Eijiro Ozaki
Encyclopedia
Eijiro Ozaki is a Japanese actor. To English-speaking audiences he is known for playing characters, such as Lieutenant Okubo in Letters from Iwo Jima
and Young Kaito Nakamura in Heroes
Season 2.
He made his first professional stage debut in 1994 playing Jim, the lead role in Rebel Without A Cause
, performed entirely in English, and dived into his full-time acting career. He started learning Sanford Meisner
's techniques under Yoko Narahashi at the United Performers' Studio, Tokyo in 1994. In 1995, he was coached by Frank Corsaro
, a former Actors Studio
, NY artistic director, in his drama training.
In 1997, he was singled out to play opposite a popular actress in the National Television drama series Agri. This TV debut gave him more chances to appear in the New Year special drama Uesugi Yozan (1998) and the prime time historical epic Genroku Ryoran (1999).
His breakthrough came as Lt. Yamamoto in the Elle Company production The Winds Of God, one of Japan's most popular straight plays. In 1998, the play was performed for one month at the Judith Anderson Theater, on Off-Off-Broadway
in NY. In 1999, the troop went on the National Tour in Japan and gave a 2 month run in NY again at the American Place Theater on Off Broadway. With its total estimated viewing audience of nearly 40,000, The Winds Of God became an excellent opportunity for Ozaki to gain maximum exposure to theater fans. Playing the 3rd lead role, Lieutenant Yamamoto, a Kamikaze
pilot. Ozaki showed his potential in both comedy and tragedy. Then he won acclaim by NY critics in 5 reviews of papers and magazines such as The New Yorker
, Daily News, Newsday
and more.
' period epic The Last Samurai
. Ozaki was marked by the film's stunt coordinator Nick Powell
and selected as one of the Battle Corps (Battle Core) actors. Battle Core was composed of the best 100 Japanese actors possessing accurate sword-play technique, for the key battle sequences set in the mountains of Japanese war fields.
Ozaki performed as a High Ranking Samurai of Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe
)'s troop in the last great sword-wielding charge against forces armed with the first Western weapons of mass destruction. After this production, he earned his membership in Taurus World Stunt Awards
Academy.
The film project, in which he literally devoted his life, was the most prominent one to date in his filmography.
It is Warner Bros.' Iwo jima battle epic Letters From Iwo Jima
, directed by Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood
and produced by Steven Spielberg
(DreamWorks
) starring Ken Watanabe
.
Besides Watanabe, only 7 actors were selected from the mainland of Japan as his supporting roles. Ozaki received the honor to be one of the 7 principal actors.
He played as Lieutenant Okubo, Baron Nishi's deputy, who takes the lead of the men, when Nishi dies in a battle. Okubo's courage sacrifices his life to save his troop in the crossfire against the US Marines.
The film won numerous awards including an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing, Golden Globe Award
for Best Picture in Foreign Language and National Board of Review's Best Film of The Year.
After Ozaki moved his base to the US in 2007, he landed the guest star role in NBC TV series Heroes
, Young Kaito Nakamura, father of Hiro Nakamura, in 1977. Young Kaito stops Adam Monroe
(David Anders
) who tries to unleash a virus that could kill billions of innocent people.
He most recently played as Jiro in ABC TV series FlashForward
in 2009.
The film also won Best of Fest Award at LA Shorts Fest
2009.
Letters from Iwo Jima
is a 2006 war film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, and starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. The film portrays the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers and is a companion piece to Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, which depicts the same battle from the...
and Young Kaito Nakamura in Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
Season 2.
1990s
At the age of 20, he spent one year at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln as an exchange student. That was when he had his first acting experience in front of the cameras for an American televised educational program and gave him hint of his potential as an actor.He made his first professional stage debut in 1994 playing Jim, the lead role in Rebel Without A Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
, performed entirely in English, and dived into his full-time acting career. He started learning Sanford Meisner
Sanford Meisner
Sanford Meisner , also known as Sandy, was an American actor and acting teacher who developed a form of Method acting that is now known as the Meisner technique....
