Masi Oka - Champion of Nerds

Congratulations on being the new reigning champion of nerds everywhere. Managed to catch Leno last night where he talked briefly about how he came to the US when he was 6 and was featured on Time magazine cover as an “Asian Whizkid” because he was a friend of the photographer. Has a bit of funny-bone too, as he came out with a nice wrapped gift box around crotch level to present to Timberlake (“I have a package for you”).

I didn’t realize that he used to be a computer programmer at ILM doing effects, and Jay was cracking wise about whether “many programmers become actors?”

Google (and then imbd) tell me that he’s in that “Heroes” show the kids are always talking about.

He wasn’t just a programmer, he specialized in water, and did a bunch of work on the Perfect Storm.

I also caught him last night on a second season episode of “Gilmore Girls”. Or I would have if I watched that show… which I don’t.

I was under the impression that he was a tools programmer, as he’s mentioned that he makes the programs that animators use to create the actual effect on both Leno and Conan, and in the NY Post article about him. He was also on last Sunday’s rerun of Without A Trace.

This is nothing to be ashamed of.

Which? The programming water or the Gilmore Girls appearance.

The former is no minor feat. (Water’s a bitch to program, even if you’re just looking for it to look believable, rather than right. )

Watching Gilmore Girls.

I read an article recently that stated he still works at ILM a couple of days a week, even with the Heroes gig. That could be obsolete information now, but either way, yeah that’s cool.

Part of the entertainment for me is pretending to have plausible deniability… which I don’t.

He also going to be in the new ping-pong comedy, Balls of Fury. Yeesh. :)

Incidentally I also noticed him on old episodes of Scrubs, where he played a lab technician of some sort IIRC.

Wow. Christopher Walken’s Feng looks as good as Gary Oldman’s Dracula.