James Yaegashi


James Yaegashi is a Japanese-American actor based in New York.

Early life

James Yaegashi was born in Yokohama and raised in Yamagata to an American mother and a Japanese father. Upon graduating high school, he moved to America and majored in acting and directing at University of Missouri–Kansas City. He moved to New York City with his wife in 1998.

Career

He has acted in various stage productions, including as Mr. Yunioshi in a stage production of Breakfast at Tiffany's; a role that had historically been played in yellowface. Of the character Yaegashi said "He’s a real character, for starters. The film...made so many changes to the story...Yunioshi is a Nisei, a Japanese American from California. In the movie, Mickey Rooney played him as if he was fresh off the boat." He ultimately felt it was necessary to play the character to portray ethnic characters in a positive light. Yaegashi first entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a minor role in Daredevil, but had a more notable role when he was cast as Robert Minoru in the Hulu original series Runaways based on the Marvel Comics series. In 2004, he voiced the Chinese Triad leader, Wu Zi Mu, in the action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. He later also voiced an undercover police officer called Charlie in Grand Theft Auto IV and the expansion pack The Lost and Damned.

Personal life

James Yaegashi is married with two children. He is also bilingual.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008Cashmere MafiaFredericEpisode: "Pilot"
2016Madam SecretaryRickEpisode: "Unity Node"
2016DaredevilLeaderEpisode: "Regrets Only"
2017–2019RunawaysRobert MinoruMain cast
2019New AmsterdamEthan KimuraEpisode: "The Karman Line"
2021The BlacklistAlexander Frayne2 episodes
2023Mech CadetsCaptain Skip Tanaka 10 episodes
2024FalloutLeon Von FeldenEpisode: "The Beginning"
2024Law & Order: Organized CrimeATF Special Agent Marcus Cole2 episodes

YearTitleRoleNotes
2003Take Me OutTakeshi KawabataBroadway
2005A Naked Girl on the Appian WayBill LapinBroadway
2013Breakfast at Tiffany'sI. Y. YunioshiBroadway
2014The Oldest BoyFatherOff-Broadway

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasWu Zi MuAlso motion capture
2005Midnight Club 3: Dub EditionTomoya
2007BioShockDr. Yi Suchong
2008Grand Theft Auto IVCharlie / The Crowd of Liberty City
2014BioShock Infinite: Burial at SeaYi Suchong / Bartender
2021Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive EditionWu Zi MuArchival recordings
Remaster of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas only