Keiko Agena, may be most notably known as Lane from Gilmore Girls, but she is also a
comedian and actress who has appeared in many other mainstream television shows. Agena has
made strides in amplifying the voices of Asian American performers. So what's she doing today?
Let's take a look!
Keiko Agena has been married to singer-songwriter Shin Kawasaki for over a decade. The two,
who were friends before starting a romantic relationship, became engaged after only a
month of dating, and they tied the knot in December 2005. Their wedding was quite the
adventure, as the ceremony was performed in a helicopter as it flew over Las Vegas.
Agena has spoken highly of her husband, saying on Reddit,
"When I'm not doing improv, I'm probably with this dude."
She even called him her, quote: "Life Partner/Cool Cat."
"Because I have to go home soon and my mom threw out our TV when she caught me watching
VIP, so I'm bored and I need some entertainment."
Following her tenure as Lane from Gilmore Girls, Keiko Agena expanded her resume with
appearances on some of TV's hottest shows, including NCIS: Los Angeles, House, and Castle.
In 2012, Agena guest starred on Scandal as White House Press Secretary Britta Kagan in
the episode "Happy Birthday, Mr. President."
In March 2017, Netflix premiered the show 13 Reasons Why, which follows the journey
of high school student Hannah Baker, played by Katherine Langford, who takes her own life,
and the fallout it has on her friends and loved ones. In the series, Keiko Agena plays
Pam Bradley, a teacher at Liberty High School who teaches peer communication.
Starting in 2018, Agena played the character of Viola Goto on Better Call Saul, making
her first appearance in the episode "Something Beautiful."
In 2015, Agena, was cast in a commercial for Verizon Wireless for their "Flipside Testimonials"
campaign. In the commercial, Agena demonstrated the cons of a bad cellular network.
Agena also in another commercial – this one for UnitedHealthcare and titled "Pool
Vault." In the commercial, she plays one of two women who watch a group of men try to
pole vault across a backyard pool. Knowing that the looming pole vault is doomed to fail,
Agena and the other woman discuss which urgent care they should have on standby, and Agena
pulls up the UnitedHealthcare app to easily access nearby facilities.
In 2015, Keiko Agena and Will Choi joined forces to produce the podcast Drunk Monk Podcast.
The podcast followed Agena and Choi as they, quote: "rewatch every episode of USA Network's
hit TV show Monk and may get a little drunk in the process." The podcast ran from 2015
to 2017, boasted 53 episodes, and analyzed each season of Monk.
While the podcast focused on Monk, Agena and Choi also tackled current events and social
issues throughout each episode. In the podcast's inaugural episode, they discussed gun control
and Asian American representation. Subsequent episodes delved into the hosts' personal lives
with stories about their high school experiences, most embarrassing moments, and some familiar
guests too.
As guests on Talk Nerdy With Us, Agena and Choi discussed their inspiration for the podcast,
with Agena saying,
"We were really just floating the idea around one night after drinking. It didn't start
as a serious idea; just a last minute conversation."
During the 2015 ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas, Keiko Agena and her former
Gilmore Girls co-stars put on a show with their fictional band, Hep Alien, at the San
Jose Hotel. The band consisted of Agena, Todd Lowe, who played Zack, and John Cabrera, who
played Brian. Together, they played covers of songs by Blondie and the White Stripes,
and even performed a cover of the Gilmore Girls theme song, "Where You Lead." The iconic
song was originally performed by musician Carole King.
In addition to the Hep Alien performance, Agena took part in a panel alongside co-stars
Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Kelly Bishop, Milo Ventimiglia, and others during the festival.
Selfies of the cast also went viral on social media at the time, as fans were excited to
see the cast reunited again following the show's series finale that aired on May 15,
2007.
Lane was a breakout character during the seven years that Gilmore Girls originally aired,
and Keiko Agena recognized the responsibility she had to bring to her role. Speaking to
the importance of Agena's portrayal of Lane, The Lily noted,
"Many of the millennials who grew up with the show thought of her as our best friend,
too, particularly children of immigrants, who saw our mother-child dynamics reflected
less in Rory and Lorelai's relationship than in Lane and Mrs. Kim's, which despite its
sternness and secrecy we also recognized as loving."
So, it was exciting to see Agena return to our screens as Lane in Gilmore Girls: A Year
in the Life in 2016. Produced by Netflix, the revival consisted of four episodes.
