David Ury

David Ury
Born David Brian Ury
(1973-09-30) September 30, 1973
Sonoma, California, U.S.
Other names D.B.U.
Occupation Actor, stand-up comedian, english<->Japanese translation specialist
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)

David Brian Ury (born September 30, 1973) is an American film and television actor, stand-up comedian and Japanese film, anime and manga translation specialist. He is a descendant of Ashkenazi Jewish impressionist painter Lesser Ury.

Career

Ury learned to speak Japanese while at college in Tokyo and has worked as a translator in film, television, and manga and currently (As of May 2011[1]) translates and writes English adaptations for Japanese comics (manga) (some notable manga include Rave Master vol.33,34,35, Basilisk, Genshiken, Gacha Gacha and The Wallflower).[2] Ury moved to Los Angeles in August 2001 where he began performing stand-up comedy.

Cartoonist Keith Knight, a neighbor of his, described Ury's acting career as "Spooge man" and "a cavalcade of reprobates, sleazeballs, derelicts, & weirdos...."[3]

Appearances

TV Series and Movies

David Ury has made several film and television appearances, including an episode of Tim Kring's Crossing Jordan and in Shoot 'Em Up. He also appeared in Heroes, Malcolm in the Middle, Life, Without a Trace, Breaking Bad, Zeke and Luther, and The Librarians.[4] In March 2015, Ury was cast for Rob Zombie's slasher film 31 as Schizo-Head.[5]

YouTube

David Ury also has YouTube channels/accounts/personalities or alter-egos, which include Karaoke Steve and Ken Tanaka, the so-called adopted twin brother of David Ury. Tanaka is described as an Ashkenazi Jewish man adopted as an infant by Japanese parents Hideo and Mari Tanaka, and raised in Shimane Prefecture of Japan; he returns to Los Angeles to find his birth parents Jonathan and Linda Smith. Ken Tanaka bears a resemblance to lonelygirl15 with Ken Tanaka's first appearance on YouTube.[6]

Ken Tanaka speaks Japanese and English with a heavy Japanese accent and makes videos about Ken's search for his birth parents, culture and life in Japan and Los Angeles. Many viewers are convinced that Tanaka's story is true, while others believe that he is merely a character played by David Ury. After some viewers began to comment that Tanaka looked a lot like actor David Ury, Tanaka made a video where Tanaka goes to meet Ury.[7] The video shows David Ury and Ken Tanaka meeting and discovering that they are identical twin brothers.

As of 22 August 2011 Ken Tanaka has over 200 YouTube videos in both his two YouTube channels (helpmefindparents and kentanakajapan). Tanaka's videos also document his visual art career and the making of his book "Everybody Dies- A Children's Book for Grown Ups" ISBN 0-615-46493-9 . Tanaka's work is sought after by collectors of the work of German impressionist painter Lesser Ury presumably by those who believe that Tanaka is actually David Ury.

David Ury's Ken Tanaka is also famous by YouTube series of "how to speak fluent Japanese"[8] (with appearances of Remi February (Artist), David "Takeo" Neptune (Short film director) and Masataka "Polo" Yazaki (Musician of former band Nirf)) and "I Am Robot", which won "YouTube Video Awards".[9]

Ken Tanaka has also made appearances in YouTube with MissHannahMinx and Gimmeabreakman (aka Victor from Japan).

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002Malcolm in the MiddleMechanicEpisode: "Zoo"
2003Killing the DreamInterviewer / Agent / Ron
2004Witness 2 MurderRoger
Able EdwardsFranklin Wallace
BashingManager
PaparazziFan
CharmedShapeshifterEpisode: "Witchness Protection"
2005Blue Collar TVSketch performerEpisode: "Fashion"
The BasementThe cable guy
2006Crossing JordanArthur HayEpisode: "Blame Game"
Intellectual PropertyPony Tail Man
IdolJapanese Photographer
Dark RideAttendant #1
2007Close to HomeRoosterEpisode: "Internet Bride"
Shoot'Em UpDiner Holdup Leader
National Treasure: Book of SecretsBarkeep
2008ReversionStranger
Black WidowBixlerTV Movie
ParasomniaRecord Store Owner
Without a TraceGilEpisode: "Better Angels"
2008–2009LifeHard Case #12 episodes: "Re-Entry" / "Trapdoor"
2006–2009HeroesLandlord3 episodes: "Chapter Nine / Turn and Face the Strange" / "Chapter One 'Genesis'" / "Unaired Premiere Episode"
2009Breaking BadSpooge2 episodes: "Peekaboo" / "Breakage"
The RevenantATM robber
2010The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About ItYes Man
Rizzoli & IslesSandy GrottyEpisodes: "Boston Strangler Redux"
Lie to MeWitnessEpisode: "Headlock"
2011BonesLarry WolframEpisode: "The Feet on the Beach"
The Young and the RestlessBurtEpisode: "Daniel Finally Regains Consciousness"
2009–2011Zeke and LutherDonut "Don" DonaldsonRecurring Role
2012Pearblossom HwyGarr Booth
2013Coffee TownHomeless Guy
2014The Haunted HathawaysGreen GhoulCrossover episode: "The Haunted Thundermans"
The Thundermans
GrimmHofmann4 episodes
2015Little BoySir Pent
2015-2016PowersDr. Death8 episodes
201631Schizo-Head
Fear, Inc.Pete
A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe FitsFreddie MarksDirect to video

References

  1. ↑ http://www.worldcat.org/title/rave-master-volume-33-34-35/oclc/698332502&referer=brief_results ISBN 978-1-935429-73-9 , ISBN 1-935429-73-6
  2. ↑ David Ury at the ISBN Database
  3. ↑ Knight, Keith (October 1, 2013). "Spooge man". DailyKos. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  4. ↑ Rob Zombie’s 31 Casts Villain Schizo-Head
  5. ↑ Rob Zombie Casts His Schizo-Head In His Halloween Horror ’31′
  6. ↑ (#1)Ken Tanaka Video Blog #1 Introduction 自己紹介
  7. ↑ #13 Ken Tanaka meets David Ury. デビットユーリと田中けん＊出会い
  8. ↑ How to speak fluent Japanese (without saying a word #1 – #2; hardly saying a word; with Remi, Takeo, and Ken Tanaka; by Speaking English #1 – #2 – #3)"
  9. ↑ I AM ROBOT YouTube Video Awards Japan 2009"
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