Biography
Hiromi Okuyama was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Her father, Kancho T. Okuyama, a Shotokan Master, hails from Hachijo-jima, an island near Tokyo, Japan, while her mother, Belle, is from Hong Kong. Hiromi began acting as a child. After high school, she attended York University in Toronto, where she earned a BA in Sociology and made the Academic Achievement List (Dean's List) for two consecutive years. During her time at York, she also took elective courses in Theater Production and Acting Fundamentals.
In 2001, she auditioned for and received a scholarship to the Second City Training Center's Diversity Program. She later co-led two improv/comedy troupes and played the female lead in the play FOB by David Henry Hwang at Toronto's Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Hiromi was involved in the early development of the Fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company. Under the mentorship of then Artistic Director Nina Aquino Lee, she wrote her first play. A few years later, she joined Fu-GEN's annual Playwrights’ group, the Kitchen, during its sixth year, where she wrote her second play, "Hitotsu," which was workshopped and showcased.
Alongside her film, television, and voiceover work (see Filmography), Hiromi has appeared in numerous commercials for companies including McDonald's, Walmart, Pizza Hut, Future Shop, Canadian Tire, Manulife Financial, Foodland Ontario, and Scotiabank. She studied the Meisner technique under John Riven, a student of Sanford Meisner. Hiromi earned her 4th Degree Black Belt in Shotokan Karate under her father, Kancho T. Okuyama. She also studied Tai Chi and Chinese swordsmanship with her maternal grandfather, Mok Shou-Lim, until his passing at age 97, proudly being his final student.
Hiromi currently resides just outside Toronto with her husband and two children. She also contributes to an unofficial Disney travel blog called Tips From the Disney Diva.
