Yuji Okumoto

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Yuji Okumoto
Okumoto, Yuji.jpg
Born
Yuji Don Okumoto

(1959-04-20) April 20, 1959 (age 62)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation
  • Actor
  • Producer
Years active1985-present
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Spouse(s)Angela Okumoto (m. 2001)
Children3

Yuji Don Okumoto (雄二・ドン・奥本, Yūji Don Okumoto) is an American actor, filmmaker, and Eagle Scout best known for his intimidating movie roles, primarily as a villain, such as Chozen Toguchi in The Karate Kid Part II and Cobra Kai. His other films include Aloha Summer, Nemesis, Pearl Harbor, Contact 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.

Early life[]

Yuji Okumoto, a third generation Japanese American (Sansei), was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.[1] He graduated from Hollywood High School and Cal State Fullerton (where he studied acting).[1]

Career[]

His performance in the play Indians led to being signed by an agent, and eventually a role on The Young and the Restless. His first roles were in The Check is in the Mail, Real Genius , and Better Off Dead.[1] Perhaps his most well-known role is as Daniel's rival, Chozen Toguchi in the 1986 film, The Karate Kid Part II.[1] In 2005, he was Yukio Nakajo in Lane Nishikawa's film Only the Brave about the Japanese American segregated fighting unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II. This film also included two other Karate Kid stars, Tamlyn Tomita and Pat Morita.[1] Other credits include his role as Shu Kai Kim, in the 1989 film True Believer, Pete Kapahala in the 1999 Disney Channel original movie Johnny Tsunami, Kaigun-Daii in Pearl Harbor, and Bruce Takedo in the television series, Bones.[1]

Okumoto reprised his role as Chozen Toguchi in Season 3 of Cobra Kai, which was released on January 1, 2021, on Netflix.[2][3][4][5][6] In addition, he is a producer for the 2020 independent film, The Paper Tigers (and has a small role as well).[7]

Personal life[]

Okumoto lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife Angie and their children.[8] They own and run a Hawaiian-themed restaurant, Kona Kitchen/Yuji Lounge.[8][3][4][9]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
1985 Real Genius Fenton Film
1985 Better Off Dead Yee Sook Ree Film
1985 Vietnam Soldier Film
1986 Bellboy Film
1986 The Karate Kid Part II Chozen Toguchi Film
1988 Aloha Summer Kenzo Konishi Film
1989 True Believer Shu Kai Kim Film
1991 3x3 Eyes Chou / Transvestite #2 Video (voice: English version) (as Yujii Okumoto)
1992 Nemesis Yoshiro Han Film
1993 Silent Cries Mickey Film, Uncredited
1993 Robot Wars Chou-Sing Film
1993 Brainsmasher... A Love Story Wu Video
1993 American Yakuza Kazuo Film
1994 Bloodfist V: Human Target Tommy Film
1994 Blue Tiger Lieutenant Sakagami Film
1994 Red Sun Rising Yuji Film
1995 Hard Justice Jimmy Wong Video
1995 Naparva Video (voice: English version) (as Yujii Okumoto)
1997 FBI Agent Film
1997 Mean Guns Hoss Film
1997 Contact Electrical Film
1997 The Game Nikko Hotel Manager Film
1998 The Truman Show Japanese Family Man Film
1998 Secretary Film
2000 Fortress 2: Re-Entry Sato Film
2000 I'll Remember April Matsuo Yomma Film
2001 Pearl Harbor Zenji Abe Film
2001 Ticker Embassy Consul Film
2005 The Crow: Wicked Prayer Pestilence Film
2006 Big Momma's House 2 Parsons Film
2006 Only the Brave Sgt. Yukio 'Yuk' Nakajo Film
2006 End Game Doctor Lee Film
2007 Grumpy Man Short
2008 Touch Ken Short
2009 Black Coffee David Short
2009 Politician Short
2010 Inception Saito's Attendant Film
2014 Awesome Asian Bad Guys Yuji (2013)
2015 Beta Test The Surgeon Film
2017 Unspoken: Diary of an Assassin
2018 Driven Judge Takasugi
2018 Ultra Low Yuji Film
2020 The Paper Tigers Wing (character)
Producer 		Independent Film

