Masi Oka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Masi Oka
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Oka at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
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| Born | December 27, 1974 |
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| Education | Brown University (BS) | ||||
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| Years active | 1998–present | ||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 岡 政偉 | ||||
| Kana | おか まさより | ||||
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Masayori "Masi" Oka (岡 政偉, Oka Masayori, born December 27, 1974) is a Japanese actor, producer, and digital effects artist. He is well-known for his roles as Hiro Nakamura in the TV show Heroes and as Doctor Max Bergman in Hawaii Five-0. For his role in Heroes, he was even nominated for a special award called the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
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Early Life and Education
Masi Oka was born in Tokyo, Japan, on December 27, 1974. His parents separated when he was very young, and he was raised by his mother. When he was six years old, he and his mother moved from Japan to Los Angeles, California.
When Masi was eight, he appeared on a TV game show called Child's Play. A few years later, at age 12, he was featured on the cover of Time magazine for an article about talented Asian-American kids. He also showed his math skills by placing fourth in a California state MATHCOUNTS competition in 1988.
Masi Oka went to Brown University. He studied computer science and mathematics and also took classes in theater arts. He graduated in 1997.
After college, Masi got his first job at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). This is a famous company started by George Lucas that creates amazing visual effects for movies. Masi hoped to one day win an Oscar for his technical work. He even worked on the Star Wars prequel movies, helping to create their special effects.
Masi Oka's Career Journey
Becoming an Actor
Masi Oka started trying out for acting roles in 2000. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting while still working at ILM. He appeared in several smaller roles in movies and TV shows. Some of these included Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) and the TV comedy Scrubs, where he had a recurring role as Franklyn.
Starring in Heroes
In 2006, Masi Oka got a big role that made him famous. He was cast as Hiro Nakamura in the NBC TV series Heroes. His character, Hiro, could manipulate time and space. Masi even translated his own lines from English to Japanese for the show.
Heroes became a very popular show. Masi's performance as Hiro earned him nominations for major awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He was also named the "Coolest Geek" at the Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards in 2007. Even while acting, he continued to work part-time at ILM, creating special effects programs.
He also appeared in movies like Get Smart (2008), playing a character named Bruce.
Hawaii Five-0 and Other Projects
From 2010 to 2017, Masi Oka played the character of Dr. Max Bergman, a medical examiner, in the CBS show Hawaii Five-0. He was a main cast member for many seasons. His character was Japanese but adopted by Jewish parents.
In 2015, Masi Oka returned to his famous role as Hiro Nakamura for the miniseries Heroes Reborn.
Beyond acting, Masi Oka has also used his digital skills in video games. He started a video game development company called Mobius Digital. He was a producer for their well-known game, Outer Wilds. He also co-produced the 2017 movie Death Note.
Masi Oka's Personal Life
Masi Oka is very good at languages. He can speak Japanese, English, and Spanish. He even worked as a translator for the 1992 Summer Olympics.
When he was younger, he enjoyed playing chess. Like his character Hiro Nakamura, Masi also collects manga (Japanese comic books). He has a black belt in kendō, which is a Japanese martial art similar to fencing.
Images for kids
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Oka at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
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Oka in 2007
See also
In Spanish: Masi Oka para niños
