Sab Shimono facts for kids

Saburo Shimono, known to many as Sab Shimono, is an American actor with Japanese heritage. He was born on July 31, 1937. Sab began his acting journey on stage, performing in famous Broadway musicals like Mame and Pacific Overtures. He has also acted in many movies and TV shows, playing different kinds of characters. Some of his well-known roles are in films like Midway and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, and TV shows such as Jackie Chan Adventures and Samurai Jack.

Early Life and School

Sab Shimono was born and grew up in Sacramento, California. His parents, Edith Mary and Masauchi Shimono, owned a restaurant.

During World War II, a difficult time for many, Sab and his family were sent to special camps called internment camps. This happened because of a government order called Executive Order 9066. They lived at the Tule Lake War Relocation Center and the Granada War Relocation Center.

After the war, Sab went to Sacramento High School. Later, he studied at the University of California, Berkeley.

Acting Career

Sab Shimono has had a long and successful acting career. He has performed on Broadway and in many regional theaters. These include the American Conservatory Theater and Berkeley Repertory Theatre in San Francisco.

Stage Performances

In 1966, Sab played the role of Ito in the popular Broadway musical Mame. He also appeared in Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen (1970) and The Chickencoop Chinaman (1972). A big role for him was playing Manjiro in Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures in 1976. He even returned to play Lord Abe in a new version of Pacific Overtures in 2004. Sab was also nominated for an award for his acting in a play called The Wash. In 2010, he was in the first-ever performance of No-No Boy, a play based on a famous novel. He often works with theater groups like the East West Players and South Coast Repertory.

Film Roles

Sab has been in many movies. In the 1976 film Midway, he played Lt. Tomonaga. He was Saito in the 1986 comedy Gung Ho. In 1990, he appeared in Presumed Innocent as the coroner "Painless" Kumagai. Kids might remember him as Lord Norinaga in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993). He also played Dr. Tam in The Shadow (1994). Later, he was in Old Dogs (2009) with John Travolta and Robin Williams, playing a Japanese billionaire. Sab also lent his voice to the character Subotai in the 1982 movie Conan the Barbarian.

Television Appearances

On television, Sab Shimono has voiced many characters that kids might know. He was the voice of Uncle Chan, an antique-shop owner and Chi Wizard, in the cartoon series Jackie Chan Adventures. He also voiced the older version of the Emperor (Jack's father) in Samurai Jack. Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender will recognize his voice as Airbending Master Monk Gyatso and Master Yu. He also voiced characters like Mister Sparkle and Master Sushi Chef on The Simpsons. More recently, he was Mr. Murakami on the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Sab has also appeared in live-action TV shows like M*A*S*H and Two and a Half Men.

Theater Credits

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games