Tohoru Masamune (born 18 November 1959) is an American actor. His roles include Shredder in the 2014 Michael Bay film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Kevin Hall-Yoshida (Paxton's father) in Never Have I Ever, and Inception.
Tohoru Masamune | |
|---|---|
 Masamune at the 2019 Emmy Awards for ARTIFICIAL win, Los Angeles, CA | |
| Born | November 18, 1959 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (SB) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, voice actor |
| Years active | 1990–present |
Early life
Masamune was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on November 18, 1959, the son of Japanese parents, Satoru and Takako Masumune (née Nozoe). He spent his childhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His father, Satoru Masamune, was a top researcher, and Arthur C. Cope professor of chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his maternal grandfather, Tetsuo Nozoe, was a world-renowned scientist in Japan. His great-grandfather was Juichi Nozoe, a lawyer and politician who was a one-time member of the Japanese National Diet (House of Representatives)His paternal grandfather's cousin was noted Japanese literary figure (novelist and playwright), Hakucho Masamune
Tohoru Masamune graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Career
In 1990, he debuted in the film Pacific Heights directed by Academy Award winner, John Schlesinger.
In 1994, he played Ling in Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter. He appeared in the film Inception with the first line of the movie directed by Christopher Nolan, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Ken Watanabe. In 2014, he played Oroku Saki / The Shredder in the reboot feature film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.[1][2] In its 2016 sequel, he is replaced by actor Brian Tee.[3]
He also played Haruto Yakimura in Marvel Studios's superhero television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and appears in the role of Martin Takagi in the paranormal thriller feature film Chatter. He also provided the voice of Chef Haruki in TBS adult animated series American Dad!, Kira Kozu in an episode of the DreamWorks/Nickelodeon animated series Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness and Sensei in Disney's Club Penguin online shorts.
He played the starring role of Dr. Matt Lin in the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award and 2019 Peabody Award-winning series, ARTIFICIAL on Twitch.[4]
On stage, he has played starring roles under the direction of Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman at the Goodman Theater, and Tony Award winner Daniel J. Sullivan at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in a premiere of Far East (play) written by Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright A.R. Gurney.
As a voice actor, he has appeared in guest roles in animated series such as American Dad!, We Bare Bears, and Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Pacific Heights | Neighbor | |
| 1994 | Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter | Ling | |
| 2000 | Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | Japanese Tourist | Voice; uncredited |
| 2010 | Inception | Japanese Security Guard | |
| 2014 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Oroku Saki / The Shredder | |
| 2014 | Sway | Pastor Joe |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Diagnosis: Murder | Al Cho | Episode: "Murder Murder" |
| 1996 | Mad About You | Anesthesiologist | Episode: "The Procedure" |
| 1996 | The Secret World of Alex Mack | Dr. Matsumura | Episode: "World Without Alex" |
| 1996 | The Cape | Hiro Furakawa | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | The Practice | Technician | Episode: "Part IV" |
| 1997 | Ink | George | Episode: "Logan's Run" |
| 1999 | Providence | Reporter #2 | Episode: "You Can't Hurry Love" |
| 1999 | Chicago Hope | Paramedic #8, Paramedic #4 | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | Jackie Chan Adventures | Company Owner | Voice, episode: "Samurai Ratso" |
| 2005 | Without a Trace | Mr. Kim | Episode: "Lone Star" |
| 2006 | 24 | CTU Agent | Episode: "Day 5: 9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m." |
| 2006 | Heroes | Boss At Yamagato Mr. Egami | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | Big Shots | Riko's Manager | Episode: "The Better Man" |
| 2008 | iCarly | Massage Therapist #1, Mr. Fuzawa | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | SOLO - The Series | Yakuza Bossman | Recurring role |
| 2011 | The Young and the Restless | Myanmar Official | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Shake It Up | Executive #1 | Episode: "Made in Japan" |
| 2013 | Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness | Kira Kozu | Voice, episode: "The Way of the Prawn" |
| 2015 | Game Shakers | Alan | Episode: "Lost on the Subway" |
| 2016 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Haruto Yakimura | Episode: "The Inside Man" |
| 2016 | We Bare Bears | Manager | Voice, episode: "Losing Ice" |
| 2016 | American Dad! | Chief Haruki | Voice, episode: "The Enlightenment of Ragi-Baba" |
| 2017 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Samurais, Shiro Neko Ninja | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Infinity Train | Ryan's Father | Voice, episode: "The Twin Tapes" |
| 2021 | Never Have I Ever | Kevin Hall-Yoshida | Recurring role |
Video games
| Year | Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Twisted: The Game Show | Johnny Pow |
| 1999 | Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style | Voice |
| 2010 | EA Sports MMA | Katsuo Yamada |
| 2020 | Ghost of Tsushima | Sword Fight Choreography Consultant |
