Today we’d like to introduce you to Yuyu Kitamura.
Hi Yuyu, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a Japanese actress, raised in Hong Kong. I was performing since the age of ten, doing youth theatre. Growing up, sports played a huge part of my life. I was a swimmer and played rugby, and my family was centered around sports. Competition was always ingrained. I moved to New York after being accepted to New York University Tisch School of the Arts, my dream school. After graduating and receiving the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Studio Award for Stonestreet Studios’ for screen acting, I began working immediately on independent shorts, commercials, and print jobs. I moved to San Diego at the start of 2020, at the moment, I have had to step away but I will move back in the summer! As an actress, creativity is always my main form of expression. As a poet, my work centers around cultural identity, coming of age, feminism. After publishing my collection of poems in my book ‘Circles and Lines’, I’ve continued to write and you can find more at @onmynotes At the moment, Staying Afloat, an all-female cast and crew was selected for the New York Women in Film & Television 2021 and partnered with Go Indie TV and iWomanTV for viewing. It was inspirational to look around on set and see women driving the project, coming together to do the work and tell an amazing story. It is vital for me to continue representing Asian stories and working with Asian creatives to continue fostering diversity within media.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Over the years, it’s so interesting to see the conversation of diversity shift. I remember I had an audition where the role was for a young Asian girl who LIVED in the US in modern day times. They had asked for me to perform with an accent. A broken English accent. It made me uncomfortable and I was disappointed as the choice as this was not necessary for the material. When I expressed that and made the choice to not perform in outdated stereotypes, it was an awakening. At times, the conversation for diversity has made me cynical. I have been the ‘diversity’ cast, I have been the Asian woman on set. At times, it’s hard to look around and see that diversity is not reflected beyond the cast but behind the screen. I want to see diversity on the boards, as producers, as HMU, as writers. That’s when a voice is heard and reflected in the narrative. These stereotypes for Asians still exist. STILL DO. I as an actor can make a choice and put my foot down. If I don’t accept it, if I don’t express my thoughts, if it doesn’t SERVE the story, it doesn’t need to be portrayed. Diversity is not just about what is on screen, it is the stories we tell, it is the people involved behind the screen.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
After graduating, I immediately started working in the screen, theatre, voice-over, modeling. I have diversified and truly worked in all sorts of mediums. I do this because I think it is vital to explore the industry and not only get experience but let all of it influence the work that I one day want to create. Some of my work includes – Breaking the Silence (has won 53 awards and 19 nominations in film festivals), Electable (ATHENA SCREENWRITING LAB, Big Apple Screenplay), Legacy (Clexacon Film Festival), Staying Afloat (HER International Film Festival), Clique Bait (Asian-American International Film and Video Festival) I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to be the face of international brands like L’Oreal and Kiehl’s. Last year, while I was living in San Diego during the summer, I recorded a few scripted podcasts with MeetCute (The School Series: Where I’m From, Theme Park: Two Step). It was a wonderful experience as it opened my eyes to the breadth of what ‘acting’ is. I’ve always enjoyed listening to podcasts but getting to record one myself was a great achievement and being able to work remotely during lockdown was a great privilege when many artists and creatives couldn’t. I strive to work with my community of Asian creatives because it has been uplifting to work with people who don’t just tolerate me but CELEBRATE ME. I am proud of saying no to roles that don’t reflect a character that is helping the cause, but finding people who inspire me to be at the forefront of change (like Liann Kaye ‘Electable’).
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
San Diego is truly beautiful. The beaches have been an oasis especially in 2020, and being able to go out for a walk and let that be a meditative experience was lifesaving. Fresh air and open space is a gift that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Olive’s Café and their baked goods have kept me sane! Running along Mission Bay and being able to run my first half marathon was something that I was able to do. SD is truly a city that offers a vibrant food scene and beautiful weather. The number of times where just going on a drive around was all that I needed to feel centered again, it was so helpful during the hard days. San Diego has my heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: yuyukitt.com
- Instagram: yuyukitt / onmynotes
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10208354/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Image Credits
Stan Demidoff B+W shot on set – Gary Bennett
