Devin Kawaoka
American actor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Devin Kawaoka (born c. 1983) is an American actor who appeared in Jeremy O. Harris' Slave Play on Broadway. He is best known for his work as Charlie on Apple TV+'s Shrinking and as Dr. Kai Tanaka-Reed on Chicago Med.
Biography
Kawaoka, who is half-Japanese, grew up in Rochester, New York and attended Brighton High School. During high school, he was an avid skier.[1][2] He attended New York University as an undergraduate and, later, at the Graduate Acting Program on a full merit scholarship. He won the Rosemarie Tichler Award for his performance in Unnatural Acts at the Classic Stage Company.[3]
Kawaoka was on stage in Jeremy O. Harris' Slave Play, first on Broadway, and then at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.[4]
He is currently in a recurring role on the NBC series Chicago Med portraying surgical resident Dr. Kai Tanaka-Reed, as well as a recurring role portraying Charlie on the Apple TV+ comedy series Shrinking.[3]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Under the Lantern Lit Sky | Adam | |
| The Manor | Gary |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Criminal Minds | Kal Montgomery | Episode: "Neon Terror" |
| 2021 | Lucifer | Cody | Episode: "The Death of Lucifer Morningstar" |
| Goliath | Deputy Counsel Mark Allbritton | Episode: "Split Milk" | |
| 2022–present | Chicago Med | Kai Tanaka-Reed | 21 episodes |
| 2023–present | Shrinking | Charlie | 15 episodes |
| 2025–present | Chicago Fire | Kai Tanaka-Reed | Episode: "Permanent Damage" |
Theater
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Slave Play | Dustin | August Wilson Theater | Broadway |