From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
James Hiroyuki Liao
American actor (born 1976)
American actor (born 1976)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | James Hiroyuki Liao |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| other_names | James Liao |
| James Hirouki Liso | |
| Jay Lee | |
| education | Juilliard School (GrDip) |
| occupation | Actor |
| yearsactive | 2004–present |
James Hirouki Liso Jay Lee James Hiroyuki Liao (born February 6, 1976) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Roland Glenn in the Fox crime drama series Prison Break (2008), Jay Lee in the police procedural series Unforgettable (2013–2016), and Albert Nguyen in the HBO tragicomedy crime series Barry (2019–2022).
Liao also portrayed Kenji in the video game Ghost of Tsushima (2020) and General Stephen Mori in the DC Universe (DCU) superhero franchise.
Early life, family and education
Liao was born on February 6, 1976, in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, where he was also raised. His father is Taiwanese, and his mother is Japanese.
He attended graduate school at the Juilliard School's drama division, finishing in 2004. He studied at the Marjorie Ballentine Studio, where he befriended Amaury Nolasco (they would later perform together in the TV series Prison Break during its fourth season).
Career
Liao played Roland Glenn in season four of Prison Break. He starred in other television roles, such as 24, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Bones, CSI: Miami and Law & Order. He was a recurring character in the TV series Barry. He also starred with Jennifer Aniston in the feature film Management.
His stage work includes playing Song Liling (Butterfly) in Washington DC's Arena Stage production of M. Butterfly.
In 2025, he played U.S. Secretary of Defense General Stephen Mori in the DCU film Superman, reprising the role in the subsequent second season of Peacemaker.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Management | AI | |
| 2011 | Battle: Los Angeles | LCpl. Steven Mottola | |
| 2012 | Frankenweenie | Toshiaki | Voice |
| 2013 | Star Trek Into Darkness | U.S.S. Vengeance Bridge Officer | |
| 2020 | Lost Girls | Michael Pak | |
| 2021 | Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins | Yasuko | |
| 2025 | Superman | General Stephen Mori |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Law & Order | Bobby Ito | Episode: "Gaijin" | |
| CSI: Miami | M.E. Assistant | Episode: "MIA/NYC Nonstop" | ||
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | ADA Eddie Perkins | Episode: "Truth or Consequences" | |
| 2007 | Bones | Assistant Coroner | Episode: "The Man in the Mansion" | |
| 2007–2008 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Eric 'Precious Ricky' Hong | 2 episodes | |
| 2008 | The Shield | Llewellyn Wang | Episode: "Game Face" | |
| Prison Break | Roland Glenn | 7 episodes | ||
| 2010 | 24 | Devon Rosenthal | 3 episodes | |
| 2011 | House | Luca | Episode: "Moving On" | |
| 2013–2016 | Unforgettable | Jay Lee | 34 episodes | |
| 2016 | NCIS | Brandon Pierce | Episode: "Radio Silence" | |
| Heartbeat | Rafe Tollefson | Episode: "Sanctuary" | ||
| 2017 | Preacher | Teddy Gunth | Episode: "Viktor" | |
| 2017–2018 | SEAL Team | Dr. Lucien | 3 episodes | |
| 2018 | Iron Fist | Albert | Episode: "The Fury of Iron Fist" | |
| Manifest | Rob | Episode: "Turbulence" | ||
| 2019–2022 | Barry | Albert Nguyen | Recurring; seasons 2–3 | |
| 2021 | Cowboy Bebop | Tanaka | Episode: "Cowboy Gospel" | |
| 2022 | The Dropout | Edmond Ku | Miniseries | |
| 2022–2024 | Blue Bloods | Lieutenant Fleming | Recurring | |
| 2023 | Orphan Black: Echoes | Paul Darros | Main role | |
| 2024 | Presumed Innocent | Herbert Kumagai | Recurring | |
| 2025 | Star Trek: Section 31 | San | Television film | |
| Peacemaker | General Stephen Mori | Episode: "Full Nelson" | ||
| 2026 | Ipponmatsu | Season 2 |
Direct to Video
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Hard Luck | Chang |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Ghost of Tsushima | Kenji | English voice and motion capture |
References
References
- "James Liao in Management".
- Marks, Peter. (2004-10-10). "Floating on Air With 'Butterfly'". The Washington Post.
- "Theater: M. Butterfly".
- Chin, Daniel. (July 14, 2025). "How 'Superman' Sets Up the DCU".
- Mateo, Alex. (January 15, 2025). "Live-Action One Piece Season 2 Casts Rigo Sanchez, Yonda Thomas, James Hiroyuki Liao".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about James Hiroyuki Liao — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report