Early life
McCombs was born in Geneva, Ohio, and moved to Cleveland with his mother, teacher Karen Callahan, at a young age. From childhood, he began performing in local church shows and plays. In middle school, he was encouraged to join a high school production of a musical by a director he had worked with as a child. He began acting and modeling professionally at the age of fifteen while still in high school, after his gifted education teacher urged him to audition. [5] He started touring with a theater troupe at the same age and described this time as "probably the most informative experience of my young life." [6]
He credits his father, David McCombs, for his interest in the Japanese language. When he was a child, his father bought him and his brother a Super Famicom and he began playing video games in Japanese. This led to his interest in formally studying the language as an adult. [7]
Career
McCombs relocated to Tokyo in 2010 [8] after studying Japanese at the College of Southern Nevada and the University of Las Vegas. [9] Initially drawn by modeling opportunities, he soon transitioned to television, securing a regular role on MX Television's Go Ji Ni Muchu in 2012–2013. [10] [11] He became a familiar face on NHK Educational programs, appearing on EiEiGo!, Shigoto no Kiso Eigo, and Omotenashi no Kiso Eigo. [12] [13]
In 2016, McCombs appeared in both Chinese and Japanese stage productions of Fairy Tail , playing Hoteye. [14] He also maintained a successful modeling career in Japan, featuring in magazines like Rolling Stone Japan, GQ Japan, and ELLE , and working for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Houston. [10]
From 2015 onward, he expanded his presence in entertainment, appearing in stage musicals, drama CDs, and voice work in commercials, even charting on Billboard Japan as a voice actor. [10]
From 2017, McCombs hosted Television Asahi’s Kodawari Navi weekly [15] and frequently appeared on NHK1’s Bento Expo. [16] He also reported for NHK World’s JTrip Japan. [9]
In 2020, he joined Nippon TV’s morning show ZIP! and continued appearances on NHK Educational programs including Onishi Hiroto’s Basic English Recipes and English Conversation Feelinglish!. [10]
In the streaming space, McCombs played Michael in Netflix’s original series Followers (2020). [17] He also created and stars in the Amazon Prime Video series The Benza (2019) and its spin-off Benza English (2020), both of which he co-writes and produces. [9] In 2021, he expanded into gaming with the release of The Benza RPG , for which he wrote the story and dialogue. [18]
In 2023, McCombs executive produced and appeared in the Amazon Prime Video travel series Getting Dirty in Japan , which explores outdoor adventure and local culture in Japan. [19]
In 2024, he co-wrote, produced, and starred in his feature film debut, the gay romance drama Aichaku . [20]
McCombs is currently represented in Japan by Free Wave Co., Ltd.
Tokyo Cowboys
In 2015, McCombs founded the Tokyo-based independent production company Tokyo Cowboys with the aim of creating more inclusive and representative roles for both foreign and Japanese performers in Japanese entertainment, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. McCombs serves as both producer and head scriptwriter for the company. [21] [22]
Initially focused on short films—such as the award-winning LGBT short The Actor and the Model— [23] [24] Tokyo Cowboys expanded into serialized content in 2019 with the launch of The Benza on Amazon Prime Video, followed by its spin-off series Benza English. In 2023, McCombs executive produced and appeared in the company’s first non-narrative streaming series, Getting Dirty in Japan, also released via Amazon Prime Video Japan. Tokyo Cowboys’ first feature film, Aichaku, was released in 2025. [25]
In a 2025 interview, McCombs described the production team as “a network of entertainers from all over the world based out of Tokyo.” He explained that Tokyo Cowboys aims to create entertainment that reflects the diversity within Japan while also honoring its culture and traditions. “Tokyo Cowboys is an idea,” he said. “It is a suggestion of how Japanese and foreign entertainers can work together to create something distinct.” He emphasized the company’s desire to make viewers feel welcome, regardless of where they’re watching from. [6]
Reception
McCombs’s work as an actor, writer, and producer has attracted attention in both Japanese and international media. Writing about The Benza , The Japan Times praised the series for drawing humor from McCombs’s real-life experiences as a foreigner in Tokyo, noting that it was inspired by everyday encounters such as “navigating Shinjuku Station and communication mix-ups at cafés” [38] . Model Bible highlighted that, beyond comedy, McCombs produced the series to challenge stereotypes about foreigners in Japanese media, remarking that the show “actively works to shift perceptions of what foreign actors can represent on screen” [39] .
His work on the travel program Getting Dirty in Japan , co-hosted with Janni Olsson, also received notice for presenting Japan’s outdoors in an accessible and humorous way while spotlighting cultural and environmental themes [40] .
McCombs’s work in the feature film Aichaku also received critical attention. Italy’s Taxidrivers called *Aichaku* “a love story … very sweet and tender” (una storia d'amore … molto dolce e tenera) and praised the performances, writing: “The two actors played their roles very well … making them seem real” (I due attori hanno interpretato benissimo i loro ruoli … facendoli sembrare reali). The article also highlighted moments where McCombs’s character, a foreigner in rural Japan, “even feels dehumanized … they treat Lucas like an animal in a zoo” (si sente persino disumanizzato … trattano Lucas come se fosse una sorta di animale in uno zoo) [41] . Similarly, Shangay highlighted that the film “manages to present emotional and complex relationships with sensitivity” (“logra presentar relaciones emocionales y complejas con sensibilidad”) [42] .
