We Speak Actors

From Britain’s Got Talent to Bollywood: Emiko Ishii finds success in acting, dancing and choreography

Published

2 years ago

September 5, 2023

British-born actor, action performer,dancer and choreographer Emiko Ishii was once told by her theatrical agent that there were no roles for Japanese actors. But she’s proved them wrong with her vibrant and multi-stranded career, which has included critically acclaimed theatre, action movies and Bollywood films. She’s also a professional dancer and choreographer, and owns her own company, Epika Dance, a troupe that fuses Indian and Japanese dance, hip hop and martial arts. She says: “I want to represent the beauty of global dance to a wider audience.”

Tell us about your role in the play ‘The Mistake’?

“‘It’s one of the most exciting and challenging roles that I’ve had, playing multiple characters.It’s an urgent play about the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was written by Michael Mears, performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and then completed two runs at London’s Arcola Theatre by popular demand, receiving 4-star reviews from The Times and The Scotsman.”

You’re also a great dancer and have danced in movies, as well as at high-profile events?

“‘Mad About Dance’was my debut as an actress in a Bollywood feature film. It was a dream to be able to combine both Indian dance and acting in this role. I have 18 years of professional dance experience as a performer, choreographer and qualified instructor. “

“With Threebee Dance, I was a semi-finalist in ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. Then, in 2012, I was part of the choreographic team, assistant dance captain and featured dancer at the London Olympics opening ceremony.”

“Bring on the Bollywood UK Tour pushed me in another way, combining different styles of Indian dancing, singing and acting. I’ve appeared in film, TV, theatre, fashion shows and award shows in the UK and abroad, including the Asian Achievers Awards, Antalya Film Festival , Olivier Awards, Comic Relief, National Lottery Live; and Cannes Film Festival.”

How do you combine this with choreography work?

“Choreography was a natural progression for me from all the disciplines that I do, including dance, acting and martial arts. I love being creatively challenged. Fulfilling the vision of each project is unique, so the choreography should reflect this and elevate the overall piece. I’ve also incorporated all my disciplines through my international Bollywood company, Epika Dance.”

What was your first acting experience?

“I was born and raised in the UK. I was very shy and quiet as a child – I couldn’t even look people in the eye. When I was 13 years old, I was given the opportunity to play the first witch in Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ and Titania in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in my school play. I stood on the stage feeling comfortable and confident. From that moment, I knew acting was my calling.”

How did you get into the industry?

“I joined a local performing arts agency to kickstart my acting and dance career. I also trained in different forms of martial arts to expand my range in acting. After a year I was told by the agency that there were no roles for Japanese girls. I believe in never giving up on your goals and dreams. Being Japanese, I wanted to be an actress who connects people by understanding their history, culture and sentiment. Prior to pursuing my career in acting, I went to King’s College University London to read film, American history and literature, as my overachieving Asian parents wanted me to get a real job as a third AD on a major feature film… but I rebelled and took a role as an actress in a Bollywood feature instead – the rest is history!”

Who has inspired you to follow your dreams?

“My parents have always inspired me, showing that hard work, honesty and passion always pays off. My great aunt, Machiko Soga, was an actress in Japan and she taught me to always be myself and to fight for my dreams, as she has. “

“Doing basic military training for four years has given me the mental and physical endurance to tackle any obstacle, as well as the value of teamwork.”

My gurus and senseis in dance and martial arts have also played a huge role in training me to face any challenge head-on.”

Featured photo credit: Adam Hills

We Speak Actors

Veronica Long cracks you up in her breakout comedy role for Netflix’s ‘The Wrong Paris’

Published

3 months ago

September 16, 2025

Anna Sutton

Canadian actress Veronica Long is making audiences laugh in Netflix’s newly released romantic comedy ‘The Wrong Paris’, where she steals scenes as the eccentric and lovable Heather. Known for bringing both heart and humor to her roles, Long has built an impressive résumé across television and film. She is widely recognized for her standout performances in the hit series ‘Billy the Kid’ (MGM/EPIX), ‘The Imperfects’ (Netflix), ‘Charmed’ (The CW), ‘Supernatural’ (The CW), and ‘Guadalajara’ (Amazon Prime). Fans will also recognize her from her many Hallmark and Lifetime movies, including ‘Lights, Camera, Christmas’!, ‘Advice to Love By’, ‘Dying to Belong’, and ‘A Winning Team’. With her sharp comedic timing and versatility, Long continues to prove herself as one of the most dynamic talents on screen today.

