ShowBizzBuzz: Miki Yamashita in Disney Junior’s “The Lion Guard”
ShowBizzBuzz = Entertainment news…here’s the latest:
Who is Buzzworthy?
Actress Miki Yamashita who voices the lioness ‘Nirmala’ in the third and final season of Disney Junior’s animated series The Lion Guard.
Miki now joins the stellar guest cast which has included Rob Lowe, David Oyelowo, Gabrielle Union, Christian Slater, Blair Underwood, Sarah Hyland, Common, and Sinbad.
What’s The Lion Guard about?
The show is described as: A spinoff of The Lion King, Disney’s original award-winning film, The Lion Guard follows Kion, the son of Simba, as he leads a group of friends in protecting the Pride Lands. The third season kicked-off after Kion is injured. The Lion Guard must embark on a journey to the Tree of Life to help them regain their strength. In the upcoming episodes, Kion encounters Nirmala (Yamashita), a serene motherly figure who is part of The Night Pride.
What does Miki Yamashita have to say about working on the show?
“I was really inspired by series creator Ford Riley and voice director Kelly Ward. They had such a deep understanding of all the characters, but were so open to collaboration and welcomed my input and created a very supportive performance environment. I hope to work with them again very soon.”
Where else have you seen Miki Yamashita?
Miki has appeared on Nickelodeon’s iCarly, NBC’s Law & Order, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and the Amazon Prime series Successful People. She was the first-ever Asian American series lead in a pilot for the women’s cable channel, Oxygen. She is also the creator, writer, and co-host of the flamboyant cable-access figure skating talk show, Lutz Chat with Miki and Peter.
In the musical theater arena, Miki appeared as Connie Wong on the National Tour of A Chorus Line; and in regional productions of West Side Story, The King and I, The Fantasticks, and Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. She also created her original solo show, The Geisha Next Door, performing at Upright Citizens Brigade and Stanford University, which integrated it into its Asian American Studies program.
What else do we know about Miki Yamashita?
Miki is a classically trained soprano who made her Los Angeles Opera mainstage debut as Marcellina in Figaro 90210. She created the title role in the original opera The White Bird of Poston, set during the Japanese American internment of WWII. She is currently the producer and host of the concert series Opera Off The Cuff, which features classical singers of color.
Originally from Massachusetts, Miki studied classical voice at New England Conservatory of Music, drama at Yale University, and holds a B.A. in English Literature from Mount Holyoke College.
Any other interesting facts about Miki Yamashita?
Miki is a proud second-generation Japanese American and a dynamo at only 4’10”. The Japanese meaning of her name is said to describe her perfectly: “beautiful tree at the foot of the mountain.”
Want to keep up with Miki Yamashita?
Visit her website: MikiYamashita.com
Or find her on Instagram: @miki410
Twitter: @miki410
Facebook: /mikifanpage
