James Saito

Last updated
James Saito
JAMES SAITO.jpg
Education University of California, Los Angeles
OccupationActor
Years active1976–present

James Saito is an American actor.

Saito is best known as the original Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , Dr. Chen in the ABC series Eli Stone , Harry Kim in the Netflix film Always Be My Maybe , and Kenji in Modern Love . Saito received an OBIE for his performance in DURANGO at the Public Theater in NY. He is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences [1] and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Contents

Early life

Saito's parents are of Japanese descent. He graduated from Hamilton High in LA and the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in theater. He later studied acting with actress Uta Hagen at HB Studio, located in New York City. He was in the last group of students who studied with Sanford Meisner on the island of Bequia in the Grenadines and then continued with Meisner in North Hollywood.

Career

Saito also appeared in the movies Life of Pi , Big Eyes , Wilson , While We're Young , I Think I Love My Wife , The Thomas Crown Affair , The Devil's Advocate , Henry Fool , Home Alone 3 , Pearl Harbor , Die Hard with a Vengeance , and Hot Dog…The Movie.

Saito's TV credits include The Company You Keep Grey's Anatomy , Altered Carbon , Prodigal Son , Broad City , At Home with Amy Sedaris , Elementary , Instinct , Iron Fist , The Deuce , Paterno , House of Cards , Madam Secretary , Hawaii Five-0 , Person of Interest , 30 Rock , One Life to Live , Too Big to Fail , Blue Bloods , Rubicon , The Unit , Heroes and Villains as Tokugawa Ieyasu, As the World Turns , Law & Order: Criminal Intent , Sex and the City , The Young and the Restless , Blood & Orchids , MacGyver , Hart to Hart , The Greatest American Hero , The Incredible Hulk , M*A*S*H , Law & Order , Miami Vice , and Farewell to Manzanar .

Saito appeared as Bob Lin in the film Love Hard , released in November 2021 by Netflix. [2]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1980 The Idolmaker Eddie
1984 Hot Dog…The Movie Kendo
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Masado Banzai, Buckaroo's FatherScenes deleted
1987Beyond the Next MountainSniper
1989Mortal SinsPark Sung
1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Shredder Voiced by David McCharen
1993 Silent Cries Japanese Soldier
1995 The Hunted Nemura
Die Hard with a Vengeance Korean Proprietor
1997 Henry Fool Mr. Deng
The Devil's Advocate Takaori Osumi
Home Alone 3 Korean Mob Boss
1999 The Thomas Crown Affair Paul Cheng
2000 Useless Executive OkiShort film
AlohaJamesShort film
2001 Pearl Harbor Japanese Aide #1
Love the Hard Way Akiri
Another BedBruceShort film
2003 Robot Stories Roy / Groper
2006 Brother's Shadow Line Boss
2007 I Think I Love My Wife Mr. Yuni
Ghosts of the HeartlandJohn Lu
2012 Life of Pi Older Insurance Investigator
2013From the RoughWon-Sik
2014 While We're Young Dr. Nagato
Big Eyes Judge
2017 Wilson Warren Kudo
The Only Living Boy in New York James
2019 Long Shot Minister Kishido
Always Be My Maybe Harry
2020 Tigertail Hank
2021 Love Hard Bob Lin