What was it like working on the new Netflix film ‘The Wrong Paris’?

“Working on ‘The Wrong Paris’ was an absolute dream come true. The entire cast clicked from the start—we vibed instantly and formed these effortless connections that made every day feel like a celebration.

“Our director, Janeen Damian, was an absolute delight; she fostered this warm, playful energy on set that put everyone at ease.”

Between takes, we’d blast music and just soak in the joy, and she gave us total freedom to run wild with our eccentric characters, embracing every ad-lib and improv that popped up. It was pure magic collaborating with her and our stellar producers—Michael Damian, Brad Krevoy, Kelly Frazier, Amanda Philips, Jimmy Townsend, and Galen Fletcher. Nothing beats the rush of hearing them erupt in laughter from behind the monitors. We had a riot bringing these quirky, oddball characters to life—the vibes were electric, top-notch, from the first frame to the wrap.”

You’re so funny as Heather in ‘The Wrong Paris’. You have so many great hilarious one-liners. How did you prepare for this role, and where do you draw your comedic inspiration from?

“First of all, thank you! I loved working on this character and I absolutely love rom-coms. So this was truly a dream job. On my days off, I would alternate between watching classic rom-coms like ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ and then more comedy-heavy rom-coms like ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘The House Bunny’ to get into that fun rom-com rhythm.

I’m a comedy fiend at heart, so my influences span tons of TV and film—think ‘The Office’, ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Parks and Recreation’, and ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ (too many faves to list them all). But for Heather, Melissa McCarthy’s shameless, larger-than-life Megan in ‘Bridesmaids’ was my true guiding light. She was really my north star in guiding my choices for Heather. I wanted this character to be equally shameless and unapologetically herself.

Here’s a funny tidbit—this seems crazy to me now, but I almost turned down the audition for Heather! I saw the character description where she was described as a buff female wrestler type and, well, I’m none of those things. Ha! But I decided to just have fun with it and do my version of this character, even though I didn’t match the description physically.

“I thought, I’m just going to go big and have a ton of fun creating a kooky, raunchy character that makes me giggle, and hopefully it makes other people laugh too!”

“Fingers crossed! Haha.”

Who did you work most closely with on this project, and what was that collaboration like?

“I worked closely with a few people! I worked really closely with our fabulous director, Janeen Damian, who really encouraged me to keep going in the direction I was taking the character. She was really supportive and we had so much fun building out this character and adding in fun moments for Heather.I also worked really closely with my comedy writing partner (and real-life partner), Spencer Teeter. We had so much fun rehearsing the scenes before filming and coming up with tons of potential ad-libs or fun physical bits for the character to do. I’d write a lot of it down and keep it in the notes section on my phone to pull out during filming. Spencer and I collaborated on adding a lot of the little physical bits you see Heather do in the movie—like smacking Pierson’s character, Trey, on the butt when Heather first meets him, and drinking the two Wild Turkey shots at the same time on the plane.”

Looking back, which projects in your career have been the most rewarding so far?

“Hands down, ‘The Wrong Paris’ takes the crown—it was a dream from start to glorious finish. But shooting ‘Billy the Kid’ on MGM+ runs a razor-close second. Building a character across three seasons was incredibly fulfilling; that cast and crew became a total family. We had an epic time filming amid the breathtaking vistas of Calgary, Alberta. When I signed onto the show, I couldn’t have imagined how cool it would be to shoot a Western drama set in the 1800s. It was wild to dress up in corsets and long flowing dresses and get to ride horses across stunning, sweeping landscapes. That was another truly rewarding dream job.”

Are there any exciting projects coming up that you can share with us?

“Yes! The third and final season of ‘Billy the Kid’ (MGM+) drops September 28, 2025—buckle up for the epic close. Plus, I’ve landed a series regular spot in a fresh TV show; we’re deep into shooting season one right now, with a fall premiere on the horizon. I can’t spill all the beans yet, but there’s some juicy stuff brewing!”

Featured photo credit: Arjun Malik