An American actress of Japanese heritage Keiko Agena still gets appreciation for portraying Lane Kim in the comedy series Gilmore Girls; although it concluded 15 years ago (in 2007). It even won her a Young Artist Award.
The Whitman College attendant has since landed praiseworthy TV roles in NCIS: Los Angeles, 13 Reasons Why, and Better Call Saul. Moreover, Agena appeared in the main role of Dr. Edrisa Tanaka in the crime-drama series Prodigal Son (2019-21).
She shares the perks of on-screen success with her musician husband Shin Kawasaki. Let’s get more with a biography on Agena below.
Where Is Keiko Agena From? How Old Is She?
Agena was born Christine Keiko Agena on October 3, 1973, in Honolulu, Hawaii, the USA. She is the daughter of an immigrant Japanese father and American mother; her mother’s name is Claire Agena. So, she holds American nationality and comes from a mixed ethnic background.
The Prodigal Son actress has a height of 5 feet 1-inch (155 cm). Her birth sign is Libra. As of mid-2022, Keiko Agena is 48 years old.
What Was Her Age In ‘Gilmore Girls’?
Agena portrayed Lane Kim, a 16-year-old character at the start of the series. However, she was already 27 at that time.
Moreover, in a discussion panel A Conversation of Culture: AAPI in May 2021, Keiko stated that if the show Gilmore Girls was to be made in today’s world, she wouldn’t have got the role. Well, her character Lane Kim is a Korean-American that is contrary to hers (i.e. Japanese-American).
So, as per the actress, the show runners could have cast a Korean-American to keep it original. And the next issue could be her age factor.
Keiko Agena Is Married- More On Husband & Relationship
Agena currently lives with her husband Shin Kawasaki in Los Angeles. Her spouse Shin is a musician as well as LA-based acts and a composer for Japanese media. Moreover, as per the Japanese native’s website, he is a two-time Independent Music Awards finalist.
Keiko and Shin married on December 19, 2005; the wedding became quite a talk as they exchanged vows in a helicopter in Las Vegas.
The two, however, are yet to share the details of their courtship- when & how they began dating. Not to mention, they do tag each other on social media posts whenever they have a chance.
Her husband Shin Kawasaki goes by the Instagram handle @shinkawasaki, while the actress herself has over 226K followers on her Instagram (@keikoagena).
Do Agena and Kawasaki Have Children?
No, the duo is yet to share children of their own.
As for a fact, Keiko Agena’s character Lim in the TV series Gilmore Girls became mother to twin boys: Kwan and Steve.
A Two Decade Journey From ‘Gilmore Girls’ To ‘Prodigal Son’
Thanks to supportive parents & her grandmother, Keiko began acting by the age of 10. After attending Mid-Pacific Institute, she enrolled at Whitman College and studied drama major for a year.
In 1993, Agena made her TV debut as a guest cast in Renegade. It followed brief TV roles until 1999 with appearances in ‘Sister, Sister’, ER, and Beverly Hills, 90210.
In 2000, she grabbed her breakthrough after portraying Lane Kim in Gilmore Girls; there she worked until 2007 in 102 episodes. Her character is the best friend of Rory Gilmore (actress Alexis Bledel).
The series ended after 7 seasons on May 15, 2007, and featured Lauren Graham, Melissa McCarthy, Yanic Truesdale, Scott Patterson, and Kelly Bishop, among others.
Then for the next decade, Keiko Agena appeared in recurring roles in Twisted (2013-14), Shameless (2013), Grimm (2016), 13 Reasons Why (2017-18), Dirty John (2018), and Better Call Saul (2018-19).
In 2019, the actress was cast as Edrisa Tanaka, an NYC medical examiner in the TV series Prodigal Son. It ran for 2 seasons (33 episodes) through May 18, 2021, before its cancelation. It featured Tom Payne, Halston Sage, Lou Diamond Phillips, Frank Harts, Michael Sheen, and Aurora Perrineau.
She has also worked in movies as well- Hair Show (2004), Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008), and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).
How Much Is The Net Worth Of Keiko Agena?
Keiko Agena’s major income source is acting- throughout her nearly 3 decade-long career run, she has 73 acting credits. But it was ‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘Prodigal Son’ that took her on-screen stance firm. Along with her TV career, she made a considerable amount from commercials too; worked in Verizon Wireless and UnitedHealthcare.
The Hawaii-born actress took home a salary of tens of thousand dollars per episode, with an alleged 6-digit figure sum annually. As of 2022, Agena has an estimated net worth of $300,000.
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