Thank you so much for joining us today. Congratulations on the shows immense success. I am sure that season two will
take it to a new level. We've heard that even the actors weren't sure if their character would survive the first season or
not. How did the role of Ando evolve from the pilot to the finale.
Yah. You know at the beginning of the show there were still things that were being figured out. That is the excitement of
the show. No one is really indispensable. Anyone can be interchanged and new characters can be introduced at anytime.
Which can be exciting but at the same time terrifying also. I am thankful things worked out though and I think that Ando
really went through a lot of character growth in season 1. Moving way from this reluctant character to a true believer and
becoming one of the leaders of the mission in his own sense and in the end try to defeat Sylar, even though he didn't have
his own powers.
When you first got to see Tim Sales's (Isaac's) drawing of Ando laying dead... Were you worried that this might be 'the end'
for your role on Heroes?
You know I didn't know what to make of it, yes, yes it was a little bit scary. Some of the writers did give me words of
encouragement not to worry too much. I just tried to have faith, this show is like a roller coaster ride man, you just have to
jump on and have faith in the show.
Now that Hiro is in feudal Japan...what is Ando doing? I find it hard to believe he is sitting back in his cubicle at Yamagato.
How is Ando is going to cope with his life after a road trip like that? Are we going to have to wait for Hiro to return until we
see Ando again?
Obviously it would be very difficult for Ando to go back to his job after what he did in season 1 with all that Ando did with
Hiro. A lot of things are under wraps right now and not a lot that we can really reveal. But at the end of the season 1 we
saw Ando and Hiro be separated into different places and different time lines. So hopefully they will reunite in season 2.
When Volume 2 'Generations' starts back up it will actually be four months since the events of season 1. Most of the
characters have gone through some significant changes in that time. One interesting thing about 'Generations' is that
viewers, even if they missed season 1, let's say those people were SCUBA diving for a year and missed out on the show.
Will be able to jump right into the show and not feel as though they are lost.
We have heard that this season may also have more than one volume too, is that correct?
Season 2 there may two to three volumes. Meaning volume 2 may end mid season and then start back up with Volume 3. It
is going to be like picking up a comic book from one of your old shelves and it will be sort of it's own adventure, ever new
chapter.
Ando's rescue from Sylar was one of the outstanding highlights of the entire season finale. Along with Ando saving Hiro at
Linderman's gallery and my favorite was that moment, when Ando did that small fist pump, when Hiro saved DL and the
woman from the exploding car early on. Do you have a 'favorite moment' from your work on the show?
All of the Las Vegas stuff at the roulette and poker table, stopping time. One of my favorite scenes was when we are in the
alley and we see the goons and the High roller come up to Ando and Hiro, the they guy just goes up to Hiro and knocks him
out with a punch. You cannot help but just laugh at that scene. It is a great gag. I also like episode 15 when Ando met Hope
and they kind of swapped roles for Hiro and Ando for a little bit. It made Ando realize that you don't have to have power to
be a hero and that heroes don't run away. It was just great writing. I enjoyed how that whole episode was treated.
I know you have a background in improv. How much of that is involved during the show?
First of all it is of upmost importance that we honor the script. Every single word is written for a reason and the writing is
so crucial and important to the show so we honor that. However there is a lot in between the lines that we provide and that
is our job as actors and also easy for you to like as a character. It is funny because people ask if we have table reads
before shooting. We never have table reads, we don't have that kind of time, the show moves so fast, we are filming
constantly and at so many different locations. So if we do get to rehears it is when we are on set and we are working on
camera blocking. So we may get 1 or two times to go over lines before we start shooting. 99.9% of the things you saw
Ando or Hiro do was kind of spur of the moment kind of thing.
How much of your personality is in Ando?
