Interview with Johnny Yong Bosch

Johnny Yong Bosch is most well known for his breakthrough role in the 1990’s kid’s show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He has also made a name for himself with his wide variety of voice acting work. He has portrayed the voices of many prominent characters within the anime and gaming worlds such as Kaneda in Akira or Nero in Devil May Cry 4.

Most recently he has ventured into something different as he also happens to be a musician and has been making a splash in the indie rock scene with his band, Eyeshine, for the past few years.

We are pleased that we were able to hook up with him for this interview on HalfKorean.com.

Please note that HalfKorean.com comments/questions are in BOLD.

Background: The Basics on Johnny

Where were you born & raised?
I was born in Kansas City, MO, raised in Garland, TX and currently in Los Angeles, CA.

How did your parents meet?
My father met my mother while stationed in South Korea.

Were you an army/military “brat” then and did you move around a lot?
No, my dad was in the Army as a soldier not an officer.

Do you have any brothers and/or sisters?
I have one older sister and a younger brother and sister.

Are you fluent in Korean?
No

So, do you understand or speak Korean at all?
Only a few words here and there.

What is your favorite Korean food?
Kalbi

Did you grow up around other half/mixed Koreans (or people of mixed heritage)?
There were not many mixed Koreans or halfbreeds like myself growing up.

Did you ever experience any identity issues while growing up?
Yes, I got picked on a lot for being Asian.

In general, do you think that the Korean & Korean-American communities are accepting of Koreans of mixed heritage?
I don’t sense too much of that.

Any particular reason why you feel that way?
I didn’t really pay that much attention to that; if I felt any negativity as a kid I would ignore it.

When was the last time you have been to Korea?
I haven’t been, mostly because of North Korea.

So, do you plan to visit Korea in the future?
I would love to see it but North Korea would have to cease to exist as it is before I go anywhere near there. Me being a Half-Breed AND American makes it worse.

What do people who meet/see you think your ethnicity is?
Japanese

Entertainment Career:

How did you initially get involved in the entertainment industry?
Power Rangers was my first role. My martial arts instructor saw an ad in the paper about auditions and he told me to go out for it.

You trained in Shaolin Kung Fu prior to your acting career; do you still train and practice martial arts?
Yes, I’ve studied various styles but mostly now for staying in shape.

What is it like to be involved in different roles and be able to use your martial art skill?
It’s the most exciting part for me, being able to do something you love is always fun.

Were you big on martial arts films growing up?
Absolutely, I still watch them.

Any particular favorite martial arts films?
Shaolin vs. Lama, Jade Fist (AKA Crystal Fist), Way of the Dragon, Fearless Hyena… and so on

Let’s move on to your time as a cast member of the Power Rangers; was that your first major acting role?
Yes, that is correct. If you call what I did acting.

Haha So, are you not too fond of the “acting” experience on Power Rangers?
Power Rangers was a lot of fun but it was a kid’s show and very cheesy because of it, which made getting work after that really hard. Plus, I didn’t know squat about acting then.

You were one of only a few that had as many appearances in different seasons and movies. What was it like during the peak of popularity for the show?
It was insane, we couldn’t really go out anywhere and enjoy ourselves because we lived where we worked and everyone seemed to know who we were.

How was it working on the two Power Ranger feature films, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie & Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie in comparison to the TV show?
The films were much bigger in production, especially the first one. The whole experience was amazing though.

You’ve worked on a wide variety of acting & voice acting projects; is there any that you have enjoyed working on the most?
I’ve enjoyed a lot of the roles I’ve played but if I had to name one it would be Devil May Cry 4 as Nero. Partly because I got to go to Japan to do the motion capture and really be the character as opposed to just voicing him.

Now you are involved in many entertainment fields such as actor, voice actor & musician; do you have a favorite?
At the moment, creating music with my band Eyeshine is my most favorite. It’s the only one I have complete control over.

Due to your heavy involvement in voice acting, you must have a pretty large following within the anime and gaming genres; you also make quite a few convention appearances as well?
Yes, it’s definitely helped and of course from being on Power Rangers.

Now, about your group Eyeshine; how was it created, what role do you have in the group?
It started off with me teaching myself how to play the guitar and then led to dreams of making it something bigger. My roles are singing, writing and playing the guitar.

How would you describe the style/type of music? Are there any particular influences to the Eyeshine “sound”?
I call it Edge Rock. We’re somewhere on the edge of sounding like Grunge, Alt. Rock, Punk and Pop. You can get some free MP3s and Music Videos and let us know what you think at http://eyeshine.net/Demo.html

You just released a new album, My Paper Kingdom; how has the reception been so far? Is this the 3rd album for Eyeshine?
Yes, this is the 3rd CD. So far it’s been great. The fan support has been amazing.

Are you planning on touring at all with the release of the new album?
We are continuing to gig often but our first official tour won’t start till late next summer.

What are you working on currently and any projects we should look for soon (acting, voice acting, etc.)?
We’re wrapping up 3 albums with the band early next year. The other projects, I can’t mention yet.

Wow! Three albums that quickly? The albums must already be near completion then?
Yeah, we have 2 in the mixing stage and we’re laying down vocals and guitars on the 3rd one.

Random:

What is your current relationship status?
Currently married and plan to stay that way.

Any children yet?
Yes, 2 dogs (Koda and Radar) and a pet rat (Butters).

Do you have any hobbies or interests that you do to relax?
Playing the guitar, writing and acting.

Anybody you respect/look up to?
Jesus, my parents, Godzilla.

Godzilla? Interesting pick! Haha
He’s a lot taller than I am so I’d have no choice but to look up to him.

Do you drink and/or like soju?
Haha, I’m not much of a drinker but I wouldn’t oppose to trying soju. Are you offering?

Sure! You’ve never tried soju?
Not unless someone slipped me one without me knowing.

How do you feel about other prominent half/mixed Koreans and have you met any of them?
I have met a few and it always feels like I’m meeting family.

What was your take on Korea’s reaction to Hines Ward after he was MVP of Super Bowl XL?
I don’t know really. Hopefully, we’ll all be accepted as Korea’s lost children.

Do you get on the Internet often and, if so, what are some of your favorite websites?
If I’m online it’s usually business related or to update our band website www.eyeshine.net

So, you update/maintain your band website yourself?
Initially yes but most of the maintenance is done by my drummer.

How did you find out about HalfKorean.com and what did you think when you first saw it?
I was contacted through an e-mail and I was actually shocked to see a site dedicated to half Koreans. I’ve always felt like nobody cared about half Koreans.

Any words that you would like to pass on to the community?
Our hearts define us, not our skin.

Be sure to check out Johnny on MySpace.

You can also check out Eyeshine’s official website & MySpace.

Interview by: David Lee Sanders

Posted: 12/16/2009

Eyeshine – “Fighting” music video from their 2009 album My Paper Kingdom