Unfortunately, fans of Lane may have been disappointed in the revival because it showed
the character never having left Stars Hollow. Instead, Lane settled down with her husband
and twin boys, and she worked alongside her mother, Mrs. Kim, in her family's antique
shop. Many fans expressed regret that Lane never left her hometown to become the rock
star she had dreamed of being.
In 2018, Keiko Agena published a book called No Mistakes: A Perfect Workbook for Imperfect
Artists. The workbook is a compilation of prompts for drawing, writing, and list-making,
and includes reminders to breathe deeply. The activities range from whimsical — like
drawing things you'd bring with you during a zombie apocalypse — to personal and introspective,
such as, making a list of, quote, "the negative things you think about yourself."
Agena has spoken openly about her own journey with anxiety and self-doubt, and her book
is a way to connect with readers who experience the same fears she has. The book is a chance
for Agena, and all other artists, to reclaim their creativity. Speaking with Bustle, Agena
said,
"I love books like this, that dive back into what we need to do as artists. So I asked
myself, 'What do I need?" and 'What am I scared of?' Well, I'm constantly scared that I'm
not good enough, or I'm not the right type of something, and that I'm a failure."
As a result, Agena channeled her fears and needs into her book, through which artists
can work on overcoming their mistakes so that they can continue to create with confidence.
If you think that Lane from Gilmore Girls had a comedic presence, there's a reason why:
Keiko Agena is an accomplished comedian.
As noted by UCB Comedy, she studied comedy at the Groundlings, and received comedic training
from the iO West and UCB improv programs. These days, she performs with the improv groups
Ham Radio, RJP, Totally Heather, and Kilowatt.
Given her experience, it makes sense that Keiko Agena has served as host of the Asian
American variety show Asian AF as part of her work to promote Asian representation in
media. The variety show performs at the UCB Theater in Los Angeles, and a typical performance
includes some of the best Asian American comedians, musicians, actors, storytellers, and sketch
performers.
In February 2019, Agena appeared on a podcast with Peter McGraw, where she spoke about the
inspiration behind Asian AF and its origins. One of the reasons why Asian AF was started
was due to the number of whitewashing incidents occurring in Hollywood and in the media.
Keiko Agena clearly excels at many things, including voiceover work. Since her days playing
Lane, Agena has voiced a character on Central Park. She posted a clip of her performance
on Central Park on her Instagram account, sharing a funny sketch featuring Agena's guest
role as a store clerk. In the caption, she noted that she, quote, "absolutely [loves]
living in this world." She also took on a voice-acting role for Rise of the Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles, voicing the character of Atsuko in the 2020 finale of the show.
In addition to television voiceover work, Agena has voiced characters in two video games
including Prey and Law & Order: Justice Is Served, playing the characters Miyu Sato and
Toki Yamamato, respectively. The quality of her performances across different media platforms
proves just how talented she is!
In September 2018, Hulu premiered The First, a science-fiction show about the preparation
of the first human mission to Mars. On the show, Keiko Agena plays Aiko Hakari, one of
the five astronauts chosen. Agena starred alongside actor Sean Penn on the series.
Set in the year 2033, The First explored the possibility of life on Mars, while also telling
stories about the personal lives of the astronauts and their family members. Agena's storyline
saw her character balance the impending mission to Mars with leaving behind her husband, two
children, and elderly mother on Earth.
The inaugural season of The First consisted of eight episodes, with the season finale
showing the launch of the crew's mission to Mars.
Unfortunately, Hulu canceled the series in January 2019, after only one season.
Starting in 2019, Keiko Agena starred on Fox's crime drama Prodigal Son. On the show, she
played NYPD medical examiner Dr. Edrisa Tanaka. Discussing the show, she told The Knockturnal,
"As soon as I read this script I was fascinated by it. I mean it's the kind of script that's
intriguing because it's dark, it's intense, it makes sense, it's about family, it's a
little bit funny but in a dark humor type of way."
Prodigal Son was filmed in New York City, and Agena admitted that she went through an
adjustment moving to the Big Apple. In her interview with The Knockturnal, she described
NYC and her transition by saying,
"[New York is] a city with a strong personality, so I'm trying to find what my place in the
city is."
While Prodigal Son was renewed for a second season, it was ultimately canceled in 2021.
Still, it's clear that Keiko Agena is doing well in the entertainment world, and we look
forward to more of her work in the future!
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