Emily Kuroda

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Emily Kuroda
Born
Emily Keiko Kuroda

(1952-10-30) October 30, 1952 (age 72)
Fresno, California
OccupationActress
Years active1982–present
Spouse
Alberto Isaac
​
(m. 1980)​

Emily Keiko Kuroda (born October 30, 1952) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Mrs. Kim on TV's Gilmore Girls , but she has had a long career on stage and screen and is a veteran of East West Players, [1] Los Angeles's premier Asian American theater group.

Contents

Early life and education

Kuroda, a Japanese American, was born in Fresno, California, the daughter of Kay and William Kuroda. [2] She began acting and directing in high school and majored in drama at California State University, Fresno [3] before launching her career on stage and screen.

Career

Kuroda has performed in numerous plays including Luis Alfaro's Straight as a Line at Playwrights' Arena, directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, Chay Yew's Red at East West Players, [3] Winter People at the Boston Court, and Ken Narasaki's Innocent When You Dream at the Electric Lodge, [4] which was directed by her husband, Alberto Isaac. She appeared in Narasaki's No-No Boy at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica CA, also directed by Isaac, alongside her Gilmore Girls daughter, Keiko Agena. Other theatres include New York's Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle Rep, Singapore Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, LA Women's Shakespeare Company, Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival, and Lodestone Theatre Ensemble.

Kuroda completed seven years as Mrs. Kim in Warner Brothers’ Gilmore Girls as well as the Netflix revisit in 2016. She also played opposite Flavor Flav in 13 episodes of Under One Roof . Recent television credits include a recurring role on Drop Dead Diva (as Margaret Cho's mother), Medium , Grey's Anatomy , In Case of Emergency , Six Feet Under , The King of Queens , Curb Your Enthusiasm , The Practice , General Hospital , Port Charles , L.A. Law , ER , The Young and the Restless , The Bold and the Beautiful , The Division , The Agency , Presidio Med , Arliss , and the television special About Love (Emmy nominated). Feature films include RED, PEEP WORLD, Minority Report , Stranger Inside , 2 Days in the Valley , Dad , Broken Words, Worth Winning and Shopgirl . She has also appeared in independent Asian American films, including The Sensei , Yellow and Stand Up for Justice .

She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Actors' Equity Association. [5]

Personal life

Kuroda is married to actor/director Alberto Isaac. [3]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986American GeishaKikusen
1989SoloTakiShort
1989 Worth Winning Cory Chu
1989 Dad Vicki
1990 Why Me? News Anchorwoman
1991 Late for Dinner Nurse Ruth
1993 Broken Words Grandmother
1998 Yellow Mrs. Lee
1999 The Suburbans Mrs. Lee Lee
2001 Stranger Inside Min
2003 Day of Independence Choir MemberShort
2004 Stand Up for Justice Mrs. MatsuokaShort
2005Pawns of the KingKeikoShort
2005 Shopgirl Japanese WomanShort
2006My Prince, My AngelShen's MotherShort
2008 The Sensei Flora Nakano
2009 Hotel for Dogs Social Worker
2009Aussie and Ted's Great AdventureMei Mei
2009Love 10 to 1Ma
2010The Man Who Invented the WordsShort
2010 Peep World Nail Salon Owner
2010 RED Mrs. Chan
2010A Super Duper Exotic Erotic Fetish Sexy Must See Story... A Tragedy of Oriental Proportions!Short
2011Lost RitesJun-LiShort
2012Family RestaurantFemale Customer/Still PhotographerShort
2013Family GatheringCo-producerShort
2013 Yellow Face Gish Jen
2013Uncle BartMrs. ParkShort
2014 Alec Mapa: Baby Daddy Special ThanksDocumentary
2015Maybe SomedayMrs. Kibble
2016Justice AngelFang
2017 Take the 10 Patti
2022 Kimi Dr. Sarah Burns
2022 Strange World Ro (voice)

