
Chris Tashima is an award-winning American actor and director. He has starred in numerous independent feature films, most notably as the romantic lead opposite Joan Chen, Allison Sie, Kelly Hu and Autumn Reeser, in Eric Byler's Americanese which won a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast at SXSW. He was awarded Best Actor in a Supporting Role, at the inaugural Love International Film Festival, for his portrayal of Papa Nakaji in Tim Savage's World War II family drama Under the Blood Red Sun produced by Dana Satler Hankins. He portrayed real-life educator/activist Shigeo Yoshida in the 442nd RCT origin story Go For Broke from producer/screenwriter Stacey Hayashi. Most recently, he played the hard-nosed Uncle Bob in the generational family comedy No No Girl from writer/director Paul Daisuke Goodman--for which he received two nominations at the Austin Revolution Film Festival, and he plays Hiro in Brian M. Tang's action/fantasy short Kodama, receiving its world premiere at SXSW 2023.
Tashima received an Academy Award® for directing the dramatic short film Visas and Virtue, a re-telling of the heroic actions of Holocaust rescuer Chiune Sugihara. In addition he co-wrote the screenplay adapting a one-act play by Tim Toyama, and starred as the Humanitarian diplomat Sugihara. He also directed, co-wrote and starred in the WWII Japanese American internment short film Day of Independence which was nominated for a NATAS Northern California Area Emmy®. These two directorial works came from Tashima's own Cedar Grove Productions, an indie entertainment house aiming to "Boldly defy mainstream Hollywood by giving Asian Americans the close-up onscreen."
Known For

Kodama
Hiro
2023

No No Girl
Uncle Bob
2022

Surviving Theater 9
Professor Cambro
2018

Go for Broke
Shigeo Yoshida
2017

Under the Blood-Red Sun
Papa Nakaji
2014

Real Playing Game
Mr. Chan
2013

Lil Tokyo Reporter
Sei Fujii
2012

Model Minority
Ken Tanaka
2012

Half Kenneth
Masamichi
2009

Americanese
Raymond Ding
2006

Day of Independence
The Umpire
2003

Barrier Device
Actor in Diamond Jeweler Commercial (uncredited)
2002

The Shield
Chris Yamamoto (scenes deleted) · (1 episode)
2002
Lani Loa: The Passage
Bong
1998

Visas and Virtue
Chiune 'Sempo' Sugihara
1997

Strawberry Fields
Mark
1997
Vital Signs
Surgeon · (1 episode)
1997

Requiem
Philip
1995

The Perfect Weapon
Bag Man
1991

Unsolved Mysteries
Stunt Coordinator (segment "Brandon Lee") · (1 episode)
1988

Overkill
Nagumo Jr.
1987

Lethal Weapon
Fire Rescue Attendant (uncredited)
1987

Night of the Creeps
Extra (uncredited)
1986

The Karate Kid Part II
The Rockabilly Club Dancer (uncredited)
1986

Savage Dawn
Extra (uncredited)
1985

Once Bitten
Dream Sequence Extra (uncredited)
1985

Generation
Gang Extra (uncredited)
1985

Killzone
Crawford's Men
1985

Moving Violations
Parade Extra (uncredited)
1985

The Sure Thing
Frat Guy at Punch Bowl (uncredited)
1985

Sara
Concert Goer (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1985

Scandal Sheet
(uncredited)
1985

Not My Kid
Student (uncredited)
1985

The Hour of the Ox
James
1985

The Mechanical Universe
Freefall Rider (segment "Magic Mountain") · (1 episode)
1985

Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo
Club Patron (uncredited)
1984

1st & Ten
Reporter (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1984

A Nightmare on Elm Street
Boy in Nancy's English Class (uncredited)
1984

Highway to Heaven
Camper's Dad (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1984

St. Elsewhere
Technician (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1982

The Fall Guy
Bar Patron (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1981