This audio is generated by AI, so pronunciation and expressions may not be fully accurate. The narration is only in English.
Brooks' initial love affair with Japan began early, at age 11. "My connection to Japan is quite a unique one," she explains, "it was just happenstance." Brooks' middle school in Boston, Massachusetts, just so happened to offer Japanese language classes. "To have the option to study Japanese at an American public school is an incredibly rare and amazing thing," she says.
After moving to a school that did not offer the same opportunity, her mother, seeing her love for the language, stepped in. "She convinced the Japan Society of Boston to let me join as their first child student. At that time, they did not have a class that catered to children, so, at the age of 12, I joined a business level class. It was myself, and six business people learning business level Japanese."
Brooks immersed herself in Japanese culture, interacting with the international exchange students, both at Showa Boston campus, an overseas campus of Tokyo's Showa Women's University, and through hosting them at home with her family. "It was incredibly informative," she says, "I am still friends with the people I met then." At 16, she gained a Youth for Understanding scholarship to study in Japan, spending time in rural Nara. "It was life changing. I got to experience Japanese culture in the purest sense in the deep countryside, and I still consider my host family as family to this day."
Japanese was not Brooks' only interest. "I have always been fascinated with how things work and also with people, what motivates them." Her curiosity and determination led her to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Harvard University, as well as focusing on humanoid robotics and prosthetics while at MIT. "I loved the idea of attempting to replace a part of someone that they've lost, it's incredibly profound."
While her love for engineering was strong, she also felt the pull of the arts, "There was a point where I purely wanted to focus on art. At the time I did not choose that path because I felt I could not teach myself engineering, so I decided to study that." However, the world of arts was waiting for her, she just did not know it yet.
After moving to New York to work at a startup, she was scouted by a modeling agency, which led to a handful of commercial acting gigs. "My agency threw me into auditions and I quickly realized I needed acting lessons." In her first class with esteemed acting coach Anthony Abeson, she had a revelation. "It was like a light bulb went on. I realized this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I have always wanted to do all these different things in my career, be different people, and this is how I do just that."
While her acting career landed her roles on notable American productions such as Billions, and Strangers, her dream of living in Tokyo never faded. With connections in Japan, and her Japanese ability, Brooks was able to take her acting skills across the Pacific, landing a handful of roles and starting her action combat training in Tokyo's prestigious action stunt studio AAC Stunts, most recently her role as Martha in the NHK (Japan's national broadcaster) drama Bake Bake, otherwise known as "The Ghost Writer's Wife."
Working both in the States and in Japan, Brooks has had to adapt to the different ways of working on sets. "I had gotten used to filming in order, shooting one episode at a time. In Japan, however, they shoot non-sequential more often so in one day you can shoot scenes from different episodes, which is a wildly impressive feat," she explains, "It is a huge difference from an organizational standpoint, but the other actors are just used to it. That was a big learning curve for me."
Day-to-day shooting strategies also differ. While American productions work within specific union rules, Tokyo is much more unpredictable. "In Tokyo, it is dependent on the project, and very much depends on the production or director," she says. "As an actor, it keeps things interesting. You need to trust in your preparation, which forces you to almost over-prepare because you never know, you just have to assume anything can happen."
Since Bake Bake, a studio-based shoot, Brooks has also worked on a production shot in real locations in and around Japan's capital. "Shooting in Tokyo was amazing because you use real locations that people live their lives in. You absorb that into your performance, creating your own history, relating it to these people which is beautiful. It is such a stunning city to shoot in; at every point there is something interesting in frame."
For Brooks, Tokyo has long been the goal, and now, thanks to her work, she splits her time between New York and Tokyo. "Tokyo is such a huge and incredible city. I know people call New York the concrete jungle, but I think that saying suits Tokyo better. New York is a grid; everything's very predictable, but in Tokyo the streets run everywhere, and every building is so unique."
As an engineer, Brooks admires Tokyo's seamless integration of technology into everyday life. "You see it reflected in the transportation system, efficiency, and cleanliness." She has also seen a city committed to improving life for its residents. "You find that, with innovations and technology, it's always promoted with this mindset of improving residents' lives. I think many cities lack that mindset. It is incredibly refreshing to experience." She adds that this mindset shows up in the details of everyday engineering. One example is the grooves carved into train-station floors to channel rainwater into drainage systems—an instance of mindful design intended to reduce flooding.
Due to her impermanent residence, Brooks finds "monthly mansions" (fully furnished apartments available for short-term stays) a more flexible arrangement for her stays while working. "I get to try out new neighborhoods, which is so cool," she says. "The advantage is that I can go on a jog and discover new aspects of each area, whether that's a park, a shrine, or a cafe." While her favorite neighborhood changes with almost every visit, one view remains consistent: "Tokyo is a city where humanity is thriving. Everywhere you look, there is a soul to it—as if someone has imbued even the smallest structures with their own personality. It's a city that has so much of a story to tell." For filmmakers, artists, and actors like Brooks, that is the dream.
Canadian American actor, model, and engineer Meisha Brooks is a Harvard and MIT graduate who, after studying engineering and robotics, shifted her career trajectory to become a model and actor. Born in Boston, she studied Japanese from a young age, falling in love with the language and then the culture. She has spent many years traveling to and even living and working in Japan and now feels that Japan is her second home.
She made her acting debut in 2018 in the American drama Strangers followed by the hit American drama Billions in 2020. In 2025 she made her first appearance in a Japanese drama in the NHK serial drama Bake Bake, otherwise known as "The Ghost Writer's Wife" playing the role of Martha. Brooks now lives between New York and Tokyo, pursuing her acting dreams between these two metropolises. She will be making her filmmaker debut with her short film "MERFOLK" in 2027.