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1986 T. J. Hooker Howie Kalanuma Episode: "Blood Sport"
1987 Simon & Simon Masaki Episode: "Desperately Seeking Dacody"
1988 Hunter Jimmy 2 episodes
1990 n/a TV movie
1990 Peter Fujko TV movie
1990 Midnight Caller Lee Minh Episode: "Home to Roost"
1991 American Playhouse Teruo Kuroda Episode: "Hot Summer Winds"
1991-1993 Knots Landing Art Nam 6 Episodes
1994 Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills Lester Kuriyama TV movie
1995 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Chen Chow Episode: "Chi of Steel"
1995 Vanishing Son Nguyen Episode: "Holy Ghosts"
1995 Murder, She Wrote Kim Huan Episode: "Murder a la Mode"
1996 Kindred: The Embraced Lieutenant Kwan 2 episodes
1996 Superman Security Guard Voice, Episode: "A Little Piece of Home"
1996 Walker, Texas Ranger Chang Episode: "Higher Power"
1997 Players Mr. Hayashi Episode: "Rashocon"
1998 The Sentinel Lo Episode: "Love Kills"
1998 JAG Jiro Kitamura (1995 TV series) Episode: "Innocence"
1999 Just Shoot Me! Kevin Tanaka Uncredited, Episode: "Miss Pretty"
1999 Johnny Tsunami Pete TV movie
2000 Martial Law Mr. Strinc Episode: "Scorpio Rising"
2000 Max Steel n/a Voice, Episode: "Seraphim"
2000 Guilty as Charged Davis TV movie
2001 The District Officer Episode: "A Southern Town"
2001 A Kitty Bobo Show Graffiti Voice, TV movie
2001 V.I.P. Morton Zhou Episode: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Val"
2003 One Eye TV movie
2007 The Unit Mr. Michael Episode: "The Broom Cupboard"
2007 Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board Pete TV movie
2008 Heroes and Villains Naomasa Ii documentary, Episode: "Shogun"
2008 Nakano TV movie
2009 Katana Kenji Episode: "Pilot" (also producer and writer)
2009 Bones Bruce Takedo Episode: "The Girl in the Mask"
2018 New Girl Mr. Yukimura Episode: "Godparents"
2021 Cobra Kai Chozen Toguchi 2 episodes

Video games[]

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Johnny Mnemonic: The Interactive Action Movie Shinji Voice, Video Game
2001 Throne of Darkness Swordsman Voice, Video Game
2003 True Crime: Streets of LA Additional Voices Voice, Video Game[10]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Meet Yuji Okumoto". konakitchen.com. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
  2. ^ Show, Gee (2021-01-19). "'Cobra Kai' actor, co-owner of Seattle restaurant on how show became Netflix hit". MyNorthwest. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Baldwin, Kristen (2020-12-18). "Yuji Okumoto on Cobra Kai season 3: 'Chozen has gone through a lot of soul searching'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Talbott, Chris (2021-01-04). "In Netflix's 'Cobra Kai,' Seattle restaurateur Yuji Okumoto reprises a role — and a life — he thought he'd left behind". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  5. ^ Riddle, Eric (2021-01-28). "Seattle actor reprises his most famous role for Netflix hit series 'Cobra Kai'". KING-TV. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  6. ^ Karlinski, Marla (2021-02-04). "Local actor Yuji Okumoto kicks butt in 'Cobra Kai'". Seattle Refined. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  7. ^ Belle, Rachel (2021-05-04). "'Seattle filmmaker says Hollywood wouldn't make his film unless he replaced his POC cast with white actors". MyNorthwest. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Yuji Okumoto's Kona Kitchen Is a Family Affair Actor-Restaurateur Keeps a Lot on His Plate". Japanese American Citizens League. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  9. ^ Luthman, Jenna (2016-08-16). "Karate Kid II star owns awesome Seattle restaurant". Seattle Refined. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  10. ^ "True Crime: Streets of LA (2003 Video Game)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 28 April 2021. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.CS1 maint: postscript (link)

External links[]

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