{"id":"Yuki Shimoda: Asian American Actor (film)","doctype":"articles","links":{"html":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Yuki%20Shimoda:%20Asian%20American%20Actor%20(film)/","json":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/api/3.0/articles/Yuki%20Shimoda:%20Asian%20American%20Actor%20(film)/"},"title_sort":"yukishimodaasianamericanactorfilm","description":"Documentary film profiling pioneering Nisei actor\n \n Yuki Shimoda\n \n that takes us from his youth in Sacramento, wartime incarceration as a young man at\n \n Tule Lake\n \n , and the ups and downs of his acting career. The film includes interviews with many of Shimoda's friends and contemporaries including\n \n Mako\n \n ,\n \n Nobu McCarthy\n \n , and Soon Teck Oh, along with clips from key roles in\n \n Auntie Mame\n \n ,\n \n\n Farewell to Manzanar\n \n\n , and\n \n\n Hito Hata\n \n\n among others. The film places his career in the larger context of Asian American actors who struggle to find meaningful parts and often are forced to play stereotypical roles to make ends meet.","rg_rgmediatype":["films"],"mediatype_label":"Films and Video","mediatype_icon":"fa-film","rg_interestlevel":["Grades 9-12","Adult"],"rg_genre":["Documentary"],"rg_theme":["Expression through art","Quest for discovery","Wisdom of experience"],"rg_availability":["Widely available"],"categories":[{"title":"Arts"}],"topics":[],"authors":[{"title":"Brian Niiya","json":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/api/3.0/authors/Brian%20Niiya/","html":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/authors/Brian%20Niiya/"}],"sources":[],"title":"Yuki Shimoda: Asian American Actor (film)","published_rg":true,"modified":"2025-06-09T14:43:02","databoxes":{"rgdatabox-Core":{"rgmediatype":["films"],"title":["Yuki Shimoda: Asian American Actor"],"creators":[],"interestlevel":["Grades 9-12","Adult"],"readinglevel":[],"guidedreadinglevel":[],"lexile":[],"theme":["Expression through art","Quest for discovery","Wisdom of experience"],"genre":["Documentary"],"pov":["Told largely through the perspective of friends and colleagues of Shimoda"],"relatedevents":[],"availability":["Widely available"],"freewebversion":["Yes"],"primarysecondary":[],"hasteachingaids":["No"],"warnings":[],"denshotopic":[],"geography":["Los Angeles","New York"],"chronology":["1940s to 1980s"],"facility":[]},"databox-Films":{"title":["Yuki Shimoda: Asian American Actor"],"date":["1985"],"genre":["Documentary"],"released":[],"director":["John Esaki"],"producer":["John Esaki","Amy E. Kato"],"writer":[],"screenplay":[],"story":[],"basedon":[],"narrator":[],"starring":["Harold Prince (interviewee)","Yuki Shimoda (interviewee)","Akemi Kikumura (interviewer)","Nobu McCarthy (interviewee)","Beulah Quo (interviewee)","Momo Yashima (interviewee)","Soon Teck Oh (interviewee)","Guy Lee (interviewee)","Kanji Nishjima (interviewee)","Tad Osaki (interviewee)","Yosh Matsuhara (interviewee)","Lucille Tokuno (interviewee)","Mako (interviewee)","Rick Edelstein (interviewee)","John Korty (interviewee)"],"music":["Dan Kuramoto"],"cinematography":["Takashi Fujii","Dale Iwamasa","John Esaki"],"editing":["John Esaki"],"studio":["Visual Communications, Asian American Studies Central, Inc."],"distributor":[],"runtime":["31 minutes"],"country":[],"language":[],"budget":[],"gross":[],"imdblink":[],"trailerlink":[]}},"rg_title":["Yuki Shimoda: Asian American Actor"],"rg_pov":["Told largely through the perspective of friends and colleagues of Shimoda"],"rg_freewebversion":["Yes"],"rg_geography":["Los Angeles","New York"],"rg_chronology":["1940s to 1980s"],"rg_hasteachingaids":["No"],"body":"
\n
\n

\n Title:Yuki Shimoda: Asian American Actor;\nDate:1985; \nGenre:Documentary;\nReleased:;\nDirector:John Esaki;\nProducer:John Esaki; Amy E. Kato;\nWriter:;\nScreenplay:;\nStory:;\nBasedOn:;\nNarrator:;\nStarring:Harold Prince (interviewee); Yuki Shimoda (interviewee); Akemi Kikumura (interviewer); Nobu McCarthy (interviewee); Beulah Quo (interviewee); Momo Yashima (interviewee); Soon Teck Oh (interviewee); Guy Lee (interviewee); Kanji Nishjima (interviewee); Tad Osaki (interviewee); Yosh Matsuhara (interviewee); Lucille Tokuno (interviewee); Mako (interviewee); Rick Edelstein (interviewee); John Korty (interviewee);\nMusic:Dan Kuramoto;\nCinematography:Takashi Fujii; Dale Iwamasa; John Esaki;\nEditing:John Esaki;\nStudio:Visual Communications, Asian American Studies Central, Inc.;\nDistributor:;\nRuntime:31 minutes;\nCountry:;\nLanguage:;\nBudget:;\nGross:;\nIMDBLink:;\nTrailerLink:;\n

\n
\n
\n \n
\n

\n RGMediaType:films;\nTitle:Yuki Shimoda: Asian American Actor;\nCreators:;\nInterestLevel:Grades 9-12; Adult;\nReadingLevel:;\nGuidedReadingLevel:;\nLexile:;\nTheme:Expression through art; Quest for discovery; Wisdom of experience;\nGenre:Documentary;\nPoV:Told largely through the perspective of friends and colleagues of Shimoda;\nRelatedEvents:;\nAvailability:Widely available;\nFreeWebVersion:Yes;\nPrimarySecondary:;\nHasTeachingAids:No;\nWarnings:;\nDenshoTopic:;\nGeography:Los Angeles; New York;\nChronology:1940s to 1980s;\nFacility:;\n

\n
\n
\n

\n Documentary film profiling pioneering Nisei actor\n \n Yuki Shimoda\n \n that takes us from his youth in Sacramento, wartime incarceration as a young man at\n \n Tule Lake\n \n , and the ups and downs of his acting career. The film includes interviews with many of Shimoda's friends and contemporaries including\n \n Mako\n \n ,\n \n Nobu McCarthy\n \n , and Soon Teck Oh, along with clips from key roles in\n \n Auntie Mame\n \n ,\n \n \n Farewell to Manzanar\n \n \n , and\n \n \n Hito Hata\n \n \n among others. The film places his career in the larger context of Asian American actors who struggle to find meaningful parts and often are forced to play stereotypical roles to make ends meet.\n

\n

\n The Asian American media arts organization\n \n Visual Communications\n \n (VC) began the film project just prior to Shimoda's death in May 1981. Initially headed by John Esaki and Akemi Kikumura, the film includes excerpts from an interview with a weakened Shimoda conducted by Kikumura and Nobu McCarthy. The film premiered at VC's 15th anniversary event on August 24, 1985, at the Japan America Theater in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo.\n

\n
\n \n Authored by\n \n Brian Niiya\n \n , Densho\n \n
\n
\n Niiya, Brian\n
\n

\n Might also like\n \n \n You Don't Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story\n \n \n (2009);\n \n \n To Be Takei\n \n \n (2014);\n \n \n Farewell to Manzanar\n \n \n (1976)\n

\n \n \n \n
\n"}