I first noticed Marie Matiko (Chinese, Japanese and Filipino heritage) in The Art of War. An American action-thriller starring Wesley Snipes. I was immediately impressed with her looks. Then found out she also was in The Corruptor with Chow Yun-Fat. Thought she looked quite different there. She’s played everything from an Arms Dealer, Japanese Mafia boss, an animated shaolin monk, an Old West Cowgirl, a Buddhist nun to a prostitute.

Find out what’s she’s up to nowadays at her official site (also a gallery there) or read an extensive interview @ Yolk.com. More interviews: Xenaville.com and AsianConnections.com.

Marie grew up in Southern California and studied Environmental Engineering at UCLA. She declined an ROTC shcolarship when she landed her first professional audition as Gigi/Mimi in the 1st National Tour of MISS SAIGON. Upon the end of tour, she returned to LA to pursue a film career and supported herself by being an Auto Show model. Within three years, she attained her gaol of being a female lead in a major Hollywood studio film. She starred opposite Wesley Snipes in Warner Brothers’ THE ART OF WAR where she was nominated for Best Actress in a Feature Film for an Ammy Award (the Asian-American Film and TV Awards).

When she’s not shooting a feature or auditioning for new roles, Matiko runs VIVACE, a non-profit performing arts school in Chinatown dedicated to nurturing pride, discipline, and passion in Asian-American youth.

She has spoken at Harvard for the Asian-American National Conference on Law and Public Policy addressing how media shapes public perception and policy. Additionally, she has been asked to speak at UCI, UCLA, universities in Asia, film festivals, the National Association of Asian Professionals on the Asian-American perspective in the Entertainment Industry and was the celebrity spokesperson for the Califronia Democratic Asian-American Coalition. She also sits on the board of advisors for a developing cable network, Word Asia, and the San Diego Asian-American Film Festival.

“My whole goal as an artist,” Matiko concludes, “is to make America a more colofrul place while having a lot of fun.”

(this bio from www.matiko.com)

Japanese beauty Chiaki Kuriyama was born on October 10, 1984 in Tsuchiura, a city in the Ibaraki perfecture, not too far northeast of Tokyo on the big island of Honshu. Kuriyama was a successful child model who began acting in films and on television at age 11. She has studied classical ballet and gymnastics and became worldwide known after starring in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Vol.1, but fans of Asian action cinema recognized her instantly from Kinji Fukasaku’s 2000 cult classic Battle Royale, a savage SF satire in which teams of school-uniformed teens are pitted against each other in lethal elimination games.

Official site
Fansite with galleries
Chiaki Kuriyama Interview
Gallery @ SliceOfTheDay.com
Chiaki Kuriyama Yahoo Group
Google image searchSome facts:

height: 5’4 (162 cm)
bust: 85 cm ( 31.9 inches)
waist: 59 cm (23.2 inches)
hips: 86cm (33.9 inches).
That makes her a size 0 in the American standard size for women’s wear chart, which officially gives size 0 the measurements 31.5 in. (B), 23.5 in. (W), and 34 in. (H).

Hello and many thanks to Marco for allowing me the great pleasure and privilege of contributing to Asian Sirens! As an entertainment industry “slave” and some-time actress/model I am always up to showing my support for the beautiful and talented Asian artists out there making their marks.http://www.myspace.com/mshollyweird
http://www.garageglamour.com/portfolios/EJ_Masuda
http://www.ewwoman.com/facefinalists.htm

Just in case you missed the semi-nude photos of Grace Park (born Jee Un Park on March 6, 1979 in Los Angeles) in the March 2005 issue of Maxim. Check out also the free image gallery at her fansite.

I know that it’s a few months old but hey, I have to catch up a few years 😉