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Amy Okuda
Amy Okuda
Amy Okuda
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Amy Okuda is a Japanese-American actress. She portrayed Julia Sasaki on the Netflix comedy-drama Atypical (2017–2021), where she was a series regular during the first two seasons. Okuda is most well-known as Tinkerballa in the popular web series The Guild.

Key Information

Early life

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Okuda was born in Torrance, California. Her early years focused on basketball, which she played from the age of five. She began dancing in the seventh grade and took up acting a few years later.[2]

Career

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In 2007, she landed a role in the TV show Californication with David Duchovny. Also in 2007, Okuda got the role of Tinkerballa in The Guild,[3] her first recurring role. As of the end of season four, she has been in all of the show's episodes, with the exception of a few Season 3 episodes where her character was mentioned but not seen.

In 2010, she appeared in a short educational film about the Spitzer Space Telescope.[4] While flying to Saturn, she observes a giant ring newly discovered in 2009 by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

In 2011, she appeared in the Break.com original music video "Tonight, I'm Frakking You" which is a science fiction and video game parody of the song "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" by Enrique Iglesias. In the video, she appears along with Alessandra Torresani, Kunal Nayyar, and Matthew Brown.

In November 2011, she was cast in a horror-social satire film titled Chastity Bites.[5] She plays queen bee "mean girl" Ashley Thorne.

In June 2012, she played Samantha in the YouTube channel YOMYOMF's series BFFs. Later that month, Amy played a recurring role in the web series Away We Happened on the YouTube channel Wong Fu Productions. The film starred Jen Chae and Victor Kim.

In April 2013, she appeared in the episode "The Bachelor" of The Middle (season 4, episode 19) as Sue's Tennis opponent, and on the TableTop web series.

On March 25, 2014, she appeared in Brooklyn Nine-Nine's season finale "Charges and Specs" (season 1, episode 22) as Sgt. Terry Jeffords' former girlfriend. She reprised the role in two later episodes. In 2014, she starred in José Manuel Cravioto's horror thriller film Reversal, along Keith Johnson and Bianca Malinowski.[6]

In 2015, she appeared in Season 2 of Shonda Rhimes' television drama series How to Get Away With Murder on ABC. Okuda also appeared as Christine Tanaka in two episodes of the television series adapted from Philip K. Dick's novel The Man in the High Castle.[7][8]

In 2016, Okuda was cast as Julia Sasaki in the Netflix comedy television series Atypical, which debuted on August 11, 2017.[9][10]

Personal life

[edit]

On November 3, 2018, Okuda married fiancé Mitchell Hashimoto.[11]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
2009 Do You Wanna Date My Avatar Tinkerballa Video short
2010 Spaceship Spitzer: Bots of Both Worlds Captain Short film
2011 Elf Sabers Elf Amy
2012 It Has Begun: Bananapocalypse Herself
2013 Chastity Bites Ashley
It's Dark Here Mean Girl
2014 Operation Barn Owl Amy Short film
House Meeting Ghost Maid
2015 The Wedding Ringer Lurch's Wife Marci
Bound to Vengeance Captive Girl 1
Hello, My Name is Doris Des
If the Internet Was a High School Kotaku Video short
2016 The Sibling Code Sheryl Short film
All Exchanges Final Erin
TBA Liked Amanda Post-Production

