Today we’d like to introduce you to Hazuki Kato.
Hi Hazuki, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in Japan. My mother is an English teacher and she had a big influence on me. I grew up watching a lot of American movies, so I always dreamt of being in Hollywood, but it was also surreal to me at the time in my little hometown. After graduating from high school, I decided to study abroad in the United States to become a film director or a special effect make-up artist. I studied directing at college in San Jose. I then had the opportunity to be cast in a fashion show in San Francisco and realized that I enjoyed being on stage to express myself. I am very tall for a Japanese woman, so it made sense to start my career in modeling. After moving to LA, I got cast in a reality TV show called “Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency” and I was the first Asian model to be cast as a series regular on the show. This opportunity opened a lot of doors for my modeling career. However, my passion was always in acting. As I continued modeling, I started taking acting classes as well as martial arts training and gained more experience performing in film, TV, and music videos. I am very grateful for the opportunities and I am enjoying my journey here in the US!
One of my proudest and most passionate projects is a feature film called “In full Bloom” which was released in theaters and available on demand from October 15th, 2021. The story takes place in post- World War 2 in Japan in which a Japanese boxing champion fights an American underdog in a boxing match, each carrying the weight of his own country. It is a very deeply human story.
Please check this movie out if you have a chance!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I started modeling, I thought it would be a smooth road, but as I gained more experience in acting and trained more, I faced rejection every day, and I found out that it was not a smooth road at all. I need to have tough skin to separate and protect my feelings from constant rejection, but I try to keep my motivation high and continue moving forward towards my dream and to always be my better self. I’ve learned how to handle my sentimental feelings over the years. There is a Japanese word called “EN (縁・えん)” The closest meaning in English is “fate”, or “meant to be”. I consider all my opportunities as “EN”, because there are so many things that are out of my control and it is not worth being sad or depressed over this. After I obtained this mindset, I was able to enjoy my auditions and projects more and focused on doing my best to be that character or living as that character. Martial arts training also helped me a lot. I practiced KARATE when I was a child but then I stopped. I then started my martial trainings again when I started my acting career in the US. I trained in Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, Kick boxing, Ta-te (Japanese Sword Fighting Combat), and Kenjutsu. These trainings not only helped my physical strength but also my mental strength, and I was able to keep myself happy, strong, and positive even during difficult times.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
2020 was an interesting year for me. It was a very difficult time for all of us. However, in my case, it was taking a break from my usual life and spending a lot of time figuring out what was really important to me in life. Since I moved to the US, I hardly spent time in Japan and in my hometown. I stayed in Japan for three months last year and two months in beginning of this year. Before that, I was afraid of missing my auditions so I hardly went back. Pursuing my acting career was everything to me. Today, my career is still VERY important to me but it is not my everything. I want to enjoy life and experience new adventures. I lived in Paris for a month this August. I let my representation know that I wouldn’t be able to go to any auditions or do any projects during this time. I lived in Paris and enjoyed every moment in that beautiful city. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had and I came back to LA with a rejuvenated motivation towards a fresh start. Also, spending a lot of time in Japan made me realize how grateful I was to be in LA and how amazing my home country, “JAPAN” was. It was an interesting time for me to realize these things during the Covid-19 Crisis.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@kevinsentertainment.com
- Website: https://www.hazukikato.com/
- Instagram: @hazuki__kato
- Other: https://www.kevinsentertainment.com/ – management
Image Credits
Exactdigitalphotos
