Chris Tashima
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."
Known For
Credits
- 2023 · Kodama as Hiro
- 2022 · No No Girl as Uncle Bob
- 2018 · Surviving Theater 9 as Professor Cambro
- 2017 · Go for Broke as Shigeo Yoshida
- 2014 · Under the Blood-Red Sun as Papa Nakaji
- 2013 · Real Playing Game as Mr. Chan
- 2012 · Lil Tokyo Reporter as Sei Fujii
- 2012 · Model Minority as Ken Tanaka
- 2009 · Half Kenneth as Masamichi
- 2006 · Americanese as Raymond Ding
- 2003 · Day of Independence as The Umpire
- 2002 · Barrier Device as Actor in Diamond Jeweler Commercial (uncredited)
- 2002 · The Shield as Chris Yamamoto (scenes deleted)
- 1998 · Lani Loa: The Passage as Bong
- 1997 · Visas and Virtue as Chiune 'Sempo' Sugihara
- 1997 · Strawberry Fields as Mark
- 1997 · Vital Signs as Surgeon
- 1995 · Requiem as Philip
- 1991 · The Perfect Weapon as Bag Man
- 1988 · Unsolved Mysteries as Stunt Coordinator (segment "Brandon Lee")
- 1987 · Overkill as Nagumo Jr.
- 1987 · Lethal Weapon as Fire Rescue Attendant (uncredited)
- 1986 · Night of the Creeps as Extra (uncredited)
- 1986 · The Karate Kid Part II as The Rockabilly Club Dancer (uncredited)
- 1986 · Savage Dawn as Extra (uncredited)
- 1985 · Once Bitten as Dream Sequence Extra (uncredited)
- 1985 · Generation as Gang Extra (uncredited)
- 1985 · Killzone as Crawford's Men
- 1985 · Moving Violations as Parade Extra (uncredited)
- 1985 · The Sure Thing as Frat Guy at Punch Bowl (uncredited)
- 1985 · Sara as Concert Goer (uncredited)
- 1985 · Scandal Sheet as (uncredited)
- 1985 · Not My Kid as Student (uncredited)
- 1985 · The Mechanical Universe as Freefall Rider (segment "Magic Mountain")
- 1985 · The Hour of the Ox as James
- 1984 · Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo as Club Patron (uncredited)
- 1984 · 1st & Ten as Reporter (uncredited)
- 1984 · A Nightmare on Elm Street as Boy in Nancy's English Class (uncredited)
- 1984 · Highway to Heaven as Camper's Dad (uncredited)
- 1982 · St. Elsewhere as Technician (uncredited)
- 1981 · The Fall Guy as Bar Patron (uncredited)