Page 7 - Hawaii Island MIdWeek - Feb 24, 2021

FEBRUARY 24, 2021
HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 7
Doi Lives His Dream As An Actor
FROM PAGE 6
got sick that day and she had to go to the hospital,” shares Doi. “I was nervous and worried be- cause she’s my support system, but I come to set and Kristen was there and she motivated me and complimented me and lifted my spirits up. I was able to get through that day with her by my side and I’m so thankful for her.
school and I was an emcee for my class performance,” he recalls. “After our performance ended, everyone came up to me or com- plimented me that I did a good job being the emcee and sort of being the one representing my class.
has a guest star recurring role in, and has an ABC project coming up that he can’t quite talk about yet.
“After we wrapped shooting, Kristen, Annie, Josh (Green- baum) the director and the pro- ducer, gifted me a beautiful bracelet and I’ll forever keep that in my heart. Luckily, my mom was OK, and that’s such a memorable scene and day for me.”
Eventually, when Doi was 9, he attended a workshop in L.A., went to his first audition (a commer- cial for Sonos speakers) which he booked, and officially entered showbiz.
nities that are giv-
en to you,” says
Doi. “Acting mo-
tivates me to work
harder and it bal-
ances my school
work and acting,
so I don’t just fo-
cus on school. I do
work hard on my
school work, but
I also work hard
with my other
passion which is
acting. And I also get to meet dif- ferent people in the industry like managers and agents and other ac- tors who are very kind and you get to grow relationships with them. I think that’s the most enjoyable thing with acting.”
“I didn’t really like sports. I was not into sports at the time and even now, and I wanted to sort of pursue acting or something relat- ed to acting.”
“My favorite thing (about acting) would
definitely be the
different opportu-
Doi, who was born and raised in Hawai‘i, attended Hanahau‘oli School in Makiki until moving to Los Angeles last summer with his mom and two dogs — Cooper, a Lhasa apso adopted from a shelter in Hawai‘i, and Bambi, a Chihua- hua-Shih Tzu mix.
Since then, he’s appeared in commercials for Jack in the Box, eBay and Feisty Pets, landed his first television role in Showtime’s Kidding with Jim Carrey, and was seen in the short film Speak Easy, B, and TV series S.W.A.T. and Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet. (You can view his commercials on his YouTube page.)
He only started acting just a few years ago, but was recognized for his stage presence much earlier.
He recently finished filming a Nickelodeon show as a guest star, is waiting to start filming for an- other Nickelodeon show which he
Among the relationships he’s made is with comedy queen Wiig, who has become his favorite ac- tress.
(Above and above left) In addition to acting, Doi also enjoys singing and dancing. PHOTOGRAPHER: AMELIA JOYCE TUBB, GROOMING: KIMBERLY BRAGALONE FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTISTS USING DR. JART+ AND KEVIN MURPHY, STYLING: MEAGHAN O’CONNOR AND CHARLOTTE HARRIS
“When I was 4 years old, I was attending Central Union Pre-
guitar, speaks Japanese, and enjoys singing and dancing. When he’s not busy acting or studying, you might find him shopping (his favorite stores include Zara, True Religion and Uniqlo), eating (he likes dim sum, Korean barbecue and sushi) or going to the beach, which is among the things he misses most about Ha- wai‘i.
and Japanese food at the izakaya restaurant.”
Doi both charms and leaves audiences in stitches as Yoyo in the movie Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. PHOTO COURTESY CATE CAMERON/LIONSGATE
Doi also plays the violin and
“Another favorite memory would be getting delicious shave ice (at Shimazu in Kapahulu) or other lo- cal foods like li hing mui pineapple or shrimp. Also, Kua‘Āina burgers, I will always eat that when I go back,
Whether it’s Hollywood or busi- ness — or both — there’s no doubt that Doi can deliver a star-quality performance that will have people begging for more.
“After working with her, I’ve seen how professional she is and how focused she is,” he explains, noting Bridesmaids is his favorite comedy and Hachi as his favorite drama. “As a person, she’s so nice and kind. I just feel she’s a really great actor but she’s an amazing person as well.
As Doi continues to live his dream as an actor, he says there are still more goals on his list, such as getting a lead role in a film and be- coming an entrepreneur.
“When I was going back from set to L.A., I was on the plane with Kristen ... and this elderly woman was boarding the plane and she was trying to get her lug- gage into the overhead bin but she couldn’t because it was really heavy. Kristen stepped up and she started helping her. Me and my mom were just sitting there and we were so touched by Kristen’s actions.”
“I have a really, really good friend from my school (in Hawai‘i) and I go Boogie boarding with him a lot when I go back,” says Doi, noting he usually returns to the island during Thanksgiving or in the summer to visit family.
“A dream of mine was always to own a restaurant and other busi- nesses,” he says. “I always tell my mom we should do a restaurant to- gether and you can be the chef or you don’t need to be the chef but we can own it together. It would have to be a specific cuisine or culture and it would be Japanese because I want to incorporate my culture to the people.”