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Home: Acting and Modeling in Tokyo

Acting and Modeling in Tokyo

Living in Japan opens up a lot of opportunities that foreigners would normally never have in their own home country. How else would one explain how a former engineering company vice president can land Japanese television roles as President Richard Nixon, a famous heart surgeon, a police officer, the New Zealand ambassador to Japan, an American executive on a business trip in Japan, an Italian bank teller, and even the butler for Sir Thomas Glover, the Scottish merchant who was a key figure in the 19th century industrialization of Japan?  laughing icon

A short list of Tokyo talent agencies is shown at the bottom of this page.

American businessman and associates in Tokyo enjoy yakitori and oden at Japanese yatai (food stall)


Orix credit card TV commercial
Enjoying Japanese food with Ryoko Shinohara (篠原涼子)




(View in separate window here.)

English translation of Orix credit card TV commercial (オリックス・クレジット・カードTVCM):

In office: 
Office worker (to her boss): "Sorry, I couldn't find a nice place for tonight's reception for our foreign clients."
Lady boss: "Don't worry. We don't need such a fancy place."

In yatai (tent-style food stall): 
Lady boss (to her subordinate, upon seeing how much fun the foreigners were having): "They were impressed, weren't they?"



Tricky Dick (ニクソン大統領) and Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato (佐藤総理) sign 1969 agreement returning Okinawa back to Japan


In the White House with Masahiko Tsugawa (津川雅彦)
Souri no Misshi (総理の密使, Prime Minister's Secret Envoy) was broadcast on TBS on Sun. night, Feb. 21, 2011 @ 9 pm.
(View video in separate window here.)



Eisaku Sato & Richard Nixon Now Sato & Nixon
Then



5 top foreign surgeons view live demo of new Japanese open heart surgery procedure



Fuji TV's Iryu (医龍) 3 Team Medical Dragon drama series
Also starring actors Mari Natsuki and Ittoku Kishibe.
Broadcast on Fuji TV on Oct. 28, 2010.
(View in separate window here.)



Thief gets nabbed by a snapshot and is hauled off by 2 handsome cops 



Nippon TV's Fukaii Hanashi (深イイ話) show
(View in separate window here.)



Tokyo Joe scores JT (Japan Tobacco) modeling gig


Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
Japan Tobacco modeling gig
(Click thumbnails above to open up full-size images.)



Sir Thomas Glover with his loyal butler


 Thomas Glover with his butler

Glover's butler with Alt
Sir Thomas Glover's butler with William J. Alt
Thomas Glover's butler
Sir Thomas Glover's butler



Behind the scenes in the filming of Ryomaden
Behind the scenes in the May 28 & June 4-5, 2010 filming of Episodes 29 & 33 in Ryomaden (龍馬伝), the NHK TV taiga drama series, starring Masaharu Fukuyama (福山雅治) & Yu Aoi (蒼井優), which aired from Jan. 3 to Nov. 28, 2010.
(You can view the full-size images in the entire Flickr photo set here.)




Tokyo Joe lands TV gig as Italian bank teller



TBS TV's Ochanomizu Hakase (お茶の水ハカセ) show
(View in separate window here.)



Panasonic modeling gig


Gary J. Wolff lands Panasonic modeling job
Panasonic's HD video communication system
(パナソニックHD映像コミュニケーションシステム)
(full page version here)
 


New Zealand ambassador & other diplomats at an Asian summit lose their cool after falling under the spell of evil space ninjas


Ninpuu Sentai Harikenja
Ninpuu Sentai Harikenja (忍風戦隊ハリケンジャー), TV Asahi Channel 10, Sun. Mar. 24, 2002, 7:30 am
(View video in separate window here.)



Santa Gary


Blue Santa Gary
Asakusa Rox Santa
Dancing Santa Gary
Vivre Santa Gary
Omiya Santa Gary
World Family Santa Gary
Fat Santa Gary
Omiya Santa Gary
World Family Santa Gary
(Click thumbnails above to open up full-size images.)



Miscellaneous Japanese TV acting gigs



(If player above is not visible, you can view video @ YouTube here.)

0:00 Art Nature TV commercial (Don't blink at the very end of this commercial or you'll miss the handsome figure skating judge on the far left!) smiley
0:27 "Brides from Abroad," Sunday Big Special, TV Tokyo, Jan. 13, 2002, 7:00 pm
1:16 Hollywood Documentary, BS-i, Dec. 2, 2001, 9:00 pm
1:50 Sma Station-2, Shingo's Hato Bus Tour w/ Gaijin, Feb. 22, 2003, 11:30 pm



Phillip Morris Parliament tobacco ad


Phillip Morris Parliament ad



Fujitsu Glovia ad


Fujitsu Glovia ad
(Click photo above to open up full-size image.)



2002 Japan-Korea World Cup Soccer Fuji-Xerox ad


2002 Japan-Korea World Cup Soccer Fuji-Xerox ad
This ad ran in newspapers, magazines, and in Tokyo Metro subway stations.
(Click photo above to open up full-size image.)



Disney's World of English videos

Back in the mid-90s, I had the opportunity for 3 years to sing and dance in children's English education stage shows by Disney's World of English. These shows, conducted in public halls throughout Japan, were a true joy. The beauty of this part-time weekend job is that it didn't interfere with my day jobs, and allowed me to see 44 of Japan's 47 prefectures. Without question, it was one of my most glorious experiences in Japan. The job also entailed telephone English speaking and singing lessons one evening a week for young Japanese children, requiring us to learn over 60 Disney songs.

Below are videos of 3 of the shows I had the pleasure of "performing" in. smiley My pics are here: Disney Kids

World Family's Family College Show, Hamamatsu, Japan, July 19, 1997:
I believe a couple of my favorite parts are starting from the 18:20 & 25:08 min. marks.



World Family's Family College Show, Hamamatsu, Japan
(If player above is not visible, you can view video @ YouTube here.)


World Family's Family College Show, Gifu, Japan, June 30, 1996
I believe one of my favorite parts is starting from the 19:45 min. mark.



World Family's Family College Show, Gifu, Japan
(If player above is not visible, you can view video @ YouTube here.)


World Family's Puppet Show, Yamagata, Japan, Sept. 16, 1995
I believe a couple of my favorite parts are starting from the 9:35 & 19:40 min. marks.



World Family's Puppet Show, Yamagata, Japan
(If player above is not visible, you can view video @ YouTube here.)



Tokyo Talent Agencies

Here is a short list (as of Aug. 2012) of some reputable Tokyo talent agencies I've had the pleasure of working with thru the years:

1)  Echoes, 03-5457-3544
2)  Remix, 03-5570-1230
3)  D'xim, 03-3407-6508
4)  Free Wave, 03-3467-4311
5)  Junes Planning, 03-6447-1383



Profile page at IMDb.com

Gary J. Wolff, Actor




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