As the season progressed I was able to bring more aspects out of myself. Because at the beginning of the season my
character was a recurring guest role and I didn't know the full arc yet. I don't think the producers and the writers could
have predicted what happened to our storyline. Originally the character of Hiro was added as an after thought, he wasn't
actually a main component of the show. Then obviously Ando was to create a dynamic partnership. As the season
progressed and people started paying attention. The writers started adding more layers and because of that the character
of Ando really transformed from a sidekick. We have been called a lot of different things, like the new Martin and Lewis,
Abbot and Costello and even R2-D2 and C-3PO and our relationship has organically grown. I look at is as Hiro is the Luke
Skywalker, he is burdened with the mission and the sword and has the relationship with his father where I feel that Ando
has become the Han Solo of the pair. He is the happy go lucky adventurous one always looking for the next journey and the
next mission.
Han always got the girl too.
(Laughter) Yah exactly! Which is the fun part you know.
Speaking of girls...All of the female fans at the OWI site really think you are quite 'the fashion plate' when you're off
work...Can you give them a little insight about your unique wardrobe look?
I am very outgoing and I like to have fun. In season 1 Ando and Hiro were dressed as characters from a different country.
There was something foreign about our clothes. If you remember I wore a lot of 'Members Only' jackets. Which I thought
was a funny little thing they added to the wardrobe. I think I had 5 different colors of jackets. You can't even buy those
anywhere. I was like the lone member of the Members Only club. Though in public when I am out and about I like to be
comfortable. I am t-shirt and jeans guy. There are other times you like to dress up though. Usually my hair is a lot different
from the show. I think for the show I am in a place where Ando has a lot more liberty in the wardrobe and look.
So Ando has discovered American stores now with his 4 months?
Exactly, exactly. Ando is a character that is really a fan of the western culture, there is a reason he is into blondes and
likes the American woman. When he came over with Hiro there was a part of Ando that felt wondrous, awed and
fascinated with everything that was going on. He was the one after all who wanted to stay in the casino and have fun.
Do any of your Korean friends and family tease you for playing the role of a Japanese character on TV?
No. They actually don't. The funny part is, my Dad used to be an electrical engineer in Japan before we moved to New York.
So it's really interesting 30 some years later here I am playing a character from Japan. It has really come full circle for me.
It is really interesting. My father used to be pretty fluent in the (Japanese) language. He used to bring back items from
Japan and pictures and we talked about it when were young. Japan has really always been a part of my life. I was able to
go there this past May for a movie called Shutter and living there and breathing there taking in the culture and observing
people and listening to the language day and night really opened my eyes. It was really such an experience for me. I really
felt that I could be myself.
I know you have been asked to death about your Japanese on the show...
That had actually been one of the best parts of last season was learning the language. It is a long process, you really have
to start from scratch and work your way up because it is a language that I personally want to be emotionally connected to.
I didn't want to do the scenes phonetically. I wanted to learn the basics and know where the words were coming from. On
top of all of that Ando is from Tokyo and how they speak in Tokyo is different from how they speak in other cities. Also how
I would speak to Hiro is much different from how I would speak to his father Mr. Nakamura and his sister. These are all
cultural aspects that you have to work into character. It just adds that many layers and dynamics to the character.
Fans of the show may not even go that deep, we as Americans may not even think about the characters the way that the
actors do because we are unaware of that cultural aspect.
Right, right. Being in Japan I was able to appreciate some of the little things that were put into the script, for example in the
pilot, when Hiro says 'yes I can stop time, because the train was late' and Ando replied that it was only 3 minutes and it is
no big deal. But when you go to Tokyo they have these little digital time tables for the train and they literally come on the
dot, so when the train is 3 minutes late it is a huge deal. I have really appreciated those little things that the writers like to
put in there.
There is so much depth to the show like that. The casual viewer can watch and have fun, whereas the other fans who can
analyze and read into the deeper layers of mythology and philosophy of meaning into the show. That goes to show how
much research the writers put into the characters and the plot lines.
I think that is the genius of the show, you can go as deep as you want it to go. You can definitely enjoy it on the surface
value and have a great time and then other people have theories and research. There are moments on the show that you
could only catch it if you slow mowed it or freeze framed it. I just found out last week about the scene in the Bennet house
after Sylar had attacked Mrs. Bennet, that the production staff actually put the helix symbol on the floor made out of
broken glass. No one can see that in regular time. The little stuff they put in like that is awesome to me. Just like Sylar with
the cockroach in the season finale seemed to mimic the cockroach in his cell after HRG caught him.
