to the Universe" |
| 2012 | Touch | Kazuko Osugi | Episode: "Gyre, Part 1" |
| 2012 | Hollywood Heights | Sarah Medeiros | Episodes: "Jetsetter", "Fresno" |
| 2013 | Bones | Dr. Alice Crawford | Episode: "The Doll in the Derby" |
| 2013 | True Blood | Ms. Suzuki | Episodes: "Who Are You, Really?", "Dead Meat" |
| 2014–2017 | Teen Wolf | Noshiko Yukimura | Recurring role, 16 episodes |
| 2014 | Resurrection | Dr. Toni Willis | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | How to Get Away with Murder | Judge Carol Marrow | Episodes: "He Deserved to Die", "Hello Rasholnikov" |
| 2014 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Homeland Security Agent Shana Rollins | Episode: "Leipei" |
| 2015 | Chasing Life | Dr. Mae Lin | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2015 | Zoo | Minako Oz | Episode: "The Silence of the Cicadas" |
| 2016 | Berlin Station | Sandra Abe | Series regular, 10 episodes |
| 2017–2019 | The Good Doctor | Allegra Aoki | Series regular (season 1–2) Special guest (season 3) 23 episodes |
| 2018 | Counterpart | Doctor | Episode: "Love the Lie" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | James Bond 007: Nightfire | Makiko Hayashi |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Online Streaming Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Man in the High Castle | Tamiko Watanabe | Recurring role, 6 episodes | Amazon Prime |
| 2020 | Star Trek: Picard | Commodore Oh | Episodes: "Maps and Legends", "The End is the Beginning,", "Nepenthe" | Amazon Prime |
| 2020 | DuckTales | Inspector Tezuka | Episode: "Astro B.O.Y.D." | Disney PlusPrime VideoApple TV |
| 2021 | Cobra Kai | Kumiko | Season 3, 2 episodes: "The Right Path", "Miyagi-Do" | Netflix |
| 2023 | Monarch: Legacy of Monsters | Caroline Randa | 2 episodes | Apple TV |
| 2024 | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Yukari | series | Netflix |
| 2024 | Dead Boy Detectives | The Principal | Episode:"The Case of the Hungry Snake" | Netflix |
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