I probably didn't talk in public until eighth grade, and then in high school, I started doing oral interpretation - kind of like monologues. Through theater and plays, I started coming out of my shell.
The thought of me wanting to act was not an option when I was growing up, so I was getting my teaching credential.
My mother came from Japan, and I really didn't understand her often. Now that I'm older, I do.
I think by embracing your heritage and your history, it just serves you so much more, and you become a deeper and more powerful person by embracing them.
Seriously, how many times do you see Asian-American characters that have an actual family, feelings? You don't see them love and be sad and have all the human emotions. I think that 'Gilmore Girls' is one of the very, very few where we were offered a chance to explore these characters multidimensionally.
I was in one of the first sitcoms that had a lot of Asians in it. It was called 'Gung Ho' on ABC.
When I moved to L.A. and joined East West Players, I started acting professionally.
In grammar school, I didn't talk. Everybody said I was the invisible one. I'm still very shy.
Although I would like the negative balanced with the positive, what really bothers me is if it's not real. You can add humanity to what might look like a negative role.
