b'C E C E I T Y I G H I T R V I W L ELBERB RTI Y SSPPOOTTLL I G HTTI NNT E E RIVE WEAtsuko Okatsuka ComedianA for Adult Swims The Eric Andre Show & Soft Focus with Jena Friedman and appears in Season 3 of HBOs Room 104,tsuko Okatsuka leapt onto the American comedy scene as a standup comedian, actor, and writer residing in Los Angeles.She recently made her debut late night appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden and serves as a comedy writer The Show Nextdoor with Randall Park on ROKU, and HULUs latest project ATTN: Mom & Pop. She is currently a cast member of Stephen Colbert produced animated series Fairview coming soon to Comedy Central & Washingtonia coming soonto Paramount+ in early 2022. Her brilliant YouTube show Lets Go Atsuko! blends the physical silliness of Japanese game showswith the dry, matter-of-fact fatuities of Wait Wait Dont Tell Me and her debut album But I Control Me shows the Japan-borncomedians tender but raw side.Photos by https://www.kimnewmoney.com/You took a trip with your grandmother to the United StatesWho are your inspirations?when you were a kid and never went back. What happened? Margaret Cho and Tig Notaro, whom Ive met. and even before I thought it was going to be a two month vacation, and it wasI could speak English or did stand up comedy, I would watch seven years, and my grandmother had intended to stay forever.physical comedians like Lucille Ball and Ken Shimura, who passed Its called lying. Its what happens when a family member lies toaway recently. Tig Notaro told me dont ever say, recently, just you. (laughs) You know, when I was in elementary school, I was ingo into the joke. Thats not profound, but its definitely something I a play and I got the role of the old woman. No one wanted to playlistened to.the old woman. I wanted to play the princess, but the princess had no lines. The old woman was the more interesting role becauseWhat one thing do you want people to come away withshe had an arc and had a lot to say, but I was really bummed thatwhen they see you, whether it is your online videos,I was cast as the old woman. My grandmother said I needed to beyour interview show or your live shows? the most memorable old woman theyll ever see and rememberFirst and foremost, I want them to laugh. I want them to feel seen, that the role was better. You have more lines, she said, andand hopefully they look at life a little differently after they have left youll teach people lessons with your character, and that really in a positive way.stuck with me. You dont have to look like the thing most people want to be. You have to be the best version of who you are.and she also said, How dare you not want to play an old woman. ImYou were performing standup when an earthquake hitan old woman! (laugh) what was going through your mind when it happened? Being a standup comedian means that you have to be ready for Is this the best time to be doing comedy or the worst?anything anyway, so that was a perfectly serendipitous moment Because the world is always on fire, but at the same time, the worldwhere I called upon all my years of training. I was raised to be quick is always progressing. Its always a good time to be a comedian. on my feet, too.Where do you see yourself in ten years? You seem to admire comedic talents with distinct, unique voices.If in ten years you were interviewing another young comedian and Well, I try to connect with the audience as much as I can with myasked her who her idol was and she said, Atsuko Okatsuka, that weird unique self as well, you know?would be cool. 16 visionsFall 2021 Sumitomo Corporation of Americas'