Cranston Komuro

Cranston Komuro had just earned his MA from UCLA’s Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning and was Lead Investigator for the City of Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Unit when filmmaker Amir Shervan spotted him walking down First Street in Little Tokyo. Shervan asked Komuro if he would be in his movie and Komuro declined. But after Mr. Shervan’s persistence, gave him his business card. After Shervan repeatedly called him, Komuro agreed to play Fujiyama in Samurai Cop. He had not seen the movie in its entirety until 2014, when he learned it had obtained a cult following.

In fact, he was not even properly credited for his role until Director Gregory Hatanaka discovered the connection in 2014.

Following production of the movie, he continued his career in housing policy as a Community Builder at HUD under then-Secretary Andrew Cuomo, leaving that to complete projects in Chinatown and the 1st Council District for LA City Councilman Mike Hernandez.

Komuro played minor roles in other movies, including When Hell Was in Session and Bobby Z. He served as a Military Police officer escorting conveys in Vietnam in 1969-70.

He married his wife, Natalie, in 1999 and they live in Pasadena with their son.