James Yaegashi

Born in Yokohama and raised in rural Yamagata, Japan, James Yaegashi moved to the U.S. after high school. He pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Arts in literature from Wheaton College and a Master of Fine Arts in acting and directing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Following his studies, James established himself in New York City, where he built a career as an actor, director, translator, and writer. His early career saw him originating numerous roles in acclaimed stage productions. Notably, he was part of the cast for Sarah Ruhl’s “The Oldest Boy,” Richard Greenberg’s “Take Me Out” which received the 2003 Tony Award for Best Play, John Guare’s “A Few Stout Individuals,” and Julia Cho’s “Durango.” He also played distinctive characters in stage adaptations of literary classics, performing as Yunioshi in Truman Capote’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” on Broadway and Toru in Haruki Murakami’s “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” at both the Edinburgh International Festival and the Singapore Arts Festival.

Beyond his acting capabilities, James Yaegashi has also contributed significantly as a director for the stage. His directorial undertakings include “My Friend Has Come” for the Asian American Writers Workshop, “Dancing with the Bird” at the Japan Society in New York, “Clippy and Ms. U” for Ma-Yi Studios, and “Ready or Not” and “It’s a Jungle Out There” for the 52nd Street Project Playmaking series. In 2011, he marked his debut in filmmaking with “Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty,” a film that earned the Best Feature award in the DIY film competition at Northside Festival in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Furthermore, James has been instrumental in cultural initiatives, conceiving and organizing “SHINSAI: Theaters for Japan.” This benefit took place on March 11, 2012, on the first anniversary of the disasters in Japan, bringing together nearly 100 theaters globally in participation. His commitment to bridging cultures extends to his frequent collaborations with Japanese artists, which involve translating contemporary Japanese plays and subtitling major Japanese studio films.

In television, Yaegashi is widely recognized for his portrayal of Robert Minoru in Marvel’s “Runaways” from 2017 to 2019, appearing in 33 episodes. He has also taken on roles in other prominent television series such as “Fallout” (2024) as Leon Von Felden, “Law & Order: Organized Crime” (2024) as Marcus Cole, and “Zero Day” (2025) as Red Rooster. His film roles include “Civil War” (2024) and earlier works like “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1999) and “Man on a Ledge” (2012). James has also lent his voice and motion capture talents to video games, including “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” (2004) as Wu Zi Mu and “BioShock” (2007) as Dr. Yi Suchong. He maintains black belts in judo and aikido, reflecting a discipline he brings to his diverse professional endeavors.