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Naomi Watanabe is officially making bigger moves in the U.S. scene — and this time, she’s got two industry giants backing her.
The Japanese comedian, actress, model, and all-round fashion icon has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) and Brillstein Entertainment Partners for full-on representation in every area. That’s film, TV, comedy, voice work — the whole lot.
Watanabe, who’s been a household name in Japan for years, first blew up in 2008 after going viral for her lip-synched Beyoncé impressions.
Remember “Crazy in Love” and “Dreamgirls”? Yep, that was her magic.
Since then, she’s been adding strings to her bow.
She moved to New York to crack the U.S. comedy world and didn’t waste any time. In 2021, she launched her podcast Naomi Takes America, giving listeners a taste of her signature wit and charm.
Then came the big stage — literally.
In 2024, she sold out two shows in one night at the Gramercy Theatre with her first English stand-up special, Stand Up with Naomi Watanabe. Not bad for a debut, eh?
Her signing with UTA and Brillstein is seen as the next big step to go full throttle on the international stage.
With these names behind her, expect to see Naomi pop up more often in English-speaking media.
She's still being looked after in Japan by Yoshimoto Entertainment and keeps her longtime manager Grace Chen from Graceful Media in the mix.
On top of all that, Watanabe’s been killing it in the fashion scene too. She’s worked with Adidas x Ivy Park, Gap, Fendi, Savage X Fenty, and Hugo Boss — just casually, you know. She even has her own brand, Punyus, which has a cult following for its body-positive streetwear vibes.
Brillstein’s known for repping some of the best comic talents in the game, including folks tied to Saturday Night Live.
And UTA? They’ve got legends like Dwayne Johnson, Jennifer Lopez, and Harrison Ford on their books.
Naomi joining that roster is a huge statement — not just for her career, but for Japanese representation in Western media.
It shows that multilingual, multicultural talent is finally being given the spotlight it deserves.
Film director Kazuya Shiraishi, known for The Blood of Wolves, also recently joined UTA, so it looks like Japan is stepping up its global entertainment game.
For fans, this news means more Naomi. More laughs. More bold fashion. And hopefully, more Beyoncé impressions — but this time on a Netflix special?
Source: Yahoo JP