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982 Remington Steele AkemiEpisode: "Your Steele the One for Me"
1983 Tales of the Gold Monkey Geisha GirlEpisode: "Naka Jima Kill"
1985 CBS Storybreak VoiceEpisode: "Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China"
1987 Gung Ho Yukiko Saito2 episodes
1988 Matlock ReceptionistEpisode: "The Investigation: Part 1"
1988 MacGyver Karen MatsugaEpisode: "The Spoilers"
1988–89 L.A. Law Ronnie Page6 episodes
1989 The Preppie Murder ReporterTV movie
1990 Lifestories Room NurseEpisode: "Don Chapin"
1990 Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone Voice13 episodes
1990 She Said No ReginaTV movie
1990DonorICU NurseTV movie
1991 Columbo LindaEpisode: "Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health"
1990–91 Knots Landing Woman/Cleaning Lady/Banker3 episodes
1991 Life Goes On Dr. KitoEpisode: "Dr. Kito"
1991 Dynasty: The Reunion Nurse LinTV movie
1991–92 Doogie Howser, M.D. Anesthesiologist/Janet Masuda2 episodes
1992 Sisters Reporter/Nurse2 episodes
1992LadykillerJack's SecretaryTV movie
1992–93 The Jackie Thomas Show Waitress2 episodes
1993ShadowhunterADR Loop GroupTV movie
1993About LoveJeannette KimTV movie
1993 Melrose Place NurseEpisode: "Carpe Diem"
1994A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal LifestyleDr. Nancy LeeTV movie
1995Awake to DangerTV movie
1995Never Say Never: The Deidre Hall StoryO.R. NurseTV movie
1996 ER Dottie, Hospital Day-Care WorkerEpisode: "Take These Broken Wings"
1996 Party Girl MikotoEpisode: "Pilot"
1997 Heartless Dr. Alice MorisakiTV movie
1998 Profiler Dr. GarsonEpisode: "Bloodlust"
1998 The Young and the Restless Nurse Candice Katsumoto6 episodes
1999 Working Executive Storyteller #3Episode: "Romeo and Julie"
1999 Party of Five Nurse WolfeEpisode: "Rings of Saturn"
1999 L.A. Heat Mrs. KwanEpisode: "F Is for Framed"
1999 The Practice Miss Hines - Dental HygienistEpisode: "Free Dental"
1999 Snoops KDLA ReporterEpisode: "The Grinch"
2000 Chicago Hope Dr. BatesEpisode: "Simon Sez"
2000 Shasta McNasty NurseEpisode: "The Sugar Pill"
2000 Family Law Dr. BraunEpisode: "Affairs of the State"
2000–07 Gilmore Girls Mrs. Kim43 episodes
2001 The King of Queens LilyEpisode: "Sight Gag"
2001 Curb Your Enthusiasm Restaurant EmployeeEpisode: "The Shrimp Incident"
2001–02 The Agency 3 episodes
2003 The Handler Dr. Kim AndersonEpisode: "Under Color of Law"
2004 Six Feet Under Dr. KeyEpisode: "Grinding the Corn"
2006 Clark and Michael Driving Range Woman
2007 In Case of Emergency Mrs. TuckmanEpisode: "Forbidden Love"
2007 State of Mind DoctorEpisode: "Passion Fishing"
2008-2009 Under One Roof Su Ho13 episodes
2009 Grey's Anatomy Kendall SullyEpisode: "Stand By Me"
2010 Medium Morgue AttendantEpisode: "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day"
2010–11 Drop Dead Diva Mrs. Lee2 episodes
2012DakotaCleaning WomanEpisode: "Down $1,170"
2012 BFFs Jessica's Mother2 episodes
2012 Slanted Auntie LindaEpisode: "Paying Your Dues"
2012ScruplesCecileTV movie
2013BloodlineGloriaTV movie
2014 Sequestered Rufang12 episodes
2007–14 The Bold and the Beautiful Dr. Kimborough/Archive Footage6 episodes
2014–15Just Us GuysMrs. K5 episodes
2016 Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Mrs. KimEpisode: "Spring"
2018 The Resident Penny OhEpisode: "The Germ"
2019 The Good Doctor Sunny LeeEpisode: "Xin"
2021 All Rise Dr. JohnsonEpisode: "Safe to Fall"
2022 Baymax! Kiko (voice)2 episodes
2023 The Power Sister VeronicaRecurring role

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
Straight as a Line
Red East West Players
Winter People Boston Court
Innocent When You Dream Electric Lodge
No-No Boy Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica, California

Awards and other recognitions

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
Drama-Logue Awards Ikebana,The Maids,Minimata,The Golden Gate, and Visitors from NagasakiWon [6]
City of Los Angeles CommendationAbout LoveWon
Back Stage West Garland Award Outstanding PerformanceStraight As a LineWon
1999 Los Angeles Times Top 10Straight as a LineWon
2000Los Angeles Ovation Award Best Lead Actress in a PlayStraight As a LineNominated [3]
2001 Los Angeles Times Top 10 Red Won
2004Entertainment Today AwardBest ActressWinter PeopleWon
2006 East West Players' Rae Creevey AwardWon [7]
2006Playwrights' Arena AwardOutstanding Contribution to Los Angeles TheatreWon

References

  1. ↑ Asia Pacific Arts magazine interview with Emily Kuroda Archived July 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "Emily Kuroda Biography (1952-)". Filmreference.com. 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Los Angeles Times, A Place She Can Call Home, September 30, 2001
  4. ↑ Program for Innocent When You Dream, Timescape Arts Group [ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ "Emily Kuroda: Resume". Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Gilmore Girls: Emily Kuroda Returns to the Stage for 'The Trojan Women'". Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
  7. ↑ Playbill, July 24, 2006 Archived June 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
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