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Chris Tashima
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Chris Tashima is an award-winning American actor and director. He has starred in numerous independent feature films, most notably as the romantic lead opposite Joan Chen, Allison…
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Chris Tashima is an award-winning American actor and director. He has starred in numerous independent feature films, most notably as the romantic lead opposite Joan Chen, Allison Sie, Kelly Hu and Autumn Reeser, in Eric Byler's Americanese which won a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast at SXSW. He was awarded Best Actor in a Supporting Role, at the inaugural Love International Film Festival, for his portrayal of Papa Nakaji in Tim Savage's World War II family drama Under the Blood Red Sun produced by Dana Satler Hankins. He portrayed real-life educator/activist Shigeo Yoshida in the 442nd RCT origin story Go For Broke from producer/screenwriter Stacey Hayashi. Most recently, he played the hard-nosed Uncle Bob in the generational family comedy No No Girl from writer/director Paul Daisuke Goodman--for which he received two nominations at the Austin Revolution Film Festival, and he plays Hiro in Brian M. Tang's action/fantasy short Kodama, receiving its world premiere at SXSW 2023. Tashima received an Academy Award® for directing the dramatic short film Visas and Virtue, a re-telling of the heroic actions of Holocaust rescuer Chiune Sugihara. In addition he co-wrote the screenplay adapting a one-act play by Tim Toyama, and starred as the Humanitarian diplomat Sugihara. He also directed, co-wrote and starred in the WWII Japanese American internment short film Day of Independence which was nominated for a NATAS Northern California Area Emmy®. These two directorial works came from Tashima's own Cedar Grove Productions, an indie entertainment house aiming to "Boldly defy mainstream Hollywood by giving Asian Americans the close-up onscreen."
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
2023
Kodama
Movie Hiro
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2022
No No Girl
Movie Uncle Bob
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2020
Searching for Anna May Wong
Movie Self
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2018
Surviving Theater 9
Movie Professor Cambro
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2017
Go for Broke
Movie Shigeo Yoshida
-
2014
Under the Blood-Red Sun
Movie Papa Nakaji
-
2013
Real Playing Game
Movie Mr. Chan
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2012
Lil Tokyo Reporter
Movie Sei Fujii
-
2012
Model Minority
Movie Ken Tanaka
-
2009
Half Kenneth
Movie Masamichi
-
2006
Americanese
Movie Raymond Ding
-
2003
Day of Independence
Movie The Umpire
-
2002
Barrier Device
Movie Actor in Diamond Jeweler Commercial (uncredited)
-
2002
The Shield
TV show Chris Yamamoto (scenes deleted)
-
1999
Independent Lens
TV show Director
-
1998
Lani Loa: The Passage
Movie Bong
More credits
-
1997
Visas and Virtue
Movie Chiune 'Sempo' Sugihara
-
1997
Strawberry Fields
Movie Mark
-
1997
Vital Signs
TV show Surgeon
-
1995
Requiem
Movie Philip
-
1991
The Perfect Weapon
Movie Bag Man
-
1988
Liberace: Behind the Music
Movie Carpenter
-
1988
Unsolved Mysteries
TV show Stunt Coordinator (segment "Brandon Lee")
-
1988
Fun House
TV show Carpenter
-
1988
Barry Manilow: Big Fun on Swing Street
Movie Carpenter
-
1987
Good Morning, Vietnam
Movie Carpenter
-
1987
Overkill
Movie Nagumo Jr.
-
1987
Near Dark
Movie Carpenter
-
1987
Lethal Weapon
Movie Fire Rescue Attendant (uncredited)
-
1986
Pee-wee's Playhouse
TV show Carpenter
-
1986
Night of the Creeps
Movie Extra (uncredited)
-
1986
The Karate Kid Part II
Movie The Rockabilly Club Dancer (uncredited)
-
1986
Chisai Samurai
Movie Director
-
1985
Savage Dawn
Movie Extra (uncredited)
-
1985
Once Bitten
Movie Dream Sequence Extra (uncredited)
-
1985
Generation
Movie Gang Extra (uncredited)
-
1985
Killzone
Movie Crawford's Men
-
1985
Moving Violations
Movie Parade Extra (uncredited)
-
1985
The Sure Thing
Movie Frat Guy at Punch Bowl (uncredited)
-
1985
Sara
TV show Concert Goer (uncredited)