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
2007–2013 The Guild Tinkerballa Web series; Main role; 57 episodes
2007 Californication Mia's Classmate 1 episode
2011 B-Sides Unknown
2012 Jane By Design Asian Girl
My Gimpy Life Amy
Shake It Up! Hideko Wantanabe
Bite Me Zombie Kelly 5 episodes
BFFs Sam 6 episodes
Away We Happened Lynn
The Flog Guest/Host 2 episodes
2013, 2016 TableTop Guest 3 episodes
2013 The Middle Opponent Guest roles; 1 episode
Crash & Bernstein Slater
2014 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Chiaki
Grey's Anatomy Chelsea Ansell
Awkward Cammie
Bleach Rolando Television movie
2015 A to Z Becky 1 episode
The Man in the High Castle Christine Tanaka 2 episodes
Entertainment Weekly Herself Television special
2015–2016 How to Get Away with Murder Catherine Hapstall 11 episodes
2016 Scream Queens Anna Plaisance 1 episode
2016–2020 The Good Place Jessica/Gayle Recurring role
2017–2021 Atypical Julia Sasaki Main role (season 1 and 2) Recurring (season 3)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Chiaki Guest role; 2 episodes
2017 MacGyver Zoe Kimura 1 episode
2018 So Close Crystal Television film
2019 The Selection Gayle Spin-off of The Good Place
Main role; 6 episodes

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Amy Okuda

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Amy Okuda (born March 6, 1989) is an American actress of Japanese descent, recognized for her breakthrough role as the gamer character Tinkerballa in the web series The Guild (2007–2013), which garnered over 300 million views across six seasons. Born and raised in , Okuda initially pursued from age five with aspirations of a professional career in the WNBA before transitioning to dance at age 13 and discovering acting in high school. She attended the , where she joined the sorority, and honed her skills through workshops rather than formal drama training. Her early career included appearances in commercials, music videos, and content from creators like , leading to her debut acting role at age 17 in The Guild, created by . Okuda's television credits expanded with guest and recurring roles in shows such as Californication (2007), Grey's Anatomy (2013), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–2014), The Middle (2014), How to Get Away with Murder (2015), and The Good Place (2016–2020). She earned acclaim for her series regular role as Julia Sasaki, the therapist and romantic interest in the Netflix comedy-drama Atypical (2017–2021), appearing in the first two seasons and contributing to discussions on neurodiversity and Asian representation in media. Her film work includes supporting parts in Chastity Bites (2013), her feature debut, and The Wedding Ringer (2015). Okuda received Streamy Award recognition for The Guild, winning Best Ensemble Cast in 2009 and earning a nomination in 2010.

Early life

Family background

Amy Okuda was born on March 6, 1989, in Torrance, California, to parents of Japanese descent. She grew up in Southern California in a Japanese-American household, where her ethnic heritage shaped her early experiences, including navigating stereotypes as a "tiny little Asian girl" pursuing athletics. From a young age, Okuda developed a passion for , starting to play at five years old with encouragement from her mother, who supported her drills and later her transition to dance despite financial challenges.

Education

Okuda grew up in , attending local high school, where she developed a strong interest in , practicing drills with her mother from and dreaming of a professional career in the WNBA. At age 13, she transitioned to dance, securing an agent and appearing in commercials for brands like Apple, Verizon, and , which marked her initial foray into performance. She later attended the (USC), where she was a member of the Beta Pi chapter of sorority. Her university experience solidified her dedication to acting, highlighting her growing passion for the craft over other pursuits.

Career

Early roles

Okuda began her acting career in 2007 with a guest appearance as Mia's Classmate in the episode "LOL" of the Showtime series Californication. This minor role marked her entry into professional television work shortly after relocating to . That same year, she secured her first recurring role as Tinkerballa, a bold and tech-savvy gamer, in Felicia Day's independent The Guild, which ran for six seasons from 2007 to 2013 and gained a for its portrayal of online gaming culture. Between 2008 and 2012, Okuda supplemented her resume with appearances in short films, music videos, and television commercials, often leveraging her background in to secure these early gigs in the competitive scene. Notable among these was her role as in the 2012 YouTube BFFs, produced by YOMYOMF, where she portrayed one of four Asian-American friends navigating post-college life. She also reprised her The Guild character in the 2009 video short Do You Wanna Date My Avatar?. Her feature film debut came in 2013 with the horror-comedy , in which she played Ashley Thorne, the queen bee of a high school mean girl clique targeted by a . Throughout these formative years, Okuda faced significant challenges as an Asian-American actress, including limited audition opportunities due to racial barriers and influenced by stereotypes related to appearance, age, and cultural expectations. Her persistence, bolstered by her education, helped her navigate these obstacles while building a foundation in web and independent projects.