Just how hard was it keeping a straight face while working? It seems you and Masi had to do a lot of crazy stuff on the
show.
Sometimes we get what we want and then if there is time we throw some stuff out there. We know that most of the time it
is done for fun. I remember when we were filming the Vegas stuff after a few takes we just started yelling random lines.
Yelling 'big money, big money' and out of no where Masi starts yelling 'go go gadget!' just off the wall stuff. I remember
when Ando met Hope, she was wearing this pink Las Vegas outfit and I said, "Hope it is nice to meet you, you look like a
Barbie dipped in pink caramel". It is just a fun atmosphere when we film our stuff. We are one of the rare parts of the
show that incorporates the comedic element. It creates a wonderful balance for me as an actor and for the show.
Among fellow cast members, who is the biggest practical joker?
Greg Grunberg of course. We have had very few scenes together. Everyone on the set has a lot of fun and has a good
sense of humor and I think that is important. You have to have fun at work.
Do you hang out with any of the other cast members outside of work?
I have become good friend with Mark Stewart who played the high roller on a couple of episodes. We talk to each other
and hang out pretty regularly. The cast definitely, it is good to spend time with them outside of the show when we have
awards or the PR events. That is where we all really get to catch up. Especially for me because so much of my time is
spent filming with Masi that I may go days and weeks without seeing any of the other cast. For example I didn't meet
Christine Rose, who plays Angela Petrelli, until the wrap party. Obviously we all have our personal lives which has all
become much busier since the show began. That is the great thing about Comic Con is that we have a panel and I will get
to see everyone.
You are currently driving to San Diego so you are obviously going to be at Comic Con this year. What is the convention
experience like? Has it changed over the course of a year?
I was at the Wizard convention in LA and did one in Orlando and they were a lot of fun. Recently I went to an Anime expo at
the Long Beach Convention Center. That is a whole other sub genre is this field. This whole category/ genre has become
so big and has become integrated not just in comic and graphic novels, but now TV shows, movies, toys, video games.
It is all of the people who are our age who have grown up and want to see their childhood stories on screen.
Yes. I think it is great too. How great is it to go to all of these conventions and see people of all ages, from kids to adults,
women men and people from everywhere. The Anime expo was like Halloween in the Summer. Everyone was dressed up
in outfits they had worked on themselves.
I just wonder how many Ando and Hiro fans will be dressed up at the convention this year.
(Laughter) I don't know. That is great. There will be some Members Only jackets walking around.
Members Only may be making a comeback.
(Laughter) That would be hilarious. Thankfully you can expect a different look for Ando this year.
Back in March you were at WW LA, along with Zach Quinto were helping promote the Give a Life Foundation...is that an
important role to play as an actor, to help spread the word about these great causes.
That is probably the most rewarding part of being on the show is getting the opportunity to do some charity work. There
are so many great causes out there that we can give a voice to. I was recently at an event and I love when charities can
come up with creative ways to raise money. There was a celebrity Ping Pong tournament for a hospital. Myself and Jimmy
Jean Louis, who plays the Haitian, were a team. We knocked out the guys from Desperate Housewives in the first round.
We made it all the way to the semi-finals actually.
Well you did have the Haitian with you so he was probably just blocking the ping pong abilities of the other participants.
Everyone was calling us the Asian-Haitian Sensation (laughter).
Have you been receiving more offers since starting work on Heroes?
I had this great opportunity to do this movie called Shutter a 20th Century Fox movie. The best part was being able to shot
in Japan and we also got a week of travel to experience the country after we finished filming. It is an American studio
movie collaborating with a Japanese creative team. They are the same ones that created the Ring and the Grudge. They
also picked a Japanese director which is a really bold move for an American studio. In fact 80% of the crew was Japanese
which is wonderful. I was one of the few American actors in it along with Joshua Jackson and Rachel Taylor, David
Denman and John Hensley. It had a great script and I am looking forward to it being released out March. I am hoping they
have a Tokyo premiere as well so I can go back.
