Tamlyn Tomita

Tamlyn Naomi Tomita (born January 27, 1966) is a Japanese-American actress. She made her screen debut as Kumiko in The Karate Kid Part II and reprised the character for the streaming series Cobra Kai (2021). She is also well known for her role as Waverly in The Joy Luck Club (1993). Additional films include Come See the Paradise (1990), Picture Bride (1994), Four Rooms (1995), Robot Stories (2003), The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and Gaijin 2: Love Me as I Am (2005).

Tomita also has played several recurring roles on television series, including 24, Glee, Teen Wolf, Eureka, and How to Get Away with Murder. She starred on the Epix drama series Berlin Station (2016), and in 2017 began starring in the ABC medical drama The Good Doctor. In 2020, she had a recurring role in Star Trek: Picard. She also released a solo album "Sweet Surprise" exclusively in Japan.

Early life and education Tamlyn Tomita, a second generation Japanese-American (nisei), was born January 27, 1966, on a U.S. military base in Okinawa and grew up in Los Angeles. Her Japanese-American father was in an internment camp during World War II. and attended University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she studied history and planned to become a history teacher. While a junior at UCLA, she participated in Nisei Week, where she was crowned its 1984 queen. She and several other Japanese-American girls were asked by Helen Funai, the 1963 pageant queen, She promised her parents that she would finish college, and then explore acting. In 1993, she co-starred opposite Ming-Na Wen in the ensemble cast drama The Joy Luck Club and the next year she had a role in the 1994 independent film Picture Bride. In 1995 Tomita appeared alongside Antonio Banderas in the Robert Rodriguez-directed segment of the vignette anthology comedy Four Rooms.

In the 21st century, Tomita has had roles in other independent films and co-starred in several major Hollywood productions, including playing Janet Tokada in The Day After Tomorrow. In 2005, she starred in the Brazilian drama film Gaijin 2: Love Me as I Am and also had a leading role in the independent film Robot Stories in 2003. She was also in Only the Brave about the Japanese American segregated fighting unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II, which included two other Karate Kid stars, Yuji Okumoto and Pat Morita.

Television Tomita appeared as a character named Ming Li on the NBC daytime soap opera Santa Barbara from May to September 1988. In 1994, she guest-starred in the first episode of season 3 of Highlander: The Series. In 2008, she made her return to daytime soaps with a recurring role on ABC's General Hospital. In 2012, she had another recurring role on NBC's Days of Our Lives.

From 1996 to 1997, Tomita was a regular cast member in the short-lived UPN drama series, The Burning Zone. In 1993, she appeared in the pilot movie for Babylon 5 as Lt. Commander Takashima, second-in-command of the titular space station, but she declined the opportunity to continue as a cast member of the subsequent series. During her career she has guest starred on shows such as Seven Days; Quantum Leap; Living Single; Murder, She Wrote; Chicago Hope; Will & Grace; Nash Bridges; The Shield; Strong Medicine; Stargate SG-1; Stargate: Atlantis; The Mentalist; Private Practice; True Blood; Zoo; Tour of Duty; Criminal Minds; and many other dramas and comedies. She had longer term recurring roles on Crossing Jordan, JAG, 24, Eureka, Heroes, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Glee, Teen Wolf, Resurrection, How to Get Away with Murder, and Chasing Life.

In 2016, Tomita played a series regular role on the Epix drama series Berlin Station. From 2017 to 2019 she was a recurring character on the ABC medical drama The Good Doctor.

Tomita began a recurring role as the Vulcan/Romulan hybrid Commodore Oh on the CBS All Access web television series Star Trek: Picard in 2020.

In 2021, she reprised her 1980s role as Kumiko for two episodes in Season 3 of Cobra Kai, a television sequel to the Karate Kid films. they were married and had founded the Outside In Theatre in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Filmography Film

