About
Tao Okamoto is a Japanese model‑turned‑actor who has balanced haute‑couture runways with big‑screen adventures since the late 2000s. Fashion insiders first noticed her razor‑sharp cheekbones and 1.77 m frame on European catwalks, but global audiences discovered her in The Wolverine (2013) opposite Hugh Jackman. She later showed up in Zack Snyder’s DC universe as Mercy Graves in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and popped up in prestige TV such as Hannibal, The Man in the High Castle, and Westworld. Most recently she has been back on Japanese sets, playing strategist Ryoko Funao in Amazon Prime’s naval thriller The Silent Service: The Battle of Tokyo Bay (2024) and is credited for the upcoming drama Kaze no Fuku Shima (2025).
Before Fame
Okamoto was born on 22 May 1985 in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, the middle of three sisters. Her father ran an after‑school tutoring company while her mother took care of the household. At fourteen she began modeling in Tokyo. A move to Paris in 2006 exposed her to an international roster of designers, and in 2009 she relocated again—this time to New York—where she became one of the faces of Ralph Lauren and was memorably photographed with a geometric bowl‑cut that set a new hair trend. Those high‑fashion credentials opened doors on film sets just as Hollywood was seeking more Asian talent.
Trivia
- Vogue Milestone: Japanese Vogue devoted an entire November 2009 issue to her, and the Japan Fashion Editor’s Club named her “Model of the Year.”
- Designer Darling: She has walked for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Kenzo and dozens more, often closing or opening their shows—a coveted slot in runway hierarchy.
- Directorial Debut: In 2019 she stepped behind the camera to direct a short film, Sun and Moon, which screened theatrically in Japan.
- Language Skills: Years spent in Paris and New York left her fluent in English and conversational in French, handy assets on multinational film sets (she still gives interviews in all three languages).
- Submarine Strategist: For The Silent Service she studied maritime terminology and military protocol to portray a civilian analyst thrust into crisis—proving her prep work rivals her modeling discipline.
Family Life
Since 2015 Tao has been married to Tenzin Wild, co‑editor‑in‑chief of The Last Magazine. The pair split their time among Tokyo, New York, and frequent location shoots; friends say their schedules are synced with a shared calendar rather than traditional routines. Away from cameras she enjoys laid‑back reunions with her sisters (often documented on Instagram Stories) and admits that her mother’s home‑cooked curry rice is still her ultimate comfort food.
Associated With
- Hugh Jackman: Her big‑screen debut cast her as Mariko Yashida, Wolverine’s love interest, forging an enduring friendship with Jackman that occasionally resurfaces at comic‑con panels.
- Zack Snyder: The director hand‑picked her for Mercy Graves, praising her “steel‑and‑silk presence” during press for Batman v Superman.
- Bryan Fuller: Fuller expanded her character Chiyoh in Hannibal after seeing early dailies, calling her performance “hypnotic.”
- Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan: The Westworld showrunners wrote the role of Hanaryo—a mysterious ronin‑like host—specifically with her in mind.
- Rila Fukushima & Hiroyuki Sanada: Fellow Japanese actors who joined her in promoting The Wolverine, the trio often highlight one another’s work on social media.
