Jeffrey Omura
Omura on the Upper West Side in 2020.
Born (1985-04-23) April 23, 1985
Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
EducationCarnegie Mellon University (BA)
Occupation(s)actor, politician, labor organizer
Years active2007–present
Political partyDemocratic

Jeffrey Omura (born April 23, 1985) is an American actor, politician, and labour organizer.

Early life and education

Omura was born at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, on April 23, 1985, and raised in the suburb of Okemos, Michigan. He is the third child of Linda Omura (née Ratliff), founder and owner of Cherry Tree Catering; and Glenn Omura, a professor and Dean at Michigan State University. Glenn is of Japanese descent, born in Hawaii and raised in Los Angeles, California and Falls Church, Virginia. Though Linda was raised in Hazel Park, Michigan, her family has multi-generational roots in Appalachia. The couple met while attending Michigan State University, and were married in 1969 - only two years after interracial marriage was legalized in the United States in Loving v. Virginia.[1]

Omura graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2007.[2]

Career

Acting

In 2007, Omura was cast in The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Michael Greif.[3] In 2008 Omura earned his Actors’ Equity Association union card performing in “The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks”[4] an early musical written by Tony Award nominee Joe Iconis. [5]

Omura made his television debut on the CW’s Gossip Girl episode “Desperately Seeking Serena”, playing Todd Jansen, the ex-boyfriend of Nelly Yuki. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) featured Omura in its 2009 Walt Disney Television Casting Project Showcase.[6]

Political campaigning

Omura was a volunteer for the John Kerry campaign, registering students in Okemos, Michigan, to vote. In 2008, Omura spent a month as a full-time field organizer for the Barack Obama campaign in Lansing, Michigan. In 2018, Omura campaigned for congressional candidate Katie Hill in Santa Clarita, California. Omura was active in two 2020 Democratic campaigns: first, Elizabeth Warren’s Democratic Primary campaign in New Hampshire; and then Joe Biden’s Presidential campaign in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1]

Actors’ Equity

In 2016, the Actors' Equity Association was gearing up to renegotiate its agreement with the Off-Broadway League of Theaters.[7] Omura helped create and lead the Fair Wage OnStage grassroots movement to demand higher wages.[8] With their help, Equity negotiated record-breaking wage increases from 32% to 83%.[9] In 2017, Omura ran for a seat on Equity's National Council and won a three year term.[10] In 2018, he was elected the chair of the International Actors Committee, allowing him to advocate for immigrant artists.[11] Omura was re-elected to Equity's Council in 2020, where he has helped support union members during an industry-wide shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] He was influential in resolving a public jurisdictional battle between SAG-AFTRA and Equity.[13] He is one of the organizers behind the #BeAnArtsHero campaign, which organized the national arts sector to collectively lobby Congress for direct arts relief during the 2020 pandemic. The campaign was instrumental in securing $15 billion for the arts.[14][15]

In 2021, City & State New York named Omura to their Labor 40 Under 40 List in recognition of his work with Actors Equity Association.[16]

City Council

Omura is running to represent New York City Council District 6 in 2021. If elected, he will be the first openly gay person to represent District 6 and the first Japanese-American ever to win elected office in New York State.[17]

Television credits

Year Title Role
2008 Gossip Girl Todd Jansen
2011 Damages Henry Thain
2011 White Collar Chad Stewart
2013 The Michael J. Fox Show Ted
2014 Blue Bloods Patrick Dunleavy
2014 High Maintenance Brandon
2016 Limitless Danny
2016 The Blacklist Trey
2016 The Interestings Robert Takahashi
2017 Gone Kyle Parrish
2018 Elementary Sonny Kwan
2018 Succession Rob

Theater credits

Off-Broadway

Regional

References

  1. 1 2 "Jeffrey Omura for City Council – About". Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  2. ↑ "About Jeffrey". Jeffrey Omura for City Council. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  3. ↑ Gans, Andrew (June 6, 2007). "The Michael Greif-directed Romeo and Juliet — the first summer 2007 production of Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park — begins previews June 6". playbill.com. Playbill. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks — Mr Joe Iconis". July 29, 2008. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Joe Iconis Official Website". mrjoeiconis.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Disney/ABC Television Group Casting Project Presents 8th NY Actor's Showcase at the Acorn Theatre". BroadwayWorld.com. BroadwayWorld. August 27, 2009. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  7. ↑ McHenry, Jackson (November 19, 2016). "Actors' Equity Negotiates Significant Wage Increases in New Contract With Off-Broadway Theaters". vulture.com. Vulture. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Home". Fair Wage OnStage. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  9. ↑ Paulson, Michal; Schuessler, Jennifer (November 18, 2016). "Off-Broadway Equity Actors and Stage Manager Win Pay Increase". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  10. ↑ McPhee, Ryan (June 2, 2017). "Kate Burton, Nikka Graff Lanzarone Among New Members of Actors' Equity National Council". playbill.com. Playbill. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  11. ↑ "#FWOC2020". Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Actor's Equity 2020 Council Election Results". actorsequity.org. Actor’s Equity. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  13. ↑ Sakoui, Anousha (October 22, 2020). ""SAG-AFTRA and Actors' Equity Unions Fight Hollywood Pandemic". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  14. ↑ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (December 23, 2020). "STANDING UP FOR THEATER - Actors and Writers and Now, Congressional Lobbyists". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Our Team". Be An Arts Hero. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  16. ↑ "The 2021 Labor 40 Under 40". cityandstateny.com. City and State New York. March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  17. ↑ Smith, Allison (January 11, 2021). "Brewer Joins Candidate Forum as City Council District 6 Race Heats Up". gothamgazette.com. Gotham Gazette. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  18. ↑ Gans, Andrew; Jones, Kenneth (June 6, 2007). "Public Theater's Starry Romeo and Juliet Begins Previews June 6 at the Delacorte". Playbill.com. Playbill. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  19. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (July 24, 2008). "The Joe Iconis musical The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks officially opens at Off-Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre July 24". Playbill.com. Playbill. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  20. ↑ Soloski, Alexis (November 10, 2015). "Review: With 'Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery,' Lloyd Suh Takes on a Legacy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  21. ↑ Soloski, Alexis (April 1, 2016). "Review: 'House Rules' and All Kinds of Games". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  22. ↑ Collin-Hughes, Laura (September 20, 2016). "Review: A 'Hamlet' That Wants to Get Closer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  23. ↑ Soloski, Alexis (March 7, 2018). "Review: In Search of Intelligent Life and a Willing Sperm Donor". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  24. ↑ Claire, Jacqueline (April 30, 2019). "FRUITING BODIES At Theatre Row". Stagebiz.com. Stage Biz. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  25. ↑ Rawson, Christopher (June 13, 2008). "Stage review: 'Out' puts a funny spin on serious issues". Post-Gazette.com. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  26. ↑ Gold, Sylviane (October 11, 2013). "A Vigorous Macbeth, Swept Up in the Darkness". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  27. ↑ Gold, Sylviane (September 26, 2013). "Whose Cheatin' Heart Came First?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  28. ↑ Gay, Malcolm (October 22, 2014). "A Midsummer Night's Dream: The Rep Delivers a Visually Spectacular Show". RiverfrontTimes.com. The Riverfront Times. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  29. ↑ Lowe, Jim (August 18, 2019). "'Virginia Woolf' is funny, terrifying and touching". RutlandHerald.com. The Rutland Herald. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
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