Born Name
Karen Fukuhara
Nick Name
Kazzy
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Born Place
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
After graduating from high school, Karen Fukuhara got enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Theater in 2014.
Occupation
Actress
Family
- Father – Her father works with a Japanese company.
- Mother – Her mother is a piano teacher.
- Siblings – She has a younger brother.
Manager
Karen Fukuhara is represented by Beverly Hills-based United Talent Agency.
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 2 in or 157 cm
Weight
50 kg or 110 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Asian
She has Japanese ancestry.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Black
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Petite figure
- High cheekbones
Best Known For
- Being cast in the role of Tatsu Yamashiro / Katana in the action superhero movie, Suicide Squad (2016).
- Having lent her voice to the characters of Alexis and Sewer Queen in the animated TV series, Craig of the Creek, which aired on Cartoon Network.
First Film
In 2016, Karen made her theatrical film debut in the popular action-comedy flick, Suicide Squad.
First TV Show
In 2016, Karen Fukuhara made her first TV show appearance as herself on the talk show, Conan.
Personal Trainer
To prepare for her role of Katana, Karen had to undertake a specialized and grueling training regime. Her training regime comprised of martial arts training, sword training, and gym work. She also had to undertake a weight training regime so that she could lift the sword and wield it flawlessly. The sword training gave her a good core workout.
She did martial arts training under the guidance of Richard Mesquita. For the stunts and action sequences, she had to work with Richard Norton and Guy Norris.
After the end of the Suicide Squad shoot, Karen changed her workout routine. She tries to go to the gym as much as possible. The workout starts with rower or treadmill. It is followed by weight training. Karen has also started going back to karate dojo that she used to train at while in high school.
Regarding food, she doesn’t follow any diet and loves to eat carb-rich pasta and rice. However, to prepare for her role, she had to follow one. She had to eat a lot of chicken breast, quinoa, and green vegetables. However, she didn’t have to worry about meal preparation as she was given customized meals on the movie sets.
Karen Fukuhara Favorite Things
- Dream Director – Christopher Nolan
- Spirit Animal – Alpaca
Source – Hollywood Reporter, Coup de Main Magazine
Karen Fukuhara Facts
- While studying in high school, she was a karate champion. However, she had only got into karate because her brother had started karate and her mother wanted Karen to babysit him.
- To prepare for her role in Suicide Squad, she perfected her sword fighting skills. She also did most of her stunts in the movie on her own.
- Before she got her big break in Hollywood, she did a number of odd jobs including working as a subtitle editor, part-time translator, and waitress at a sushi restaurant.
- When she learned that she was going to be cast in Suicide Squad, she was working as a translator for a Japanese model.
- Her suicide squad co-star Margot Robbie tattooed SKWAD on her heel, while they were shooting for the movie. Robbie had got tattoo gun as a birthday present.
- While growing up, her first language at home was Japanese. Her father still can’t fluently converse in English.
- For her audition tape for Suicide Squad, she borrowed a sword from her friend and learned moves a day before she taped her audition.
- When she got her role in the successful DC movie, she didn’t have an agent.
- In karate, she has managed to earn a brown striped belt. She used to fly to Japan for various karate world championships.
- She managed to bag her first professional gig while she was in middle school. She was hired as a reporter for Disney Channel’s Movie Surfers, in which she got to interview many actors including Johnny Depp, who were cast in Disney projects.
- While studying in high school, she worked in the capacity of sports reporter for a Japanese Television Network, NHK.
- While studying at UCLA, she was a member of college’s Cappella group, UCLA Medleys. She used to sing for the group.
- Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Featured Image by Karen Fukuhara / Instagram