Television + List of television performances or appearances by Tamlyn Tomita Year Title Role Notes 1987 Tour of Duty VC Peasant Woman Episode: "Sitting Ducks" 1987–1988 Santa Barbara Lily Murakami, Ming Li 31 episodes 1988 Hiroshima Maiden Miyeko Matsuda Television film 1988 To Heal a Nation Maya Ying Lin Television film 1989 The Karate Kid Additional Characters (voices) Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" 1990 Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes Sally Television film 1992 Quantum Leap Tamlyn Matsuda Episode: "Temptation Eyes" 1992 Raven Kim Tanaka Episode: "Return of the Black Dragon" 1993 Babylon 5: The Gathering Lt. Cmdr. Laurel Takashima Television film 1994 Time Trax Toshi Episode: "Return of the Yakuza" 1994 Vanishing Son II Lanchi Television film 1994 One West Waikiki Taylor Chun Episode: Til Death Do Us Part" 1994 Highlander: The Series Midori Kent/Maia Koto Episode: "The Samurai" 1994 Living Single Mary Episode: "Bristle While You Work" 1994 Vanishing Son IV Lanchi Television film 1994 Murder, She Wrote Det. Sharon Matsumoto Episode: "Death in Hawaii" 1994 Roseanne Waitress Episode: "Isn't It Romantic?" 1995 Vanishing Son Lan Chi Episode: "Single Flame" 1995 Sisters Kiri Adams 2 episodes 1996 Chicago Hope Tina – Sutton's Ex #3 Episode: "Ex Marks the Spot" 1996–1997 The Burning Zone Dr. Kimberly Shiroma Series regular, 11 episodes 1997 The Sentinel Suzane Tomaki Episode: "Smart Alec" 1997 Raven: Return of the Black Dragons Kim Tanaka Television film 1998 Chicago Hope Jennifer Watanabe Episode: "McNeil and Pray" 1999 Seven Days Michelle Episode: "Walter" 1999 Will & Grace Naomi Episode: "I Never Promised You an Olive Garden" 1999 The Last Man on Planet Earth Agent Kara Hastings Television film 2000 Runaway Virus Monique Chao Television film 2000 Nash Bridges Amy Chin 2 episodes 2000 The Michael Richards Show Ming Episode: "USA Toy" 2001 Destiny Television film 2001 FreakyLinks Emma Reed Episode: "Subject: The Final Word" 2001 Walking Shadow Rikki Wu Television film 2001 Providence Mary Cassidy Episode: "Civil Unrest" 2001 Crossing Jordan Dr. Grace Yakura 3 episodes 2002 The Shield Wanda Higoshi Episode: "Pilot" 2002 For the People Dr. Chaney Episode: "Come Blow Your Whistle" 2002–2003 JAG Lt. Cmdr. Tracy Manetti Recurring role, 7 episodes 2002–2003 24 Jenny Dodge Recurring role, 5 episodes 2003 The Agency Elizabeth—Female Kidnapper 2 episodes 2003 Threat Matrix Special Agent Nicole Hill Episode: "Under the Gun" 2004 Strong Medicine Dr. Nash Episode: "Goodbye/Rest in Peace" 2004–2005 North Shore Xiao 2 episodes 2005 Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't Helen Morrison Television film 2006 Commander in Chief Randy Episode: "No Nukes Is Good Nukes" 2006 Stargate SG-1 Shen Xiaoyi 2 episodes 2006, 2008 Stargate Atlantis 2 episodes 2006–2007, 2009 Eureka Kim Anderson Recurring role, 5 episodes 2007 Women's Murder Club Sachiko Johannes Episode: "Maybe Baby" 2007–2008, 2010 Heroes Ishi Nakamura 3 episodes 2008–2009 General Hospital Giselle 6 episodes 2008 Saving Grace Tori Chen Episode: "Have a Seat, Earl" 2008 Twenty Good Years Episode: "Come Fly with Me" 2008 Two Sisters Shakti Television film 2009 Monk Eileen Hill Episode: "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall" 2009 The Mentalist Lauri Medina Episode: "Bloodshot" 2009 Criminal Minds Dr. Linda Kimura Episode: "Amplification" 2009 CSI: Miami Dr. Sarah Fordham Episode: "Seeing Red" 2009 Private Practice Katie's Lawyer Episode: "Strange Bedfellows" 2010 Memphis Beat Noreen Drake Episode: "I Want to Be Free" 2010–2011 Law & Order: LA Miwako Nishizawa Recurring role, 10 episodes 2011 The Chicago Code Prosecutor Episode: "Bathhouse & Hinky Dink" 2011 The Protector Katrina Episode: "Bangs" 2011 Glee Julia Chang Episode: "Asian F" 2012 Days of Our Lives Dr. Ellen Yu 6 episodes 2012 Make It or Break It Dr. Lim Episode: "Listen to the Universe" 2012 Touch Kazuko Osugi Episode: "Gyre, Part 1" 2012 Hollywood Heights Sarah Medeiros 2 episodes 2013 Bones Dr. Alice Crawford Episode: "The Doll in the Derby" 2013 True Blood Ms. Suzuki 2 episodes 2014–2017 Teen Wolf Noshiko Yukimura Recurring role, 16 episodes 2014 Resurrection Dr. Toni Willis Recurring role, 5 episodes 2014–2015 How to Get Away with Murder Judge Carol Marrow 2 episodes 2014 NCIS: Los Angeles Homeland Security Agent Shana Rollins Episode: "Leipei" 2015 Chasing Life Dr. Mae Lin Recurring role, 5 episodes 2015 Zoo Minako Oz Episode: "The Silence of the Cicadas" 2016 Berlin Station Sandra Abe Series regular, 10 episodes 2017–2019 The Good Doctor Allegra Aoki Series regular (seasons 1–2)Special guest (season 3)23 episodes 2018 Counterpart Doctor Episode: "Love the Lie" 2018 The Man in the High Castle Tamiko Watanabe Recurring role, 6 episodes 2020 Star Trek: Picard Commodore Oh 3 episodes 2020 DuckTales Inspector Tezuka Episode: "Astro B.O.Y.D." 2021 Cobra Kai Kumiko 2 episodes 2023–2026 Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Caroline Randa Guest role, 5 episodes 2024 Avatar: The Last Airbender Yukari Episode: "Warriors" 2024 Dead Boy Detectives The Principal Episode: "The Case of the Hungry Snake" 2026 Chicago Med Celeste Frost Guest role, 3 episodes 2026 Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Drea Lawson Voice role, Episode: "Chapter 5: Inquisition"

Video games + List of video game performances/appearances by Tamlyn Tomita Year Title Role Notes 2002 James Bond 007: Nightfire Makiko Hayashi