Interview With ‘Harmony’ Star Kyoko Yates!
Photo Credit: @DeniseLinPhoto
- When did you realize you wanted to start in the entertainment industry?
I feel like I grew up entertaining and being on stage. When I was four I was dancing at eisteddfods and concerts. When I was ten I was singing at carols. I’ve always loved it and couldn’t imagine a life without it. It was thirteen though when I started taking it seriously and worked towards trying to make it a career for myself long term. I couldn’t imagine my life going any other way.
- Who are your acting inspirations?
I adore Kiera Knightly and how powerful yet vulnerable all her performances are. Audrey Hepburn’s grace. Meryl Streeps performances always fascinate me. And I love how Margot Robbie keeps jumping into the bodies of all these different types of characters. All of these women have and continue to inspire me daily. Mash them all together and they would be the ultimate actor.
- What is your dream role?
I love playing those mean, misunderstood, “mean girl” or villain roles. I use to play them all the time in theatre, and there’s just something so fun and exciting about these characters. You get to explore them, understand them, and what brought them to these places in their life. I always find a lot of empathy for them, and end up loving these characters and having a connection to them. I would also love to be involved in a fantasy film, to not just play the character but be involved in the process of creating the story.
- What is the best piece of advice pertaining to entertainment industry you’ve received so far?
It’s a marathon not a sprint. It takes years to build a good solid career and it’s lots of hard work, falling down and getting back up again. But if you do it, then I promise it is worth it. And to always be learning.
- What was your experience like working on Harmony?
It was a very educational film for me, because I related so much to the character. It was my first experience doing a film that spoke about my Japanese heritage and the struggle of growing up in a western society while having this background. I think it’s something a lot of people go through now because the world is so accessible, and there’s so much diversity. These stories are important to tell, it’s why we are actors. To share stories, to talk about where we came from, and issues that are important. The locations for this shoot was awesome as well! So much fun.
- What has the fan reaction been like to the film?
I feel so honored that so many people cared about this film. I’ve had a lot of people start a discussion to me about their experiences, or what they thought, or how the music felt or the locations of the shoot, and I think it’s great. That’s what film’s should be about. Touching people and starting a discussion that needs to be made.
- Have you taken any of the skills you’ve learned from working on that project to any others?
Of course! I loved working with the director, Alejandro Yoshizawa. We both had the same experience with being half Japanese growing up in a western society, that I felt we explored and were better able to understand through the creation of this film. In that way, it was like we were working to recreate something we both felt, which was really important! There was a lot of improvisation on the spot that all together worked out great. Sometimes I enjoy working on projects where there isn’t so much dialogue, so it’s all about what is unsaid. Every time I read a script, I feel like I see it differently.
- Are you working on any other projects you’d like to share with your fans?
Pilot season has been very busy, but still working on some short films with my friends in Los Angeles. And hopefully getting back into some theatre within the next months when it gets more quiet. It’s what I love about this industry, anything can happen at any moment. And there’s always plenty of opportunities to create content and make art.
- What are your social media accounts?
@kyokoyates on Instagram and Facebook @kyokoyatesactress
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