Karen Fukuhara has had a remarkable career, especially in recent years. Sharing credits on “Bullet Train” and the much-loved Cartoon Network animated series “Creak of the Creek,” Fukuhara has made a name for herself as fan-favorite Kimiko on Amazon Prime Video's violent superhero series “The Boys” . Given the show's continued success, we'll be seeing more of the actress in the years to come. But she didn't really start out as an actress. Instead, he was a celebrity interviewer for the Disney Channel.
In an interview to promote the fourth season of “The Boys,” Fukuhara revealed his past on Disney's “Movie Surfers.” The series featured children interviewing celebrities and highlighting upcoming movies for their audience. Fukuhara, in the early 2000s, was one of those kids who spent time as a kind of young entertainment journalist.
“I was an interviewer. When I was in high school, I worked for Disney's 'Movie Surfers,' interviewing people on the red carpet and at press conferences. I went to the photo lot. See what the animation process was like and interview the directors and actors.”
It's not a typical way to get into the business, but many former Disney stars have had massive careers. Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake are some examples. Fukuhara also recalled her first red carpet appearance in Disney's blockbuster “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” It wasn't a great experience though.
“My first red carpet was for 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and it was the scariest thing I've ever done in my entire life because it was crazy. We had to hunt down people and say, 'Hello, Jerry Bruckheimer.' Could you talk to us? You call them by name: 'Johnny, please!' If they like you, they'll come to you, but if they don't, you won't get the interview, and I felt like I had failed my entire team and I was in high school.
The cast of Disney's Surfers, Karen Fukuhara
It was only a matter of time before Fukuhara transitioned into his first role in DC's 2016 smash hit, “Suicide Squad,” alongside superstar Will Smith. From there, she starred in “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” and eventually appeared in the Oscar-winning film “The Boy and the Heron,” while landing her signature role in “The Boys.” But it was through “Movie Surfers” that he learned that acting (or at least the film and television business) was what he wanted to be a part of.
“Throughout that show, I got to see how the film and television business was based on its creative side, its magical side. “I think I really want to have a vision of that and be a part of it.”
Things went pretty well, it's safe to say. Prime Video has already ordered “The Boys” season 5, which means Fukuhara will have one last time as Kimiko before moving on to other movies and/or TV shows. One imagines he will have many opportunities beyond this show.
“The Boys” is streaming now on Prime Video, or you can watch the first two seasons on Blu-ray on Amazon.
