{{Short description|American actor}} '''Devin Kawaoka''' (born {{circa|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.<ref name="Chodak2023">{{cite news |last1=Chodak |first1=Adam |title=Adam Interviews actor and Brighton native Devin Kawaoka |url=https://www.rochesterfirst.com/adam-interviews/adam-interviews-actor-and-brighton-native-devin-kawaoka/ |access-date=26 June 2023 |work=Rochester First |date=10 February 2023}}</ref><ref name="Patterson2022">{{cite news |last1=Patterson |first1=Denny |title=Exclusive Interview with Devin Kawaoka |url=https://instinctmagazine.com/exclusive-interview-with-devin-kawaoka/ |access-date=26 June 2023 |work=Instinct Magazine |date=12 April 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Papadatos2023">{{cite news |last1=Papadatos |first1=Markos |title=Devin Kawaoka talks about 'Chicago Med' and 'Shrinking' |url=https://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/devin-kawaoka-talks-about-chicago-med-and-shrinking/article |access-date=26 June 2023 |work=Digital Journal |date=1 March 2023}}</ref>

Kawaoka was on stage in Jeremy O. Harris' ''Slave Play'', first on Broadway, and then at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.<ref name="revry">{{cite news |title=No Shrinking Away from Actor Devin Kawaoka {{!}} Profile Apr 28 |url=https://www.revry.tv/news/no-shrinking-away-from-actor-devin-kawaoka |access-date=26 June 2023 |work=revry.tv |date=April 28, 2023}}</ref>

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''.<ref name="Papadatos2023"/>

==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | rowspan=2| 2021 | ''Under the Lantern Lit Sky'' | Adam | |- | ''The Manor'' | Gary | |}

===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2017 | ''Criminal Minds'' | Kal Montgomery | Episode: "Neon Terror" |- | rowspan=2| 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 == {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! class="unsortable" | Role ! Venue ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2021|| data-sort-value="Slave Play" | ''Slave Play'' || Dustin || August Wilson Theater|| Broadway |- |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IBDB name|DevinKawaoka}} * {{Twitter|DevinKawaoka}} * {{Instagram|DevinKawaoka}} * {{IMDb name|nm2544658}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kawaoka, Devin}} Category:1983 births Category:Male actors from Rochester, New York Category:New York University alumni Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male television actors Category:Living people