Born: 25 November 1932, United States
Died: NA
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Takayo Tsubouchi
The following is republished from the Densho Encyclopedia, in line with the Creative Commons licensing. It was written by Patricia Wakida.
Nisei actress Takayo (Tsubouchi) Fischer (1932-) has appeared in dozens of major Hollywood films including Moneyball (2011), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and War of the Worlds (2005). She has also worked on many independent Asian American films including Americanese (2009), Only the Brave (2005), Stand Up For Justice: The Ralph Lazo Story (2004), and Strawberry Fields (1997).
She was born in Hardwick, California, on November 25, 1932, to Issei parents Chukuro and Kinko Tsubouchi. During World War II, she, along with her four sisters and parents, was forcibly sent to the Fresno Assembly Center before being moved to permanent War Relocation Authority camps in Jerome and Rohwer, Arkansas. After the war, the Tsubouchi family moved to Chicago, Illinois, where, as a young adult, she was crowned “Miss Nisei Queen” and attended Rollins College in Florida from 1951-53.
In 1958, she appeared in the stage production of The World of Suzie Wong in New York. She won a Drama-Logue Award for ensemble performance for Tea at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. She has also appeared in many productions with East West Players in Los Angeles, including Into The Woods. She toured the U.S. and Europe in The Peony Pavilion in 1997.
Fischer has had numerous guest-starring roles on network television including FX’s It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia as a North Korean bar owner named Mr. Kim. She is sometimes credited as “Takayo Doran.”
Fischer has done extensive voice-over work on several cartoon programs. Some of her well-known roles included voice work for Mister T, Battle of the Planets, Rubik the Amazing Cube, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Saturday Supercade, The Flintstone Kids, Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, The All-New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show, The Karate Kid, Capitol Critters, The Centurions, The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show, The Heathcliff and Dingbat Show, Super Friends, Thundarr the Barbarian, Rambo, Wildfire, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Teen Titans, Justice League Unlimited and Avatar: The Last Airbender. She also reprised her role as Mistress Ching in the video game version of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
On November 29, 1980, she married entertainment executive Sy Fischer. She currently works and resides in Los Angeles and has three children.