Do you like TV or film better?
It is a very different experience. TV moves at such a faster pace, especially with HEROES it is a constant go go go, which
prefer that kind of pace. I like film thought because it is like living life off of one journey. When that is over then you move
on to a different time. There is something very creatively satisfying about that. Especially independent movies were the
characters are very much on the edge and that you can take chances with. After Shutter I went to Utah to do a romantic
comedy and I am playing a musician. Now I am not a musician per say, I have done a little bit of music when I was younger.
But the first thing after I got to Salt Lake City I bought a guitar and got some lessons from vocal musicians and two days
later I was on stage with a band. I enjoy taking on the life of someone else. That is the fun part of acting is when you get to
try something new. I do think movies are great and I am glad I got to do two during my hiatus from HEROES.
Shalim Ortiz who you are co-starring in The ROEL to be filmed next year has joined the HEROES cast correct?
Yes that is a film that I am attached to that is filming sometime next year. It is a sci-fi adventure. I am also attached to
another one currently called If I Only Knew. Myself, Maria Menuedo, Kuno Becker and Al Santos. It is a high school reunion
movie kind of like Old School meets Back to the Future. It is going to be a lot of fun.
Have you had a chance to work with Shalim on the HEROES yet.
We have met and he is a very nice guy but we haven't actually worked together yet. I think he and Dania (Ramirez) will be
an exciting addition to the show.
Tell us one thing about yourself that no one knows.
I have two tattoos. One is a tiger and the other is some Chinese Kanji. They say 'Live justly and Love fearlessly'.
I couldn't think of better words to end this interview. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with you it has been a
pleasure.
You are welcome, I am happy to do it. Thank you for all your hard work and support of the show.
I want to again thank James for being so giving of his time. A special thank you goes to Tess Finkle for coordinating the
interview. I thank you both so very much.
take it to a new level. We've heard that even the actors weren't sure if their character would survive the first season or
not. How did the role of Ando evolve from the pilot to the finale.
Yah. You know at the beginning of the show there were still things that were being figured out. That is the excitement of
the show. No one is really indispensable. Anyone can be interchanged and new characters can be introduced at anytime.
Which can be exciting but at the same time terrifying also. I am thankful things worked out though and I think that Ando
really went through a lot of character growth in season 1. Moving way from this reluctant character to a true believer and
becoming one of the leaders of the mission in his own sense and in the end try to defeat Sylar, even though he didn't have
his own powers.
When you first got to see Tim Sales's (Isaac's) drawing of Ando laying dead... Were you worried that this might be 'the end'
for your role on Heroes?
You know I didn't know what to make of it, yes, yes it was a little bit scary. Some of the writers did give me words of
encouragement not to worry too much. I just tried to have faith, this show is like a roller coaster ride man, you just have to
jump on and have faith in the show.
Now that Hiro is in feudal Japan...what is Ando doing? I find it hard to believe he is sitting back in his cubicle at Yamagato.
How is Ando is going to cope with his life after a road trip like that? Are we going to have to wait for Hiro to return until we
see Ando again?
Obviously it would be very difficult for Ando to go back to his job after what he did in season 1 with all that Ando did with
Hiro. A lot of things are under wraps right now and not a lot that we can really reveal. But at the end of the season 1 we
saw Ando and Hiro be separated into different places and different time lines. So hopefully they will reunite in season 2.
When Volume 2 'Generations' starts back up it will actually be four months since the events of season 1. Most of the
characters have gone through some significant changes in that time. One interesting thing about 'Generations' is that
viewers, even if they missed season 1, let's say those people were SCUBA diving for a year and missed out on the show.
Will be able to jump right into the show and not feel as though they are lost.
We have heard that this season may also have more than one volume too, is that correct?
Season 2 there may two to three volumes. Meaning volume 2 may end mid season and then start back up with Volume 3. It
is going to be like picking up a comic book from one of your old shelves and it will be sort of it's own adventure, ever new
chapter.
