James Katsuyuki Taenaka (妙中克之 Taenaka Katsuyuki; born November 27, 1964), better known as Jimmy T, is an American film and television actor. He starred opposite the late Brandon Lee in Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) as well as David Carradine and Daryl Hannah in Kung Fu Killer (2008).
Jimmy T | |
---|---|
Born | James Katsuyuki Taenaka November 27, 1964 |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1987–Present |
Spouse | Lim Li Li (2005–Present) |
Awards | Asian Television Awards Nominated Best Actor in a Drama Performance 2002. |
Early life
editTaenaka was born in Fort Ord, California and raised in Monterey, California. His parents had immigrated from Osaka, Japan.[1] He attended Monterey High School in Monterey, California. Taenaka was a USA Junior National Judo Champion,[1] and represented California at USA Junior National Wrestling Championships.[1]
Career
editTaenaka appears on television and film both in Asia and the United States. In Singapore, he starred in the epic World War II television drama, A War Diary[1] about the Japanese occupation of Singapore, where he also received a nomination at the Asian Television Awards in 2002 for Best Drama Performance by an Actor.[2]
Personal life
editTaenaka is married to Lim Li Li.[3]
Filmography
editFilm
edit- Banting (2014)
- Filial Party (2014)
- Dead Mine (2012) HBO Asia
- Tiger Team: The Mountain of the 1000 Dragons (2010) Sony Pictures
- Ovunque Tu Sia (2008) RAI International
- Dance of the Dragon (2008)
- L'Empire du Tigre (2005) TF1
- The Second Singapore Short Story (2004)
- Tequila - the Movie (2002)
- Fatal Blade (2001)
- Looking Italian (1998)
- Psycho Sushi (1997)
- The Low Life (1995)
- The Shadow (1994) Universal Pictures
- American Yakuza (1993)
- Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) Warner Brothers
Television
edit- Glória (2021 TV series) Netflix Original Series
- Grisse (2018) HBO Asia Series
- Halfworlds (2017) HBO Asia Season 2 (Guest Star)
- Silo (2017) meWATCH Originals Series
- BRA (2017) MediaCorp TV Series
- The Pupil (2010) MediaCorp TV Series
- Kung Fu Killer (2008) TV Mini-Series RHI Entertainment
- Calefare (2008) MediaCorp TV Series (Guest Star)
- En Bloc (TV series) (2008) MediaCorp TV Series
- First Mums (2005) MediaCorp TV Series
- Shooting Stars (2005) MediaCorp TV Series
- The Second Singapore Short Story (2004) MediaCorp TV Series
- Daddy's Girls (2004) MediaCorp TV Episode
- Machine (2004) MediaCorp TV Movie
- Like My Own (2004) MediaCorp TV Series
- Singapore Shakes (2004) TV Movie
- Rouge (2004) MTV Asia - TV Episode
- Amnesia (2003) MediaCorp TV Movie
- One Peep Too Many (2002) TV Movie
- A War Diary (2001) MediaCorp TV Series
- Making Love (2000) MediaCorp TV Series
- Martial Law (1999) TV Episode CBS
- Brooklyn South (1998) TV Episode CBS
- JAG (1997) TV Episode CBS
- Cop Files (1993) TV Episode Fox TV
Hosting
edit- Get Drunk In China (2007) Channel News Asia TV Series
References
edit- ^ a b c d "MH Interview: Jimmy Taenaka". MensHealth. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ Ito, Robert (February 8, 2007). "The Maggie Q story: Gone to Asia with an eye toward Hollywood". New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
- ^ "Real Love Lasts: Jimmy Taenaka & Lim Li Li". www.blissfulbrides.sg. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
External links
edit- Jimmy T's official blog
- Jimmy Taenaka on Instagram
- Jimmy T at IMDb
- Jimmy Taenaka on Twitter
- Jimmy Taenaka on Twitch