Tamlyn Tomita

Tamlyn Tomita

Active - 1973 - 2020  |   Born - Jan 27, 1966 in Okinawa, Japan  |   Genres - Drama, Action, Adventure

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Biography by AllMovie

Born in Okinawa, Japan, actress Tamlyn Tomita performed on-stage in Los Angeles before making her film debut in The Karate Kid Part II in 1986 as Ralph Macchio's love interest, Kumiko. Soap opera appearances and supporting roles followed, as well as a few made-for-TV movies about Hiroshima. In 1990, she gained some attention as Dennis Quaid's love interest in Alan Parker's WWII romance Come See the Paradise. In 1993, she was part of the excellent ensemble cast in the generation-gap drama The Joy Luck Club, based on the novel by Amy Tan. Other films include the Hawaiian-set romantic drama Picture Bride, the clever comedy drama Four Rooms, the horror thriller Killing Jar, and the independent relationship comedy Hundred Percent. On television, she found work in the sci-fi movie Babylon 5: The Gathering and landed reoccurring roles on The Burning Zone JAG, and 24. She also can be seen in Greg Pak's little-seen but critically praised digital video project Robot Stories and Roland Emmerich's 2004 sci-fi disaster film The Day After Tomorrow.

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Factsheet

  • Father spent time in an internment camp during World War II.
  • Was named Nisei Week Queen in 1984.
  • Appeared in the off-Broadway production of Day Standing on Its Head in 1994.
  • Frequently speaks on Asian-American actors and their opportunities in the arts.