Ando's rescue from Sylar was one of the outstanding highlights of the entire season finale. Along with Ando saving Hiro at
Linderman's gallery and my favorite was that moment, when Ando did that small fist pump, when Hiro saved DL and the
woman from the exploding car early on. Do you have a 'favorite moment' from your work on the show?
All of the Las Vegas stuff at the roulette and poker table, stopping time. One of my favorite scenes was when we are in the
alley and we see the goons and the High roller come up to Ando and Hiro, the they guy just goes up to Hiro and knocks him
out with a punch. You cannot help but just laugh at that scene. It is a great gag. I also like episode 15 when Ando met Hope
and they kind of swapped roles for Hiro and Ando for a little bit. It made Ando realize that you don't have to have power to
be a hero and that heroes don't run away. It was just great writing. I enjoyed how that whole episode was treated.
I know you have a background in improv. How much of that is involved during the show?
First of all it is of upmost importance that we honor the script. Every single word is written for a reason and the writing is
so crucial and important to the show so we honor that. However there is a lot in between the lines that we provide and that
is our job as actors and also easy for you to like as a character. It is funny because people ask if we have table reads
before shooting. We never have table reads, we don't have that kind of time, the show moves so fast, we are filming
constantly and at so many different locations. So if we do get to rehears it is when we are on set and we are working on
camera blocking. So we may get 1 or two times to go over lines before we start shooting. 99.9% of the things you saw
Ando or Hiro do was kind of spur of the moment kind of thing.
How much of your personality is in Ando?
As the season progressed I was able to bring more aspects out of myself. Because at the beginning of the season my
character was a recurring guest role and I didn't know the full arc yet. I don't think the producers and the writers could
have predicted what happened to our storyline. Originally the character of Hiro was added as an after thought, he wasn't
actually a main component of the show. Then obviously Ando was to create a dynamic partnership. As the season
progressed and people started paying attention. The writers started adding more layers and because of that the character
of Ando really transformed from a sidekick. We have been called a lot of different things, like the new Martin and Lewis,
Abbot and Costello and even R2-D2 and C-3PO and our relationship has organically grown. I look at is as Hiro is the Luke
Skywalker, he is burdened with the mission and the sword and has the relationship with his father where I feel that Ando
has become the Han Solo of the pair. He is the happy go lucky adventurous one always looking for the next journey and the
next mission.
Han always got the girl too.
(Laughter) Yah exactly! Which is the fun part you know.
Speaking of girls...All of the female fans at the OWI site really think you are quite 'the fashion plate' when you're off
work...Can you give them a little insight about your unique wardrobe look?
I am very outgoing and I like to have fun. In season 1 Ando and Hiro were dressed as characters from a different country.
There was something foreign about our clothes. If you remember I wore a lot of 'Members Only' jackets. Which I thought
was a funny little thing they added to the wardrobe. I think I had 5 different colors of jackets. You can't even buy those
anywhere. I was like the lone member of the Members Only club. Though in public when I am out and about I like to be
comfortable. I am t-shirt and jeans guy. There are other times you like to dress up though. Usually my hair is a lot different
from the show. I think for the show I am in a place where Ando has a lot more liberty in the wardrobe and look.
So Ando has discovered American stores now with his 4 months?
Exactly, exactly. Ando is a character that is really a fan of the western culture, there is a reason he is into blondes and
likes the American woman. When he came over with Hiro there was a part of Ando that felt wondrous, awed and
fascinated with everything that was going on. He was the one after all who wanted to stay in the casino and have fun.
Do any of your Korean friends and family tease you for playing the role of a Japanese character on TV?
No. They actually don't. The funny part is, my Dad used to be an electrical engineer in Japan before we moved to New York.
So it's really interesting 30 some years later here I am playing a character from Japan. It has really come full circle for me.
It is really interesting. My father used to be pretty fluent in the (Japanese) language. He used to bring back items from
Japan and pictures and we talked about it when were young. Japan has really always been a part of my life. I was able to
go there this past May for a movie called Shutter and living there and breathing there taking in the culture and observing
people and listening to the language day and night really opened my eyes. It was really such an experience for me. I really
felt that I could be myself.
I know you have been asked to death about your Japanese on the show...
