Takayo Fischer (née Tsubouchi; born November 25, 1932) is an American stage, film and television actress, as well as voice-over actress.

Personal life

Fischer was born in

Hardwick, California Hardwick is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kings County, California, United States. It is part of the Hanford, California, Hanford–Corcoran, California, Corcoran Hanford-Corcoran metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The pop ...

, the youngest of four daughters of ''

Issei is a Japanese-language term used by ethnic Japanese in countries in North America and South America to specify the Japanese people who were the first generation to immigrate there. are born in Japan; their children born in the new country are ...

'' (

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

immigrants) Chukuro, a farm laborer, and Kinko Tsubouchi. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, at age 10, she and her family were forcibly removed from the West Coast following the signing of Executive Order 9066. They spent time in the Fresno Assembly Center before being relocated to

Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is co ...

and Rohwer incarceration camps. After their release, the Tsubouchi family went to

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, where, as a young adult, Tsubouchi won the crown of "Miss

Nisei is a Japanese-language term used in countries in North America and South America to specify the ethnically Japanese children born in the new country to Japanese-born immigrants (who are called ). The are considered the second generation, ...

Queen." She graduated from Hyde Park High School in Chicago in 1950 and attended Rollins College from 1951 to 1953, where she was a cheerleader and member of

Phi Beta Phi Beta Fraternity: National Professional Association for the Creative and Performing Arts () is an American national professional college fraternity for the creative and performing arts. It was founded in 1912 at Northwestern University in Evan ...

, a performing arts fraternity. She resides in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. In 1980 she married Sy Fischer, an entertainment executive and longtime agent at Hanna-Barbera.

Career

Fischer appeared in the stage production of ''

The World of Suzie Wong ''The World of Suzie Wong'' is a 1957 novel by British writer Richard Mason. The main characters are Robert Lomax, a young British artist living in Hong Kong, and Suzie Wong, the title character, a Chinese woman who works as a prostitute. ...

'' in New York in 1958. She won a Drama-Logue Award for ensemble performance for ''Tea'' at the

Old Globe Theatre The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. Plays are performed in three separate theatres in the complex, which i ...

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

. She has also appeared in many productions with

East West Players East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As the nation's first professional Asian American theatre organization, East West Players continues to produce works and educational programs that give v ...

in Los Angeles, including ''

Into The Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

''. Fischer was an honoree at East West Players' 2019 gala for her work in raising "the visibility of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community through ercraft." She toured the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

in ''

The Peony Pavilion ''The Peony Pavilion'' ( zh, t=牡丹亭, s=牡丹亭, p=Mǔdān tíng, w=Mu-tan t'ing), also named ''The Return of Soul at the Peony Pavilion'', is a romantic tragicomedy play written by dramatist Tang Xianzu in 1598. The plot was drawn from the ...

'' in 1997. Fischer has appeared in many big-budget films, including '' Moneyball'', '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' ( 2007) as Mistress Ching, ''

The Pursuit of Happyness ''The Pursuit of Happyness'' is a 2006 American biographical drama film directed by Gabriele Muccino and starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner, a homeless salesman. Smith's son Jaden Smith co-stars, making his film debut as Gardner's son, Chri ...

'' ( 2006) as Mrs. Chu, ''

Memoirs of a Geisha ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' is a historical fiction novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the story of Nitta Sayuri and the many trials she faces on the path to becoming and ...

'' ( 2005) and ''

War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...

'' ( 2005). She has also worked on many

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Asian American films including '' Americanese'' ( 2009), '' Only the Brave'' (2005), '' Stand Up for Justice: The Ralph Lazo Story'' (2004) and '' Strawberry Fields'' (1997). Fischer has had numerous guest-starring roles on

network television Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

including FX's ''

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton that premiered on August 4, 2005 on FX and later FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Char ...

'' as a North Korean bar owner named Mr. Kim, and Mimi Kishi on Netflix and Walden Media’s “The Baby-Sitter’s Club” She is sometimes credited as "Takayo Doran".

Voice work

Fischer has also done voices in several cartoon programs. Some of her well-known roles included ''

Mister T Mr. T (born Laurence Tureaud, May 21, 1952), is an American actor. He is known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series ''The A-Team'' and as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film ''Rocky III''. He is also known for his di ...

'', ''

Battle of the Planets ''Battle of the Planets'' is an American adaptation of the Japanese anime series '' Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'' (1972). Of the 105 original ''Gatchaman'' episodes, 85 were used in the ''Battle of the Planets'' adaptation, produced by Sandy Fr ...

'', '' Rubik the Amazing Cube'', ''

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo ''A Pup Named Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated mystery comedy series produced by Hanna-Barbera. It is the eighth incarnation of the studio's ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise and depicts younger versions of the title character and his human companion ...

'', '' Saturday Supercade'', ''

The Flintstone Kids ''The Flintstone Kids'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera. It is an alternative incarnation of the studio's original animated series ''The Flintstones''. The series depicts juvenile versions of the main characte ...