Breakthrough and major television work

Okuda's breakthrough in television came with guest appearances in Shonda Rhimes-produced dramas, beginning with her role as Chelsea Ansell, a patient in the season 10 episode "Go It Alone" of in 2014. This single-episode stint highlighted her ability to convey emotional depth in high-stakes medical scenarios, demonstrating versatility within the interconnected universe. She followed this with a more substantial recurring role as Catherine Hapstall, the adopted sister entangled in a murder mystery, in season 2 of How to Get Away with Murder (2015–2016). Appearing in 11 episodes, Okuda portrayed Catherine as a quiet, artistic young woman navigating family trauma and legal intrigue, contributing to the series' exploration of privilege and deception. The casting was announced by Variety as a key addition to the ensemble, marking her shift from to network television prominence. Okuda's most significant television role arrived as Julia Sasaki on Netflix's (2017–2021), where she had a main role (series regular) in seasons 1–2, recurring in season 3, and guest in season 4, appearing in 23 episodes total as the empathetic therapist to the show's autistic protagonist, Sam Gardner. Her performance as the professional yet personally conflicted Julia provided emotional grounding amid the series' comedic and dramatic elements, earning praise for its nuance in depicting therapeutic relationships. Building on the online fanbase from her early role in The Guild, this part solidified her as a leading Asian-American actress in . Through these roles, Okuda has advanced Asian-American visibility on mainstream , portraying multifaceted professionals who challenge reductive , as noted in discussions of representation in shows like . Her work in Rhimes productions and beyond emphasized diverse narratives, contributing to broader conversations on inclusivity in drama and comedy genres.

Film appearances and recent projects

Okuda made her film debut in the 2013 horror comedy , portraying the supporting character Ashley in a story about a high school girl bitten by a . In 2015, she took on multiple supporting roles in feature films, including , where she played Lurch's Wife Marci, a in the ensemble comedy led by and , which follows a man hiring a wedding planner to assemble a fake groomsmen party. That same year, Okuda appeared as Des in , a dramedy starring as an eccentric older woman pursuing a younger colleague, contributing to the film's ensemble of quirky office colleagues. She also featured briefly as Captive Girl 1 in the thriller , a revenge tale involving a young woman's escape and pursuit of her kidnapper. Okuda's later film work includes a minor role as the Ticketing Agent in the 2021 Disney+ holiday comedy Home Sweet Home Alone, the sixth installment in the Home Alone franchise, where a boy defends his home from bumbling intruders. Following the conclusion of her prominent television role in Atypical in 2021, Okuda's cinematic output has been limited, with no major film releases as of November 2025; her recent projects have shifted toward selective voice acting, such as additional voices in the 2023 animated Netflix series Captain Fall and Japanese Anchor in the American Dad! episode "Guardian" (2025). This period reflects a focus on fewer but targeted opportunities amid a noted decrease in high-profile film visibility.

Personal life

Marriage and family

Okuda married software engineer and entrepreneur Mitchell Hashimoto on November 3, 2018, following several years of dating. The couple has one , born after their marriage. The couple resides in , where they maintain a low-key family life centered on shared routines and occasional public appearances together. Hashimoto, founder of the infrastructure automation company , and Okuda often share glimpses of their domestic life through interviews and events, emphasizing mutual support in their respective careers. Their relationship highlights a blend of Hollywood and influences.

Interests and activism

Okuda has been vocal about the need for improved Asian American representation in Hollywood, highlighting the prevalence of stereotypical roles for of Asian descent. In a 2015 interview, she noted that "the one Asian person on every show has to be the nerdy or the smart one," emphasizing the limitations such tropes impose on diverse storytelling. Her early involvement in like The Guild contributed to broader efforts by Asian American creators seeking to challenge these norms and promote cultural through digital platforms. Beyond advocacy, Okuda maintains personal interests rooted in her upbringing, including a longstanding passion for , which she first pursued intensively as a child with her mother's support. Her portrayal of therapist Julia Sasaki in Atypical has also tied into mental health awareness, with the series fostering public conversations about autism spectrum experiences and the importance of supportive therapy. In terms of philanthropy, Okuda has supported relief efforts during challenging times, particularly in 2020 amid the . She participated in a livestream reunion with her The Guild castmates, raising over $40,000 for No Kid Hungry to address child food insecurity. Additionally, she joined the celebrity charity stream benefiting .