That had actually been one of the best parts of last season was learning the language. It is a long process, you really have
to start from scratch and work your way up because it is a language that I personally want to be emotionally connected to.
I didn't want to do the scenes phonetically. I wanted to learn the basics and know where the words were coming from. On
top of all of that Ando is from Tokyo and how they speak in Tokyo is different from how they speak in other cities. Also how
I would speak to Hiro is much different from how I would speak to his father Mr. Nakamura and his sister. These are all
cultural aspects that you have to work into character. It just adds that many layers and dynamics to the character.
Fans of the show may not even go that deep, we as Americans may not even think about the characters the way that the
actors do because we are unaware of that cultural aspect.
Right, right. Being in Japan I was able to appreciate some of the little things that were put into the script, for example in the
pilot, when Hiro says 'yes I can stop time, because the train was late' and Ando replied that it was only 3 minutes and it is
no big deal. But when you go to Tokyo they have these little digital time tables for the train and they literally come on the
dot, so when the train is 3 minutes late it is a huge deal. I have really appreciated those little things that the writers like to
put in there.
There is so much depth to the show like that. The casual viewer can watch and have fun, whereas the other fans who can
analyze and read into the deeper layers of mythology and philosophy of meaning into the show. That goes to show how
much research the writers put into the characters and the plot lines.
I think that is the genius of the show, you can go as deep as you want it to go. You can definitely enjoy it on the surface
value and have a great time and then other people have theories and research. There are moments on the show that you
could only catch it if you slow mowed it or freeze framed it. I just found out last week about the scene in the Bennet house
after Sylar had attacked Mrs. Bennet, that the production staff actually put the helix symbol on the floor made out of
broken glass. No one can see that in regular time. The little stuff they put in like that is awesome to me. Just like Sylar with
the cockroach in the season finale seemed to mimic the cockroach in his cell after HRG caught him.
Just how hard was it keeping a straight face while working? It seems you and Masi had to do a lot of crazy stuff on the
show.
Sometimes we get what we want and then if there is time we throw some stuff out there. We know that most of the time it
is done for fun. I remember when we were filming the Vegas stuff after a few takes we just started yelling random lines.
Yelling 'big money, big money' and out of no where Masi starts yelling 'go go gadget!' just off the wall stuff. I remember
when Ando met Hope, she was wearing this pink Las Vegas outfit and I said, "Hope it is nice to meet you, you look like a
Barbie dipped in pink caramel". It is just a fun atmosphere when we film our stuff. We are one of the rare parts of the
show that incorporates the comedic element. It creates a wonderful balance for me as an actor and for the show.
Among fellow cast members, who is the biggest practical joker?
Greg Grunberg of course. We have had very few scenes together. Everyone on the set has a lot of fun and has a good
sense of humor and I think that is important. You have to have fun at work.
Do you hang out with any of the other cast members outside of work?
I have become good friend with Mark Stewart who played the high roller on a couple of episodes. We talk to each other
and hang out pretty regularly. The cast definitely, it is good to spend time with them outside of the show when we have
awards or the PR events. That is where we all really get to catch up. Especially for me because so much of my time is
spent filming with Masi that I may go days and weeks without seeing any of the other cast. For example I didn't meet
Christine Rose, who plays Angela Petrelli, until the wrap party. Obviously we all have our personal lives which has all
become much busier since the show began. That is the great thing about Comic Con is that we have a panel and I will get
to see everyone.
You are currently driving to San Diego so you are obviously going to be at Comic Con this year. What is the convention
experience like? Has it changed over the course of a year?
I was at the Wizard convention in LA and did one in Orlando and they were a lot of fun. Recently I went to an Anime expo at
the Long Beach Convention Center. That is a whole other sub genre is this field. This whole category/ genre has become
so big and has become integrated not just in comic and graphic novels, but now TV shows, movies, toys, video games.
It is all of the people who are our age who have grown up and want to see their childhood stories on screen.
Yes. I think it is great too. How great is it to go to all of these conventions and see people of all ages, from kids to adults,
women men and people from everywhere. The Anime expo was like Halloween in the Summer. Everyone was dressed up
in outfits they had worked on themselves.
