From a Seaweed Boat to HBO: The Journey of Koshi Uehara

In this episode of Talking Sensu, we sit down with Koshi Uehara, a Japanese actor, known for his performance as Taro in HBO's Tokyo Vice. Koshi reveals the reality of his grind in LA, from working dangerous seaweed boats to fund his dream, to the 3 AM self-tapes in Melbourne that eventually caught the eye of Michael Mann.We talk aboutwhy Koshi ignored the "normal" path to start acting at 27working on dangerous seaweed boats to fund his dream in LAthe "fake marriage" advice he received in Little Tokyohis 3 AM self-tape in a Melbourne cafe that landed the HBO rolethe gamble of flying to Tokyo for a "maybe"the viral Canva commercial and the "cute" Yakuza conceptgetting painted blue for a role in Megan Thee Stallion's "Mamushi" videoCHAPTERS00:00 Intro04:41 Starting an acting career 09:46 Moving to LA20:33 Acting classes and influences23:58 Melbourne and Tokyo Vice audition31:51 The Tokyo Gamble33:32 Set culture38:25 Filming Tokyo Vice46:00 Canva commercial48:53 Mizuhara Sisters MV51:30 Megan Thee Stallion Mamushi MV53:42 OutroMENTIONED IN THE PODCASThttps://www.instagram.com/reel/C5zIjv2So9v/https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5wjtxKS9Ry/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdxSbc0ap-shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLxa-jEgAgYABOUT TALKING SENSUTalking Sensu is a relaxed, long form podcast hosted by Hai & Jeremy and produced by Sensu Studio. We have conversations with filmmakers, photographers, actors, and other creative professionals working in Japan, focusing on personal journeys, creative work, and the realities of building a career in the creative industry.SOCIALS:Koshi Uehara: https://www.instagram.com/koshi_ueharaTalking SensuInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingsensuHosts Hai: https://www.instagram.com/timpas15/Jeremy: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyhannigan/, https://www.youtube.com/@jeremysnaps_______________________________________________________________________________________________PRODUCED BY SENSU STUDIOSensu Studio is a Tokyo-based creative production company specializing in video and photography that helps brands and organizations tell their stories, connect with audiences, and bring their vision to life through engaging content and rebranding projects.If you’re interested in working with us on future projects, check out our work at https://sensustudio.com/.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensustudio_______________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe for more conversations about creative life and work in Japan.