“Sleepwalk With Me” was written by comedian Mike Birbiglia and Ira Glass, and is based on Birbiglia’s life. In the movie a wannabe comedian is trying to do standup while dealing with a severe sleepwalking disorder. It was an interesting audition for me.
I went in to audition for the role of an emergency room doctor, one page, a few lines. I go in and read with Mike, for Mike and his co-director, Seth Barish. Seth and Mike are amused by my reading so Mike says why don’t we have him read for Ron, a character who is the owner of the comedy bar where Mike’s character works. They give me seven pages and tell me to take a few minutes and then come back in. I look at the pages and say, great, but I won’t be able to memorize the whole seven pages and they say that’s fine. I come back in a few minutes later and read with Mike again, and this time I make them both laugh. They thank me and I leave and I think to myself, who knows? But I booked the job. A nice movie, some funny scenes, all because I made them laugh.
All I can say is, never underestimate the power of laughter.
http://www.ronnakahara.com
Ron is a New York City based actor/director originally from Hawaii.
He studied at the University of Hawaii with Glenn Cannon from NY, Terry Knapp from The Royal Shakespeare Co. and with noted voice teacher Kristen Linklater. While there he also studied Kyogen theater with Japan National Treasure Nomura Mansaku and performed in Kabuki.
Selected acting:
NY–Man In Snow (LaMama,) Ping Pong (The Public Theatre,) Ching Chong Chinaman, Rashomon (Pan Asian Repertory Theatre,) Earth and Sky (Second Stage,) The Three Sisters (Pan Asian,) Romeo And Juliet (NYSF/Public Theatre,) As You Like It (NYSF/Public Theatre,) Danton’s Death (LaMama E.T.C.,) The School for Wives (NATCO,) Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pan Asian) REGIONAL– Wild Swans (debut), (Young Vic, London, and A.R.T., Boston,) Snow Falling on Cedars, The Merchant of Venice (Hartford Stage Co.,) Comedy of Errors (The Shakespeare Theatre, D.C.,) The Screens (The Guthrie Theatre,) Othello (Alliance Theatre, Atlanta,) The Empress of China (Cincinnati Playhouse,) Cyrano (ACT, San Francisco,) Taming of the Shrew (ACT,) Diary of a Scoundrel (Hawaii Public Theatre) FILM–Isn't It Romantic, The Wolf of Wall Street, Sleepwalk With Me, I Think I Love My Wife, College Road Trip. TV- can be seen currently recurring as Hirochi in Netflix's Daredevil Season 2; Madam Secretary, Elementary, NYC 22, The Good Wife, Fringe, 3 LBS., Whoopi, Cosby Mysteries, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, One Life to Live, As the World Turns, All My Children, Pearl, The Miniseries, Hawaii 5-O (the original).
As a director, Ron has worked at theatres and Universities around the country. He was one of the first 6 recipients of the NEA-TCG Director Fellowship Award in 1987.