No Shrinking Away from Actor Devin Kawaoka
Photo Credit Matt Kallish
In this profile series, Revry is highlighting authentic contributors to the queer media and entertainment community. We ask questions to find out who they are and where they are going in the future. The questions remain the same but the answers tell their unique story. It’s time to explore and celebrate true representation beyond the limits of Hollywood.
Actor Devin Kawaoka grew up a downhill ski racer in Rochester, New York training to compete in the Olympics. He attended New York University. First as an undergraduate and then at the Graduate Acting Program on a full merit scholarship. Devin won the Rosemarie Tichler Award for his performance in Unnatural Acts at the Classic Stage Company.
Since then he has appeared on multiple television shows including "Lucifier," Marvel's "The Runaways," and "Criminal Minds." In 2022, he starred in Jeremy O. Harris' award winning "Slave Play" on Broadway and then at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. The show received 12 Tony nominations, the most nominated non-musical play ever.
Most recently Devin began recurring as Charlie on the Apple Original comedy series “Shrinking” from Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford and NBC’s hit series “Chicago Med” portraying first year surgical resident Dr. Kai Tanaka-Reed.
What are you best known for?
On television I play the ever affable Charlie on AppleTV's Shrinking and the ever arrogant Kai Tanaka-Reed on NBC's Chicago Med. On stage I most recently was in Jeremy O'Harris' Slave Play first on Broadway and then at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. When I was young, I won my Cub Scout wooden sailboat regatta. These were miniature sailboats that we sanded into the perfect shape and painted. Mine had flames on the side because it would go so fast, so of course I won.
When was the first time you acted in a production?
My mother signed me up for an acting class after I discovered my love of acting. I played Hook in the first act and Peter Pan in the second act. My transformation between act one and act two was punctuated by a running roundoff down the aisle. I'm sure it looked as much like flying as it felt.
What are you working on that no one knows about?
I'm currently working on a period piece set during WWII about a half-Japanese man whose family was sent into the internment camps and he is left on the outside dealing with a world who hates who he is, even though they can't see it. It's a character drama about culture and family and what it is to be American.