Filmography

Film

Okuda made her feature film debut in the horror comedy (2013), playing the role of Ashley, a mean girl in a high school setting threatened by a . In , she appeared in two films: the thriller , as Captive Girl 1, one of the victims in a story of abduction and revenge, and the comedy , portraying Lurch's Wife Marci in a supporting capacity amid a group of eccentric groomsmen. Her 2016 role came in the dramedy , where she played Des, a friend of the in this tale of unlikely romance and self-discovery. Okuda's most recent film appearance to date is in the 2021 holiday comedy , a of the classic franchise, in which she portrayed the Ticketing Agent in a brief but memorable scene at an airport.

Television

Okuda's early television work included guest appearances and roles in , which served as an entry point to broadcast and . She debuted on screen in 2007 with a guest role as Mia's classmate in the Showtime series Californication. That same year, she joined the The Guild in a recurring role as Tinkerballa, appearing across multiple episodes through 2013. In 2014, Okuda guest-starred as Chelsea Ansell in an episode of the ABC medical drama . She followed with a two-episode guest arc as Christine Tanaka in the Amazon series The Man in the High Castle in 2015. From 2015 to 2016, Okuda portrayed Catherine Hapstall in a recurring capacity across 11 episodes of ABC's How to Get Away with Murder. In 2016, she made guest appearances as Anna Plaisance in Scream Queens and as Zoe MacIntosh in (2017). Okuda had a recurring role as Jessica/Gayle (2016–2020) in . Okuda achieved series regular status from 2017 to 2021 as Julia Sasaki, the therapist character, appearing in 23 episodes of Netflix's . In 2018, she appeared as Mei in the Netflix miniseries Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever.. Her most recent television credit as of 2025 is providing additional voices for an episode of the animated Netflix series in 2023. In 2019, Okuda was cast as history Cat Wheeler in the Showtime series Yellowjackets, but the character was ultimately cut prior to production.

References

  1. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/amy-okuda.html
  2. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/amy-okuda/bio/3000257003/
  3. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/rise-amy-okuda-youtube-shondaland-n450511
  4. https://watchtheguild.com/
  5. https://www.alphaphi.org/news-quarterly-magazine/news-posts/embracing-the-role-amy-okuda/
  6. https://www.naijanews.com/buzz/people/amy-okuda-biography-early-life-career-personal-life-husband/
  7. https://www.facebook.com/AlphaPhi/posts/at-the-women-of-achievement-awards-luncheon-we-were-able-to-honor-both-the-2018-/10160230551013293/
  8. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1039936/
  9. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/amy_okuda
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  13. https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/how-to-get-away-with-murder-adds-new-character-for-season-2-exclusive-1201582076/
  14. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6315640/characters/nm2782504/
  15. https://joysauce.com/the-mental-health-stakes-of-asian-representation/
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  19. https://www.businessinsider.com/hashicorp-founder-mitchell-hashimoto-on-passion-projects-hiring-a-ceo-2018-10
  20. https://twitter.com/mitchellh/status/1764149638196789429
  21. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/how-depiction-autism-tv-continues-evolve-1028217/
  22. https://nerdbot.com/2020/04/17/the-guild-will-be-playing-dd-for-charity-this-week/
  23. https://tiltify.com/@ign/ign-animal-crossing-celeb-island-tour-charity-stream
  24. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11012066/fullcredits/
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  29. https://deadline.com/2019/11/juliette-lewis-christina-ricci-cast-showtime-drama-pilot-yellowjackets-1202790020/
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