Masi Oka
I've been programming computers since elementary school, where they taught us, and I stuck with computer science through high school and college.Collection: Computers
Anyone can be a hero. You just have to have faith in yourself.Collection: Faith
I grew up on anime and manga. That's part of who I am.
At the end of the day, I just want the world to live in peace and harmony.
My house is like a manga library in many ways, and it's great because I get to call it research.
I was born in Japan and moved to L.A. when I was six, and I grew up with Japanese culture. I was reading manga, and I read 'Death Note' in real time in Japanese.
Even as we get older, we get in these routines - and routines are nice and comfortable - but I think that it's important to live life to its fullest and try different things. Because you never know what you're going to learn. You might not like it, you might like it.
I'm not American. I still have my Japanese citizenship.
Anonymity breeds irresponsibility.
Being a geek is a great thing. I think we're all geeks. Being a geek means you're passionate about something and that defines your uniqueness. I would rather be passionate about something than be apathetic about everything.
I was raised by a single mother, and she felt the Japanese education system, albeit wonderful, keeps you in a certain range. You have to be better than this level but below this level.
Playing a superhero was an acting challenge for me. It was fun.
I'm a real dumb-dumb in real life. I'm just book smart. But definitely not street smart. The other day I lost my jacket in a cab. And I'll forget things every time I leave the house.
The key to digital effects is to do things that are visually accurate but done cheaply and approximated.
I love both acting and programming equally. I think it enriches me and enhances me as an artist.
I have a lot of appreciation for what people do in front of the camera as well as behind the camera. I don't think I could like one without the other. Eventually, I think the road will lead me down to producing or directing, because it's more about problem solving.
At its core, 'Heroes' is an ensemble character drama with genre elements.
I think it enriches you as a scientist to be able to see things in an artistic perspective and as an artist to see things in a scientific perspective.
I got to college and saw all of my friends going to these other schools and thought, 'You know, college is just a blank slate.' And I had an opportunity to go to different schools, but I chose Brown because it was unique and allowed you to be yourself as an individual and like I said, it's a blank slate.
The more things you do outside of your norm, the more ideas you get exposed to, the more people you get exposed to, and I think that's interesting.
I played piano back in my elementary school days and I sang a cappella back in college.
I am a geek. I am an otaku.
I still have a Japanese passport. I haven't become an American citizen, and I am worried about getting deported every day.
I'm always going to fight on behalf of my brothers and sisters.
To have a director's direct feedback is invaluable.
Acting can be very solitary, even if you're in a scene with someone else, because you worry about your own performance and if you look good.
Will Smith is just an all-around amazing talent and really funny.
I just love comedy, and I honestly believe that laughter transcends everything. If everyone laughed together, laughed more, it would unite the world in peace.
I love strategy and RPG games.
Coming from a programming background, I have a good sense of what's feasible and what's not feasible in a game.
I wasn't the best UI programmer, but I know to use the interface and that stuff. It's definitely given me a leg up in terms of being able to talk to the people in the games industry.
In 'Star Wars: Episode II,' when Jango Fett is chasing Obi Wan Kenobi through an asteroid field, they needed a big asteroid to shatter into a million pieces, and I had to figure out how to do the fracturing, write the code, and show an artist how to use it.
One of the reasons I took up acting was to learn to be more human, to get in touch with human emotions.
Virtual environments are anonymous, and I'm concerned that people - mainly younger folks who grow up this way - will see social relationships as part of a game.
Even people that are evil believe what they're doing is good. I don't agree with those people, but it's about understanding that there are those kinds of points of view.
When you're making an adaptation, you have to make content for the fans; otherwise, you'll get something that won't even be accepted by the mainstream. You want to make something that the fans will approve and the mainstream will enjoy.
I would say that there's definitely some advantages with me being able to talk shop with some of the effects people. Because I come from a post-production world, I can speak shorthand with them. I don't think many other actors can say that and know how the process 100% works.
If you look at Japanese drama, I think there is definitely a treasure trove of it, but I just don't think that people know about it. It's got to be pitched and presented better.
I am very happy to help share the great treasure trove of Japanese content with the western world.
We had a great producing staff and great filmmakers, but for me, my mission , as a producer, was to make sure that the creators were happy with the film Death Note and that their voices were heard. I felt, if the creators were proud and happy with the film, then in turn, the fans would be proud and happy with the film because the creators know the fan base, inside and out.Collection: Proud
I am also about trusting maggot instincts. If I get played or taken advantage of? So be it. That's a life lesson. I would rather have believed in someone and get hurt than live life with distrust. I always go into a relationship with trust.Collection: Hurt