Aspiring Actors from Seattle Find Success in Tokyo

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EcoSan-Toilets
Table of Contents:

1. Background
2. Design of Toilets
3. Composting
4. Construction -- Base & Vaults
5. Construction--Pad Fabrication
6. Construction--Superstructure
7. Finished!
8. Monitoring & Evaluation
9. EcoSan Resources

Japan Journal
Aspiring Actors from Seattle Find Success in Tokyo
Story by Dave Bockmann
North American Post Tokyo

Tokyo—Want to be a star? Tokyo just might be the place to begin.

Whether it's movies, television or theater, breaking into show business in the U.S. is a long shot, at best. Not so, in Japan.

Here, fame is often fleeting. But as several aspiring northwesterners have discovered, with hard work—and some talent—fame can be yours. More quickly, than you might think.

Few, of course, will become overnight Japanese pop-culture sensations like former UW footballer Bob Sapp. Known here as the "Beast," Sapp parlayed a nascent K-1 kickboxing career into hundreds of TV appearances, product endorsements and movies to become what Time Magazine says just might be, "the most famous foreigner to live in Japan since General Douglas MacArthur."

They aren’t yet that famous, but Jennifer Barr and Matthew Barron, both of Seattle, are making their mark in Tokyo.

Jennifer Barr Barr, only 21 years old, a graduate of Renton’s Liberty High School and now a full-time student at Sophia University in Tokyo, began her quest for Tokyo stardom just a year ago. In that short time, she has already appeared on TV in a number of commercials, half-a-dozen comedy shows and five re-enactment dramas. Barr’s most memorable TV appearances have been with famed actor and director Kitano "Beat" Takeshi and co-hosting a popular game show. She also landed a role in the just released movie, The Grudge—she was a stand-in for leading lady Sarah Michelle Gellar.

"Since I was small, I always wanted to be on TV," Barr said, adding with a laugh, "I like the focus on me." She didn’t come to Japan expecting to find herself on television. But about a year ago, at the suggestion of a friend, she signed up with a talent agency and ended up acting in a short TV drama. "There is," she learned, "a ton of work for people who would like to act in short dramas. If you stay around for awhile, you can get quite a few assignments."

Will she stay around? "After I finish school, I’d like to stay on in Japan for a few years," Barr said. "At least for the next year I’ll be doing this kind of work. In the future, I’d like to work in the media, TV or movies, as an actor or behind the scenes."

Barr came to Japan to study and ended up on television. Matthew Barron on the other hand, came seeking a career in show biz. A graduate of Roosevelt High, Barron, now 23 years old, moved to Japan four years ago. "I’m kind of a clown who likes to entertain," he said, "so I thought, why not do it for a living. I realized it would be hard to make it in Hollywood, so I decided to try Tokyo."

Barron, a jack-of-all-trades in the entertainment world, has found steady employment in Tokyo. For animation films and video games, he does voice work. On TV he does comedy, variety and drama shows. On stage, he appears as a DJ with popular Japanese "hip-hop" bands. And he has found work in film, landing a supporting role in the about to be released Godzilla movie, Final Wars. "I’m a pilot and one of the good guys," he says. "It’s a long part, but in the end I die." Matthew Barron

Why Tokyo? "In part, because I already spoke the language," Barron says. Born in Seattle, he and his parents lived in Japan while he was in kindergarten, staying until he had completed the third grade. On his return to Seattle, Barron kept up his ties to Japan, and, of course, he says, "I used to buy manga comics at Uwajimaya."

As for getting started in Japan, "it wasn’t hard to break in," Barron said. "There are many foreigners here doing work in entertainment, but most have other jobs and they are just seeking extra money. Maybe one in a thousand are trying to go somewhere. But this is the only job I have."

And the future? "I give myself goals every year. If I feel I’m meeting the test, I’ll continue," Barron said. His first year in Japan, he signed up with an agency, in his second year he began to make appearances and by the third he was a regular on a children’s TV show. Now in his fourth year, he’s won a movie role and is a regular on a late night cable show. Next year? "Some producers are saying they can get a show for me—if that’s true, it’ll be great!