I just wonder how many Ando and Hiro fans will be dressed up at the convention this year.
(Laughter) I don't know. That is great. There will be some Members Only jackets walking around.
Members Only may be making a comeback.
(Laughter) That would be hilarious. Thankfully you can expect a different look for Ando this year.
Back in March you were at WW LA, along with Zach Quinto were helping promote the Give a Life Foundation...is that an
important role to play as an actor, to help spread the word about these great causes.
That is probably the most rewarding part of being on the show is getting the opportunity to do some charity work. There
are so many great causes out there that we can give a voice to. I was recently at an event and I love when charities can
come up with creative ways to raise money. There was a celebrity Ping Pong tournament for a hospital. Myself and Jimmy
Jean Louis, who plays the Haitian, were a team. We knocked out the guys from Desperate Housewives in the first round.
We made it all the way to the semi-finals actually.
Well you did have the Haitian with you so he was probably just blocking the ping pong abilities of the other participants.
Everyone was calling us the Asian-Haitian Sensation (laughter).
Have you been receiving more offers since starting work on Heroes?
I had this great opportunity to do this movie called Shutter a 20th Century Fox movie. The best part was being able to shot
in Japan and we also got a week of travel to experience the country after we finished filming. It is an American studio
movie collaborating with a Japanese creative team. They are the same ones that created the Ring and the Grudge. They
also picked a Japanese director which is a really bold move for an American studio. In fact 80% of the crew was Japanese
which is wonderful. I was one of the few American actors in it along with Joshua Jackson and Rachel Taylor, David
Denman and John Hensley. It had a great script and I am looking forward to it being released out March. I am hoping they
have a Tokyo premiere as well so I can go back.
Do you like TV or film better?
It is a very different experience. TV moves at such a faster pace, especially with HEROES it is a constant go go go, which
prefer that kind of pace. I like film thought because it is like living life off of one journey. When that is over then you move
on to a different time. There is something very creatively satisfying about that. Especially independent movies were the
characters are very much on the edge and that you can take chances with. After Shutter I went to Utah to do a romantic
comedy and I am playing a musician. Now I am not a musician per say, I have done a little bit of music when I was younger.
But the first thing after I got to Salt Lake City I bought a guitar and got some lessons from vocal musicians and two days
later I was on stage with a band. I enjoy taking on the life of someone else. That is the fun part of acting is when you get to
try something new. I do think movies are great and I am glad I got to do two during my hiatus from HEROES.
Shalim Ortiz who you are co-starring in The ROEL to be filmed next year has joined the HEROES cast correct?
Yes that is a film that I am attached to that is filming sometime next year. It is a sci-fi adventure. I am also attached to
another one currently called If I Only Knew. Myself, Maria Menuedo, Kuno Becker and Al Santos. It is a high school reunion
movie kind of like Old School meets Back to the Future. It is going to be a lot of fun.
Have you had a chance to work with Shalim on the HEROES yet.
We have met and he is a very nice guy but we haven't actually worked together yet. I think he and Dania (Ramirez) will be
an exciting addition to the show.
Tell us one thing about yourself that no one knows.
I have two tattoos. One is a tiger and the other is some Chinese Kanji. They say 'Live justly and Love fearlessly'.
I couldn't think of better words to end this interview. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with you it has been a
pleasure.
You are welcome, I am happy to do it. Thank you for all your hard work and support of the show.
I want to again thank James for being so giving of his time. A special thank you goes to Tess Finkle for coordinating the
interview. I thank you both so very much.
Live Justly and Love Fearlessly
An exclusive interview with James Kyson Lee 7/26/07
© By: David Deas www.the-owi.com
While driving to Comic Con 2007 in San Diego, James Kyson Lee
took some time to speak with the OWI.
An exclusive interview with James Kyson Lee 7/26/07
© By: David Deas www.the-owi.com
While driving to Comic Con 2007 in San Diego, James Kyson Lee
took some time to speak with the OWI.
THE OWI EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JAMES KYSON LEE
