Devin Kawaoka - Actor (Shrinking / Chicago Med)

About this episode

Devin Kawaoka discusses his journey from snow skiing to acting, his roles in 'Shrinking' and 'Chicago Med', and his experiences in screenwriting.

Devin Kawaoka Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Devin Kawaoka. Devin is an actor who can currently be seen on Apple TV's Shrinking; as well as NBC's Chicago Med. In this episode, Devin and I chat about his first love, snow skiing. He was really good too, some say Olympics bound. He shares the story of what happened that turned his attention toward acting. Once he did find acting, he never looked back. Devin has starred on Broadway in the massively acclaimed 'Slave Play' and is realizing huge success on two of the biggest shows on the screen today. (The ones I mentioned above). Devin also shares the reasons that he chose NYU Tisch; not once, but twice. We take a bit of a walk down Memory Lane, as we talk about his favorite TV show, 'Six Feet Under', and why it was so important to him. It was so impactful to a young Devin, that the show has informed his idea of what good writing and acting can do for those watching. Along the way, we talk about his experiences on several shows. Devin plays Dr. Kai Tanaka-Reed on Chicago Med, while simultaneously playing the lovable husband Charlie on Shrinking. We discuss the logistics of filming those two shows at the…

People in this episode

Host: Steve Owens

Guest: Devin Kawaoka

Topics covered

• acting
• television
• Broadway
• screenwriting
• personal journey

Keywords

• Devin Kawaoka
• Shrinking
• Chicago Med
• acting
• Broadway
• screenwriting
• Six Feet Under
• Slave Play

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Apple TV, NBC

Books & works: Slave Play, Six Feet Under, Friend of Dave, Under the Lantern Lit Sky, Lucifer

More episodes of Fascination Street

• Throwback: Vinnie Tortorich - Celebrity Fitness Trainer - Parts 1 & 2 · June 11, 2026 · 1h 45m
• Nils Rasmussen Returns! - Musician (Uncle Outrage) · June 8, 2026 · 47 min
• Throwback: Dicky Barrett - Musician (The Mighty Mighty BossToneS / The Defiant) [Episode 400] · June 4, 2026 · 54 min
• Jayson Cross - Comedian · June 1, 2026 · 59 min
• Throwback: Serena Scott Thomas - Actress (Bond Girl) · May 28, 2026 · 52 min
• Joey C. Maddison - Professional Clown & Mascot · May 25, 2026 · 45 min