As a middle schooler in Los Angeles, actress Karen Fukuhara started learning karate, going on to win competitions and eventually earning a brown stripe belt, which is one step below a black belt. Although she ended her training before going to UCLA (where she graduated with a major in Sociology and a minor in Theater), her karate skills ended up helping her land her first big screen role as Katana in Suicide Squad. Today, you can see her as Kimiko Miyashiro in hit television series The Boys.
You're best known for playing Katana in Suicide
Squad and Kimiko in The Boys, definitely not
stereotypically submissive roles. Do you feel like things have
been getting better for Asian Americans in the entertainment
industry?
Yes! Even in the most recent years, I believe our industry has
made some power moves in advancing diversity in our storytelling.
In the past, we were underrepresented and misrepresented. We fed
into the fear and misconception of our culture and often times the
only roles available were as kung fu masters, labor workers,
prostitutes, or dragon ladies. Asian characters were used as
either the butt of the joke or seen as demure and quiet. Now,
there are entire plot lines and even entire movies/episodes
telling our stories! We are moving away from playing out
stereotypes and instead, playing nuanced, fully fleshed human
beings. Instead of serving another character's story, we're
starting to see our own experiences represented on screen!
Do you think being an Asian American woman has affected
your career in any way?
Of course. The lack of job opportunities is something I still
think about. I worry about my future - as my friends in other
industries have increased opportunities and higher pay as they
age, I see fewer older characters Asian actors can play. People
like Michelle Yeoh and Sandra Oh are changing that narrative for
us. They give me hope that I can continue in this career field.
Kimiko is mute, communicating only with sign
language. How do you get into character and how much more
challenging is it for you?
The challenge always lies in getting through to the other
character. Sign language has opened up so much for Kimiko. She's
able to communicate and I'm constantly in awe of how powerful the
language is. My sign language coach, Amanda Richer, and I have a
special friendship that I hold dear to my heart. My lessons with
her are always something I look forward to during my day of prep.
What part of your role in The Boys are you most
excited about?
My favorite part of being on The Boys is that every day
is shockingly different. There's never a dull day on set. Playing
Kimiko has been exciting because every season, a new skill has
been introduced. Season 2 was the sign language. Season 3 was the
dancing and Kali. I love devoting time to learning something new.
You were unfortunately a victim of anti-Asian violence recently.
What are some things you think that we, as Asian American women,
can or should do to try and put an end to this?
I think it's difficult to say - there are so many deeply rooted
issues within our society that cause these violent crimes. If we
start viewing this topic as a community, I think it would be more
productive. Instead of asking Asian American women what we can do
to stop these crimes, we should be directing our energy towards
how we can change the racist views of the perpetrators. If that's
too difficult, we must be vigilant about speaking out on these
topics, to gain allies of like-minded people. Power comes in
numbers. We must create a world where this kind of thing is
unacceptable under all circumstances.
Is there one piece of advice that you're glad you didn't follow?
I can't remember an example of bad advice but I remember a good
one. Someone once told me to not become bitter. Being an actress
is not always flowers and glamour. There are many things that come
with it that can affect your motivation, your personal life, how
you view the world. I don't ever want to be jaded so I try not to
lose sight of the joys of the job; to be grateful for the
opportunities we are given. At the end of the day, we make careers
out of "play."
What is your dream role?
I have so many dream roles! Would love to be in a heist movie, be
in an A24 film, play a spy/agent, play a character in a Japanese
period piece, be the lead of a rom-com, be in a feel-good movie
like Booksmart or Peanut Butter Falcon, the
list goes on. Every time I watch something, there's always a role
there that I'd love to play. That's the beauty of this industry -
there are always new stories to explore.
The Boys is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Photos courtesy of Amazon Studios.
