Rising Stars: Meet Ayako Karasawa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ayako Karasawa.

Hi Ayako, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan. But I always had an interest in acting in America. I think it all started as early as preschool for I loved standing on stage. My parents took me to see movies, theaters and many other performing arts which rooted my interest even more. In Japan, I was involved in many theatrical productions where I played a wide range of roles and genres. However, I wanted to spread my wing and branch out my acting career. I wanted to go abroad. After my brief experience of studying acting at UC Santa Cruz, I decided to leave Japan to pursue my acting here. Since moving here, I have been in multiple films and productions, some of which have been nominated for awards in film festivals.

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?
The road has definitely not been smooth. There have been many bumps along the way, but my mindset is to turn those experiences into a positive one. Obviously, there are cultural differences, but the differences are so interesting to me that I feel I can use them to deepen my life experience. I am always so excited to discover these differences because as an actor I love observing and dissecting different human behavior and thoughts.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an actor from Japan. While I was in Japan, I was mainly acting in theaters. I also studied play analysis in the Universities and my main focus was Eugene O’Neill and Ibsen. After moving to Los Angeles, I appeared in several short films as lead and supporting roles. One of the first films I joined when I got here, Symphony of the Being, was nominated in several film festivals as well as awarded in The Paus Premieres Festival. Another film, White Orchids, in which I played the lead character, was chosen as one of the finalists for the Sundance Ignite Program. What sets me apart from others… I can definitely say that because I was raised in Japan, I can bring a different perspective to my acting, and that would be something I can show through my performance. The mixture of direct and indirect ways of communication brings some dynamics, I would say. The other thing a lot of people whom I’ve worked with have told me that I have a sense of genuineness. While I was in Japan and also sometimes here, I felt that I had to put up some facade or I would say masks, to present myself in a certain way which made me depressed. Ever since then, I’ve tried to be true to myself. I feel very humbled to hear such compliments because I would like to be a person and an actor who can encourage the genuineness of human beings and spread positivity toward society as a whole in the future.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Everyone who has been involved in my life has influenced who I am, how I think and how I see things. I am who I am now, and I stand where I am now because of people that have come into my life, helped me and supported me. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to be here, so I would like to say thank you to them all. Even the bully that bullied me in elementary school! 🙂 Also all the experiences that they have given me helped build my craft and deepen my perspective toward life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ayakokarasawa.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayako.karasawa/
• Other: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm7240135?s=5ac23cf6-5695-0c16-7397-5b8ebf4dfcc4&site_preference=normal 

Image Credits
Stephanie Girard Bjoern Kommerell “Kamikazari” iam.sample