's techniques under Yoko Narahashi at the United Performers' Studio, Tokyo in 1994. In 1995, he was coached by Frank Corsaro
Frank Corsaro
Frank Corsaro is one of America's foremost stage directors of opera and theatre. His Broadway productions include The Night of the Iguana ....
, a former Actors Studio
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
, NY artistic director, in his drama training.
In 1997, he was singled out to play opposite a popular actress in the National Television drama series Agri. This TV debut gave him more chances to appear in the New Year special drama Uesugi Yozan (1998) and the prime time historical epic Genroku Ryoran (1999).
His breakthrough came as Lt. Yamamoto in the Elle Company production The Winds Of God, one of Japan's most popular straight plays. In 1998, the play was performed for one month at the Judith Anderson Theater, on Off-Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway theatrical productions in New York City are those in theatres that are smaller than Broadway and Off-Broadway theatres. Off-Off-Broadway theaters are often defined as theaters that have fewer than 100 seats, though the term can be used for any show in the New York City area that...
in NY. In 1999, the troop went on the National Tour in Japan and gave a 2 month run in NY again at the American Place Theater on Off Broadway. With its total estimated viewing audience of nearly 40,000, The Winds Of God became an excellent opportunity for Ozaki to gain maximum exposure to theater fans. Playing the 3rd lead role, Lieutenant Yamamoto, a Kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
pilot. Ozaki showed his potential in both comedy and tragedy. Then he won acclaim by NY critics in 5 reviews of papers and magazines such as The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Daily News, Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
and more.
2000s
In 2003, he appeared in Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
' period epic The Last Samurai
The Last Samurai
The Last Samurai is a 2003 American epic drama film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay based on a story by John Logan. The film was inspired by a project developed by writer and director Vincent Ward, who had previously filmed the movie in 1990, starring...
. Ozaki was marked by the film's stunt coordinator Nick Powell
Nick Powell
Nicholas Edward Powell is a footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Crewe Alexandra in Football League Two. He has also represented England at under-16 and under-17 levels.-Career:...
and selected as one of the Battle Corps (Battle Core) actors. Battle Core was composed of the best 100 Japanese actors possessing accurate sword-play technique, for the key battle sequences set in the mountains of Japanese war fields.
Ozaki performed as a High Ranking Samurai of Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe
Ken Watanabe
is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. To English-speaking audiences he is known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
)'s troop in the last great sword-wielding charge against forces armed with the first Western weapons of mass destruction. After this production, he earned his membership in Taurus World Stunt Awards
Taurus World Stunt Awards
The Taurus World Stunt Awards is a yearly award ceremony that honors stunt performers in movies. It is held each year in Los Angeles.- Categories :*Best Fight*Best Fire Stunt*Best High Work*Best Work with a Vehicle*Best Overall Stunt by a Stunt Woman...
Academy.
The film project, in which he literally devoted his life, was the most prominent one to date in his filmography.
It is Warner Bros.' Iwo jima battle epic Letters From Iwo Jima
Letters from Iwo Jima
is a 2006 war film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, and starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. The film portrays the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers and is a companion piece to Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, which depicts the same battle from the...
, directed by Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
and produced by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
(DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
) starring Ken Watanabe
Ken Watanabe
is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. To English-speaking audiences he is known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
.
Besides Watanabe, only 7 actors were selected from the mainland of Japan as his supporting roles. Ozaki received the honor to be one of the 7 principal actors.
He played as Lieutenant Okubo, Baron Nishi's deputy, who takes the lead of the men, when Nishi dies in a battle. Okubo's courage sacrifices his life to save his troop in the crossfire against the US Marines.
The film won numerous awards including an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing, Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best Picture in Foreign Language and National Board of Review's Best Film of The Year.
After Ozaki moved his base to the US in 2007, he landed the guest star role in NBC TV series Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, Young Kaito Nakamura, father of Hiro Nakamura, in 1977. Young Kaito stops Adam Monroe
Adam Monroe
Adam Monroe, also known as in non-canon feudal Japan, is a fictional character portrayed by David Anders in the NBC science fiction drama Heroes. The character first appears in the second season episode "Four Months Later...", although the legend of Kensei is referenced several times during the...
