Heroes

Masi Oka used to be a bit player. Though he got his acting start in small guest roles on dozens of TV series, the former digital artist for Industrial Light and Magic only teleported into the limelight once he was cast as Hiro Nakamura on the hit series Heroes. The role of the ever happy Japanese superhero made him a household name, and it wasn't long before Masi Oka was on call for bigger and better projects.

The Heroes star's first major big screen role will have him appearing in theaters around the world in the comedy Get Smart. Though the movie is so far receiving relatively mixed reviews, it's a big step in the career of the unassuming 33-year-old who only a few years ago was best known to TV audiences as playing an intern in five episodes of Scrubs.

“This was just a great film and I personally had never seen the original series, but it had a great comedy cast already,” Oka told UGO when asked why he chose Get Smart for his first big project since starting Heroes. “One of my big idols growing up was Alan Arkin and having grown up in The Second City family these are the guys that I worshiped and have always really wanted to work with them. For me this was a really easy choice. I could only do one and this was the one that I wanted to do. I'm glad that the producers gave me a shot.”

"It's full of funny physical comedy, which can be more universal than dialogue,” Oka said when explaining to the Los Angeles Times why he thinks audiences will love Get Smart. “That's why I really think this movie will be a global hit."

The action comedy, a big screen remake of the ‘60s TV series of the same name, stars The Office's kooky boss Steve Carell as blundering spy Maxwell Smart, Anne Hathaway as his highly trained partner, and Dwayne Johnson as famed spy Agent 23. Masi Oka, a former computer sciences and math major, will naturally be playing one of the Get Smart's spy gadget inventors.

Heroes fans, worry not – Masi Oka won't be leaving behind the show that gave him his big break. Despite his burgeoning big screen success, he will still be portraying Hiro on Heroes when the sci-fi drama returns with its new season. Even though the actor had some reservations about the poorly received second season of the show, he has been nothing but positive about Heroes' currently filming third season.

"It's going to be amazing, I've just finished doing episode four and it's gonna keep you on the edge of your seats,” he told press while on the red carpet for the Get Smart premiere in Los Angeles. "It's going back to season one and the basics, fast storytelling and lots of twists and turns."

Get Smart can be seen in theaters everywhere starting today, and Masi Oka will return to TV screens in Heroes starting September 22 on NBC.


- , BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: UGO, LA Times, The Press Association
(Photo courtesy of NBC)