Tamlyn Tomita Biography

Tamlyn Naomi Tomita (born January 27, 1966) is a Japanese-born American actress. She has appeared in many Hollywood films and television series.

Early life

Tomita was born on 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.

Mr. Tomita died of cancer in 1990. Ms. Tomita is a graduate of the Granada Hills High School in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Before becoming an actress, she won the title of Queen at the Nisei Week Pageant in Los Angeles in 1984, and Miss Nikkei International in 1985.

Acting career

In 1984, Tomita got her big break by traveling as Queen of Nisei Week to Hawaii when 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, playing Ralph Macchio's character's love interest, Kumiko. On the film's set, she met Nobu McCarthy, herself a former beauty queen. McCarthy became a role model, mentor and close friend to Tomita, making it especially difficult when, in 2002, McCarthy died unexpectedly while on location in Brazil with Tomita, filming Gaijin 2 - Ama-me como sou. Tamlyn contributes a lot of her time to non-profit events to help the Japanese-American community in California.

Singing career

In 1987 Tomita made her Japanese singing debut on the label Polydor. She released a single and an album.

Polydor DX-1515 EP: "Hitomi no Majutsu ~Hypnotized~" c/w "I Can't Stand the Pain"

Polydor H33P-20179 LP: "Sweet Surprise" (Primirive / I Can't Stand the Pain -English Version- / Hitomi no Majutsu ~Hypnotized~ / Arrivederci / Just Say You Love Me / Seiza o Tsunagu Love Song / Beauty and Beast of Love / I Can't Stand the Pain -Japanese Version- / Santa Monica no Koibito e -Instrumental- / Hawaiian Wind / Insult to Injury)

Filmography

• 1986: The Karate Kid, Part II
• 1987: Hawaiian Dream
• 1988: Hiroshima Maiden
• 1990: Vietnam, Texas
• 1990: Come See the Paradise
• 1993: The Joy Luck Club
• 1994: Picture Bride
• 1995: Requiem
• 1995: Four Rooms
• 1996: The Killing Jar
• 1997: Touch
• 1997: Hundred Percent
• 1998: Soundman
• 1999: Life Tastes Good
• 1999: The Last Man on Planet Earth
• 2002: Gaijin - Ama-me Como Sou
• 2003: Robot Stories
• 2004: The Day After Tomorrow
• 2005: Only the Brave
• 2005: True Love & Mimosa Tea
• 2006: Peace
• 2006: My Life... Disoriented
• 2008: The Eye
• 2008: Finding Madison
• 2009: The Mikado Project
• 2009: Tekken
• 2009: Why Am I Doing This?

TV appearances

• 1992: Quantum Leap, playing Tamlyn Matsuda, a psychic in the episode "Temptation Eyes".
• 1993: Babylon 5, playing Lt. Commander Laurel Takashima in the pilot telefilm The Gathering.
• 1994: Highlander: The Series, playing Midori Koto in the episode "The Samurai."
• 1994: Murder, She Wrote, playing detective Sharon Matsumoto in the episode "Death in Hawaii."
• 1997: The Sentinel, playing Suzanne Tamaki, the Chief of Campus Security, The Sentinel, Season two, episode "Smart Alec"
• 1996"97: The Burning Zone, playing Dr. Kimberly Shiroma
• 1999: Will & Grace, playing Naomi in Season two, Episode three
• 2001: Crossing Jordan, playing Dr. Grace Yakura in Season one, Episode two, "The Dawn of a New Day"
• 2002"03: 24, playing Jenny, the Press Secretary of the fictional President David Palmer.
• 2002"03: JAG, playing Lieutenant Commander Tracy Manetti.
• 2006: Commander in Chief, playing Randy, a Japanese translator to the President Mackenzie Allen in the episode "No Nukes is Good Nukes."
• 2006: Stargate SG-1, playing IOA Chinese diplomat Shen Xiaoyi in the Season nine episodes "The Scourge" and in "Crusade".
• 2006: Stargate Atlantis, playing IOA Chinese diplomat Shen Xiaoyi in the Season three premiere "No Man's Land".
• 2006: Eureka, playing scientist Kim Anderson in the episodes "Before I Forget" and "Once in a Lifetime", and "Phoenix Rising", and later, Kim's clone in "Ship Happens" and "Shower the People".
• 2008: General Hospital, Giselle, Editor-in-Chief of Couture Magazine, and Connie Falconeri's rival Fashionista competitor.
• 2008 and 2009: Heroes, playing Ishi Nakamura in the episodes "Our Father" and "Pass/Fail".
• 2008: Stargate Atlantis, again playing IOA Chinese diplomat Shen Xiaoyi in the Season five episode "Remnants".
• 2008: Monk, as councilwoman Eileen Hill in "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall" (Episode #716)
• 2009: The Mentalist, season one, episode 16.
• 2009: Criminal Minds, season four, episode 24.
• 2009: CSI: Miami, season seven, episode 25.
• 2009: Private Practice, in "Strange Bedfellows" (Episode #305)
• 2010"11: Law & Order: Los Angeles, recurring role as Medical Examiner
• 2011"12: Glee, recurring role as Julia Chang (mother of Mike Chang) in "Asian F", "The First Time" and "Goodbye".
• 2012: Hollywood Heights, guest starring as Sarah Medeiros in Jetsetter and Fresno
• 2012: Touch, starring as Kazuko Osugi in Season one Episode 11

Other work

• 2002: 007: Nightfire (James Bond game) as Makiko Hayashi