'', '' Batman: The Animated Series'', ''

Batman Beyond ''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...

'', ''

The All-New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show ''The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show'' is the sixth incarnation of the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon ''Scooby-Doo''. It premiered on September 10, 1983, featuring the return of Daphne Blake, Daphne, and ran for one season on American Bro ...

'', ''

The Karate Kid ''The Karate Kid'' is a 1984 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the first installment in the ''Karate Kid'' franchise, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue an ...

'', ''

Capitol Critters ''Capitol Critters'' is an American animated sitcom about the lives of mice, rats and roaches who reside in the basement and walls of the White House in Washington, D.C. The series was produced by Steven Bochco Productions and Hanna-Barbera in ...

'', '' The Centurions'', ''

The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show ''The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show'' is an animated television series produced by Ruby-Spears Productions from 1979 to 1981; it was shown right after ''Super Friends'' on the ABC Network. The show featured various adventures of the DC Comic ...

'', '' The Heathcliff and Dingbat Show'', ''

Super Friends ''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of ...

'', ''

Thundarr the Barbarian ''Thundarr the Barbarian'' is an American Saturday morning animated series, created by Steve Gerber and produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. The series ran for two seasons on ABC from October 4, 1980, to October 31, 1981, and was rerun on NBC ...

'', ''

Rambo Rambo is a surname with Norwegian (Vestfold) and Swedish origins. It possibly originated with '' ramn'' + '' bo'', meaning "raven's nest". It has variants in French (''Rambeau'', ''Rambaut'', and ''Rimbaud'') and German (''Rambow''). It is now best ...

'', ''

Wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...

'', ''

Captain Planet and the Planeteers ''Captain Planet and the Planeteers'' is an American animated environmentalist superhero television series created by Barbara Pyle and Ted Turner and developed by Pyle, Nicholas Boxer, Thom Beers, Andy Heyward, Robby London, Bob Forward and Ca ...

'', ''

Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

'', ''

Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe ...

'', ''

The Wild Thornberrys ''The Wild Thornberrys'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, Steve Pepoon, David Silverman, and Stephen Sustarsic for Nickelodeon. The series portrays an American family of wildlife documentary ...

'', ''

Avatar: The Last Airbender ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' (abbreviated as ''ATLA''), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Aang'' in some regions or simply ''Avatar'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and ...

'' and ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

''. She also reprised her role as Mistress Ching in the video game version of '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End''.

Filmography

*'' Dad'' (1989) - Jake's Nurse *''

Pacific Heights Pacific Heights is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. It has panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, the Palace of Fine Arts, Alcatraz, and the Presidio. The Pacific Heights Residents Association defines the neig ...

'' (1990) - Bank Teller *''

Showdown in Little Tokyo ''Showdown in Little Tokyo'' is a 1991 American buddy cop action film directed by Mark L. Lester, who also produced with Martin E. Caan. The film stars Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee; it was the latter's first American film role. The film was r ...

'' (1991) - Mama Yamaguchi *'' Baby Brokers'' (1994) - Dr. Emily Weiss *''The Dangerous'' (1995) - Mrs. Seki *'' Strawberry Fields'' (1997) - Takayo *''

'' (2005) - Older Woman *''

'' (2005) - Tanizato Teahouse Owner *'' Only the Brave'' (2006) - Mrs. Nakajo *'' Americanese'' (2006) - Keiko Crane *''

'' (2006) - Mrs. Chu *'' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' (2007) - Mistress Ching *'' Uncross the Stars'' (2008) - Tina *''

Immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, a ...

'' (2008) - (English version, voice) *''Love 10 to 1'' (2009) - Grandma *'' Moneyball'' (2011) - Suzanne - Billy's Secretary *''Model Minority'' (2012) - Grandma Reiko Tanaka *''

Silent But Deadly ''Silent but Deadly'' is a Canadian 2011 horror comedy film starring Kim Poirier, Jason Mewes, and William Sadler. It is a MJC Entertainment Inc production. It premiered on the Canadian TV channel Super Channel on November 11, 2011. The film t ...

'' (2011) - Wang *''

Cavemen The caveman is a stock character representative of primitive humans in the Paleolithic. The popularization of the type dates to the early 20th century, when Neanderthals were influentially described as "simian" or " ape-like" by Marcellin Bo ...

'' (2013) - Elderly Japanese Woman *'' The Watcher'' (2016) - Gladys *''

The Baby-Sitters Club ''The Baby-Sitters Club'' (also known as BSC) is a series of novels written by Ann M. Martin and published by Scholastic between 1986 and 2000, that sold 176 million copies. Martin wrote the first 35 novels in the series, but the subsequent nove ...

'' (2020 TV Series) - Mimi Yamamoto

References

External links

* *
''Densho Encyclopedia'' article on Fischer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Takayo 1932 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Living people American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses American film actors of Asian descent Actresses from California American actresses of Japanese descent American musicians of Japanese descent Japanese-American internees People from Kings County, California American women musicians of Japanese descent