(David Anders
David Anders
David Anders is an American television and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as Julian Sark on Alias, and as Adam Monroe on Heroes. Although Anders is American, both of these noted roles required him to use an English accent.-Early life:Anders was born in Grants Pass, Oregon, to parents...
) who tries to unleash a virus that could kill billions of innocent people.
He most recently played as Jiro in ABC TV series FlashForward
Flashforward
A flashforward is an interjected scene that takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media. Flashforwards are often used to represent events expected, projected, or imagined to occur in the future...
in 2009.
Film roles
| Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gakko Wo Tsukuro (Let's Build A University) | Tetsuomi Tani | |
| Blood Ties | Joe | |
| The Hirosaki Players | Tsubasa | |
| The 8th Samurai | Nanshu | |
| Letters From Iwo Jima Letters from Iwo Jima is a 2006 war film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, and starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. The film portrays the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers and is a companion piece to Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, which depicts the same battle from the... |
Lieutenant Okubo | |
| The Last Samurai The Last Samurai The Last Samurai is a 2003 American epic drama film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay based on a story by John Logan. The film was inspired by a project developed by writer and director Vincent Ward, who had previously filmed the movie in 1990, starring... |
Sword Stunt performer | |
| Gaijin | Kunihiro | |
| Born to Be King Born to Be King Born to Be King , also known as Young and Dangerous 6: Born to Be King, is a 2000 Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau. It is the fifth and final sequel to the Young and Dangerous film series.-Synopsis:... |
Yakuza | |
| Garo no Okite | Koike | |
| Great Jail Break | Goto | |
| Infinity | Alan (voice) |
Television roles
| Production | Role | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| FlashForward | Jiro | 1 episode |
| The Game | Maitre D' | 1 episode |
| Heroes Heroes (TV series) Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the... |
Young Kaito Nakamura | 1 episode |
| Haru and Natsu | Kunio Takakura | 2 episodes |
| Agri | Kenichi Kimura | 3 episodes |
| Shuriken | 3rd prisoner | |
| Genroku Ryoran | Tamura's samurai | 1 episode |
| Yozan Uesugi | Uesugi's samurai | |
| How I Met Your Mother | Ninja | 1 episode |
Video games roles
| Production | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dart | Aspari Agent | |
| The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is a science fiction first-person action game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X. The game is a sequel to The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, which has been remade and has been included along with the Assault... |
Yoto |
Stage
| Location | Production | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The American Place Theatre The American Place Theatre The American Place Theatre was founded in 1963 by Wynn Handman, Sidney Lanier, and Michael Tolan at St. Clement's Church, far west on 46th Street in New York City and was incorporated as a not-for-profit theatre in that year. Tennessee Williams and Myrna Loy were two of the original Board members... , NY |
The Winds of God | |
| The Judith Anderson Theatre, NY | The Winds of God | |
| Japan National Tour | The Winds of God | |
| West Japan Tour | The Winds of God | |
| Shavian Theater Company, NZ | Shuriken | |
| Model Language Studio, Japan | Rebel Without a Cause Rebel Without a Cause Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments... |
|
| Theater V Akasaka, Japan | Dog Day Afternoon Dog Day Afternoon Dog Day Afternoon is a 1975 drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, written by Frank Pierson, and produced by Martin Bregman. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Penny Allen, James Broderick, and Carol Kane. The title refers to the "dog days of summer".The film was... |
Awards
In 2009, Eijiro received Best Actor Award for his role in AFI Production short The 8th Samurai at Show Off Your Shorts Film Festival, USA.The film also won Best of Fest Award at LA Shorts Fest
LA Shorts Fest
Robert Arentz founded the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival AKA LA Shorts Fest in 1997. LA Shorts Fest is among the largest short film festivals in the world with more 250 film screenings per annual festival...
2009.