We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Anzu Lawson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Anzu below.

Hi Anzu , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Anzu Lawson is a native Californian who did a stint as a Japanese Pop star in Tokyo with a #1 Single on the Japanese Billboard Charts in 2003. Based in Los Angeles, Anzu has forged her way as an Asian-American actress and stand-up comic, navigating the few opportunities in Hollywood. However, she ultimately made the decision to take matters into her own hands by crafting her own projects and narratives and bringing them to life through the medium of Solo Shows aka One Man/Woman shows. After 15 years of hitting the Hollywood’s Stand Up Circuit, Anzu felt she had more to say than cramming her life message into 10 minute sets. She was introduced to the powerful art form of solo performance by her current solo show director Jessica Lynn Johnson of www.soaringsolostudios.com. Anzu’s inaugural endeavor was titled “Dear Yoko.” “Dear Yoko” was a highly charged, hilarious yet deeply revealing one-woman show that interweaves the lives of actress​/playwright​ Anzu Lawson​ and​ her late tiger mother​,​ Keiko with​ the​ wisdom and​ legendary ​life of ​Yoko Ono… as they navigate xenophobia, self-worth, and identity through multiple eras. Anzu’s second production, “The Rub” based on her true life experiences as a reluctant celebrity masseuse, will be performed at The Santa Monica Playhouse’s “2023 Binge Fringe Festival “November 18th Saturday at 3pm in The Other Room, as part of their free festival showcasing solo performers around the world.

Anzu , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Throughout Anzu Lawson’s career, she has been seen on numerous television shows ala Guest starring on “The King of Queens”, “NCIS” & “NCIS; Los Angeles”, as well as recurring on NBC’s “Chicago Med”, recurring on NBC’s “The Blacklist” as Mariko the tiger mom or recently on the final season of Netflix’s “Manifest.” The road to where she is today was paved with many detours and ups and downs. Anzu got her first big break in Hollywood when she was cast opposite Viggo Mortensen in an indie film called “American Yakuza” in the 90’s. A time when seeing Asian’s as leads in any tv/film project were an anomaly. She then was cast as Phillip Rhee’s sister in the “Best Of The Best” action film franchise, opposite Christopher McDonald (Hacks, Thelma & Louise), who played her husband. Due to the lack of opportunities for Asian actors, Anzu focused on her music career. Her voice can be heard on such notable soundtracks as “Chronicles of Narnia”, “SpyGame”, “Davinci Code”, “Sinbad” animation, just to name a few. Eventually, Anzu received her certificate in screenwriting at UCLA and embarked on a personal mission to write, produce and perform un-excavated stories from an Asian narrative, focusing on Asian women in history.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Even though I didn’t have role models to look up to, Giving up was never an option. For better or worse, I didn’t have a “Plan B”, . The choice to leave Japan, my family and a financial security of a record deal to pursue my dreams in America, alone from scratch, came with a hefty price. My mother disowned me and didn’t speak to me for 4 years. After many trials and tribulations, I can look back now and say “not only did I survive” those many dark nights of the soul…but I eventually “THRIVED.” I refused to give up. I always found my strength to persevere when nobody believed in me by repeating the acts of “creating.” It didn’t matter what medium it was ala; stand up comedy, open mic nights as a singer-songwriter, writing classes, photography, etc. the constant manifesting of ideas and thoughts to take form into something tangible was my saving grace. I had come too far and sacrificed too much to do anything else. I wanted my pain, my stories to help or inspire other people who were also going through hard times. I have taken the “build it and they will come” philosophy across everything I do. There were years of “nothing” so finally I was done waiting for other people to write movies I can be in, instead, I write them now.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Being a storyteller has been in all of our DNA since the cave man days. When we read, watch, listen to other people’s life experiences, we can always identify and relate to it on a human soul level because our desires are the same at the core. We all want love, to belong and to understand the mystery of the human experience. After being guided to write multiple projects about Yoko Ono, especially my first one woman show called “Dear Yoko” I knew it was part of my life path to tell stories of female Asians in history. Having been an actress since childhood, I have seen all trends and patterns. I remember when it was historical for Julia Roberts to “OPEN A FILM” and be the first highest paid female actress, ever. And now here we are decades later, with the highest grossing female fronted film in the world setting a new precedence with “BARBIE.” It’s the outliers and the risk takers that will create a renaissance of creativity, compassion and human evolution.
I look in the mirror and think of all the women of my Asian lineage that have lived years of oppression and struggle. I’ve taken it upon myself to make it my mission in breaking that “ancestral cycle” by taking our collective power back and creating a voice for them with every project I am attached to. I feel if every one of us could share one story from our lives to impart on the world, we would only grow together in compassion for our diversity and we would be one step closer in transcending separateness. In the spirit of Yoko Ono, I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite quotes of hers – “Every one is an artist. Life IS art.” “Don’t hate what you don’t understand” & “I always thought Art was a VERB, instead of a NOUN.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.soaringsolostudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anzulawson/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealAnzuLawson
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/anzulawson
• Other: free ticket link to “The Rub” Nov 18th 3pm Saturday at Santa Monica Playhouse for The Binge Fringe Festival celebrating Solo performances https://www.showclix.com/event/bff-2023-presents-anzu-lawson-s-the-rub

Image Credits
Chris Gomez (photo in red dress) Kenny Johnston (live solo performance of The Rub)