Biography
YOSHI AMAO Biography
Photo by Rex Lott
Yoshi Amao is an actor, comedian, and samurai artist.
He plays a role of Sera in FX’s SHOGUN, which wins 19 Emmy Award including Best Drama.
Yoshi was born in Osaka and moved to New York in 1990. He learned Waki-ryu Tate (Japanese sword fighting) under Tahei Waki, formed the theater company, Samurai Sword Soul, in 2003, and has been performing all over the US.
His theatrical acting careers are Off Broadway Shows; Chushingura~47 ronin at A.R.T./New York Theatres, and Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at Armageddon! at La MaMa Theater (NYC) as a lead actor/co-choreographer, which was highly acclaimed by the New York Times.
He also worked as a fight director for Pacific Overtures at Signature Theater in DC and Tarantino Live in London.
Other actor’s credits on TVs/Films are Mr. Robot (USA), Blacklist (NBC), Billions (Showtime), Samurai Sportsman (OLN) and 11 award-winning short film, My Daughter Yoshiko, etc.
Yoshi hosted several TV shows such as Made in Japao (Record TV) in Brazil, Japanizi Going Going Gong (Disney XD), and Big in Japan in several countries in Europe. Also, he has been hosting cherry blossom festivals in Washington DC, New York Brooklyn, Philadelphia, etc.
SAG/AFTRA
TELEVISION
SHOGUN(19 Emmy Awarded) Sera (Guest Star) FX, Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Dir.
Mr. Robot Limousine Driver USA, Sam Esmail, Dir.
Blacklist Cab Driver NBC
Billions Samurai SHOWTIME
White Collar Eye Patch (Chinese Gangster) USA
Late Night w/ Jimmy Fallon Opening Host (April fool Prank) NBC
Samurai Sportsman Main (TV Series/13 Episodes) OLN, Rob Fruchtman, Dir.
Late Night w/ Conan O’Brien Myself (Guest) NBC
Monday Night Football Promo Samurai (Main) ESPN
Shinobi Girl Samurai Spirit Hulu, John Sirabella, Dir.
MTV2 Promotion Video Traditional & Modern Samurai MTV2
Today Show Samurai Performer NBC
Saturday Night Live Waiter for Halle Berry NBC
NewsInterviews SamuraiMaster ABC/NY1/FOX TV
FILM
My Daughter Yoshiko Hideyo 7 awarded in Film Festivals, Brian Blum, Dir.
Nippon FM 92.1 DJ Nao Takeru Thile
The Beaver Japanese Businessman #1 Jodie Foster, Dir.
Beneath Fiery Skies Ichii Cannes Film Festival, Nick/Adam Hayes, Dir.
An Ideal Marriage Yoshiro Watanabe Ted Sharks, Dir.
Save the underprivileged Photographer Yoshi Ted Sharks, Dir.
Ordinary Days Yoshi Takashi Horie, Dir.
A Man Full of Days Good Samaritan Enrico Cullen, Dir.
8:46 Ken Yoshida Jennifer Azano, Dir.
Ai Yoshizo (Principal) Raffi Asdourian, Dir.
A Samurai’s Story Genzo (Principle) Ittisak Eu-A.(NYFA), Dir.
Sleepy Heads Shun(a.k.a. Snakey Mao) Yoshifumi Hosoya, Dir.
Labor Pains Father (Day Player) Tracy Alexson, Dir.
Father of Mine Shiro Shimura (Principal) Aaron Mcfarlane, Dir.
HOST/EMCEE
Sukeban Female Pro Wrestling Ring Announcer Capitale, New York
Made in Japao Co-Host for Sabrina Sato RecordTV(Brazil), Eugenia Ruggeri, Dir.
Japanizi Going Going Gong Main Host Disney XD, Rene Dowhaniuk, Dir.
Big in Japan Main Host (4 countries) Portugal, Greece, Sweden, Denmark
National Cherry Blossom Festival Co-Host Warner Theater in Washington DC
Opening Ceremony
Cherry Blossom Festival Main Host (since 2003) Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Washington DC,
Philadelphia
Memorial Ceremony for 911 Main Host Japan Society
JAM(Japan Arts Matsuri) Main Host Theater for the New York City
Ramen Contest Main Host Japan Street Festival
NY Cross-Industrial Party Main Host Janet, G-Labo
Quiz Show at Atlanta Main Host TV Japan
MBS Midnight Club Radio Personality MBS Radio, Japan
THEATER
Chushingura 47 Ronin Okado Denpachiro/Arai Kageyu A.R.T./New York Theatres
Nakamura Kansuke (Off Broadway)
Deadly She-wolf Assassin Rogue (Main)/ La MaMa Theater, Sonoko Kawahara, Dir.
at Armageddon Choreographer Japan Society (NY) & Mandell Theater
Utsuyo Kakuryo Izo Tachibana Theater HERE
Gekiryu Toshimitsu Theater DNA
Scattered Lives (Fringe NYC) Genji The Robert Moss Theater
The Soul of Samurai Masayuki Sasa Miller Theater, Columbia Univ., Tahei Waki,
The Karaoke Show Angelsan Project 400 (Off Broadway)
Cannibal the musical! Indian Chief Saturday Player Production
NY Nippon Republic Main (5 Roles) Jane Street 2R
PERFORMANCE
Target Free Thursday Samurai Sword Soul* David Rubenstein Atrium of Lincoln replica rolexCenter
An Evening with Samurai Samurai Sword Soul* Embassy of Japan, WDC,
The first Japanese Delegation 1869 Samurai Sword Soul* Museum of the City of New York
Cherry Blossom Festival Samurai Sword Soul * Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Washington DC, *For more info, Click HERE Branch BrookNew Jersey, Mill River Park Stamford, Atlanta, Springfield, Cansas City, MO, etc.
Second Generation Concert Chorus Carnegie Hall
Amateure Night Comedy Rapper Apollo Theater
VOICE OVER
Jellystone Anime Yogi HBO Max
Death Battle Heihachi Mishima TV Series LINK (14:29~17:13)
Our Cartoon President Shinzo Abe Show Time
Hi-Collar Narrator Short film, Dir. Takeru Thile
Challengers Narrator NHK Cosmomedia
NHK Special Narrator NHK
New Yorkers Narrator NHK-BS
NBA Fastbreak Narrator/Reporter TV Asahi
Corporate Videos Narrator Polo Ralph Lauren, Microsoft,
eLearning Narrator Harley-Davidson, Census, etc.
TV/Radio Commercials Narrator AT&T, Japan Airlines, KDDI, etc
TRAINNING
Acting Meisner Technique Gushee & Anania Studio
Samurai Sword Fighting Waki Style Tahei Waki
Karate World Seido Karate Tadashi Nakamura
Kendo/Iai (Eishin Hasegawa) New York Kendo Club Noboru Kataoka
Japanese Classic Dance Fujima Style Souke Fujima
Speech Basic Geddeth Smith
Singing Basic Tanya Crist
SPECIAL SKILLS
Samurai Sword Fighting (Tate) TEACHING, CHOREOGRAPH & PERORMANCE
Iai (Hasegawa Eishin Ryu)
Kendo/NewYork City Need Club Shodan (1st Dan)
Karate/World Seido Karate 4th Degree Black Belt (4 Dan/Sensei)
Stage Combat
Emcee/Comedy
Improvisation
Voice Over (Japanese Narration for TV, Radio, Corporate Video, eLearninig, Anime, Games, Audio books,etc)
Sports (Horse back riding, Golf, Tennis, Baseball, Baseball)
2010 - present
2010 - present
© 2023 by Yoshi Amao.