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1976 Farewell to Manzanar Richard WakatsukiTV movie
Baa Baa Black Sheep Third commandoEpisode: "Up for Grabs"
1977Ensign KiraEpisode: "Divine Wind"
1977–1981 M*A*S*H South Korean Soldier / Park3 episodes
1978 The Paper Chase KaiEpisode: "Bell's in Love"
1979The Paper ChaseStudent #1Episode: "The Apprentice"
Lou Grant Steve NakajimaEpisode: "Hype"
1980 Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb Lieutenant Tatsuo YamatoTV movie
The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love StoryTV movie
1981 The Waltons Japanese SergeantEpisode: "The Last Ten Days"
Soap Hiro1 episode
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Steven ChiuEpisode: "The Roller Disco Karate Kaper"
The Two Lives of Carol LetnerProfessorTV movie
The Incredible Hulk Viet InterpreterEpisode: "Viet"
The Fall Guy Police OfficerEpisode: "Japanese Connection"
Bosom Buddies The ManEpisode: "All You Need Is Love"
1982 The Greatest American Hero Kelly KimEpisode: "The Hand-Painted Thai"
Tales of the Gold Monkey Japanese LieutenantEpisode: "Once a Tiger..."
1983 The Renegades Sam ChowEpisode: "On the Pad"
Girls of the White OrchidOfficer #1TV movie; alternative title Death Ride to Osaka
1983–1984 Knots Landing Reporter2 episodes
1984 Hart to Hart YamahiroEpisode: "The Dog Who Knew Too Much"
Scarecrow and Mrs. King Ronnie QuanEpisode: "The Mole"
T.J. Hooker Lab TechnicianEpisode: "Hot Property"
Charles in Charge Chinese Food Delivery ManEpisode: "Pilot"
1985 Street Hawk Joe ChingEpisode: "Chinatown Memories"
CovenantCabbieTV movie
MacGyver MingEpisode 1.2: "The Golden Triangle"
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Anesthesiologist #1Episode: "Night Fever"
Crazy Like a Fox Chinese HenchmanEpisode: "Year of the Fox"
Miami Vice Howie WongEpisode: "Golden Triangle: Part 2"
1986 Blood & Orchids HalehoneTV movie
The Young and the Restless Roy Namaguchi2 episodes
The A-Team Kwai LiEpisode: "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair"
1987 Hill Street Blues Bob AshahinaEpisode: "Days of Swine and Roses"
Airwolf Tim ShimizuEpisode: "X-Virus"
1988Miami ViceMa SekEpisode: "Heart of Night"
C.A.T. Squad: Python Wolf TV movie
War and Remembrance Operations Officer (Yamato)TV Miniseries; Episode: "Part 3"
1989 Gideon Oliver Johnny ChenEpisode: "Tongs"
1990 Counterstrike General LoctuckEpisode: "Power Play"
Top Cops Johnny KaiEpisode: "Paul LeBoeuf/Johnny Kai"
True Blue Episode: "Chinatown"
1992 To Be the Best Tony ChiuTV movie
1994 Law & Order Mr. TanakaEpisode: "Scoundrels"
1994–1995 New York Undercover Detective Chang2 episodes
1995 Star Trek: Voyager NogamiEpisode: "The 37s"
1996 Gargoyles Taro (voice)Episode: "Bushido"
The Tomorrow ManDr. LorechiTV movie
1999 Sex and the City Korean ManEpisode: "Ex and the City"
2000 Strangers with Candy Drug TesterEpisode: "Blank Relay"
Law & OrderYoshi YoshimuraEpisode: "Dissonance"
2001 100 Centre Street 2 episodes
The Atlantis ConspiracyPolice OfficerTV movie
2002 Third Watch Sgt. YeeEpisode: "The Long Guns"
2004 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Mr. MiyazakiEpisode: "Great Barrier"
2005 Starved Captain WongEpisode: "Thank You, I Love You"
2006 As the World Turns Kano Yamamoto2 episodes
2008 Heroes and Villains Ieyasu Tokugawa Episode: "Shogun"
2008–2009 Eli Stone Dr. Frank ChenMain cast
2009 The Unit ChuEpisode: "Chaos Theory"
2010 Rubicon MooneyEpisode: "The Truth Will Out"
Blue Bloods Dennis EngEpisode: "Chinatown"
2011 Too Big to Fail Chinese OfficialTV movie
One Life to Live Judge Lee9 episodes
2012 30 Rock ChefEpisode: "Leap Day"
Person of Interest GlenEpisode: "Bury the Lede"
2013 Hawaii Five-0 David ToriyamaEpisode: "Ho'onani Makuakane"
2014 Madam Secretary Japanese Foreign Minister ShimbakuraEpisode: "Just Another Normal Day"
2016 House of Cards Dr. KrebsEpisode: "Chapter 50"
2017 The Deuce Kim2 episodes
2018 Paterno DoctorTV movie
Instinct Haru OnishiEpisode: "Heartless"
Marvel's Iron Fist Yu-Ti Episode: "The City's Not for Burning"
Elementary Dr. Ken FukataEpisode: "Uncanny Valley of the Dolls"
2019 Broad City TrangEpisode: "Bitcoin & the Missing Girl"
Modern Love Kenji InouyeEpisode: "The Race Grows Sweeter"
Prodigal Son Dr. HigaEpisode: "The Surgeon"
2020 Altered Carbon Tanaseda HidekiMain role season 2 [3]
Grey's Anatomy Hershel RobertsEpisode: "Sing It Again"
Dash & Lily Arthur MoriRecurring role [4]
2023 The Company You Keep JosephMain role

References

  1. "Academy Invites 819 To Membership". The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. June 30, 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  2. Kroll, Justin (October 15, 2020). "Darren Barnet, Harry Shum Jr., James Saito, Mikaela Hoover and Heather McMahan Join 'Love Hard'". Deadline Hollywood . Deadline. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  3. Trumbore, Dave (February 22, 2019). "Watch: 'Altered Carbon' Season 2 Video Teases Newcomers to the Netflix Series". www.collider.com. Collider. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  4. Malhi, Jashanpreet (November 23, 2020). "'Dash and Lily': A perfect Christmas present that unwraps one's true self". www.highlandernews.com. Highlander News. Retrieved May 30, 2021.