RAFU STAFF REPORT
Local actress Jeanne Sakata is bidding farewell to “Station 19,” an ABC drama in which she had a recurring role.
A spin-off of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Station 19” focused on the lives of the men and women at Seattle Fire Station 19. Premiering in 2018, it ran for seven seasons (104 episodes).
Sakata played Nari, the mother of Travis Montgomery (Jay Hayden, who is half-Asian in real life), an openly gay firefighter and the heart of Station 19. He is a widower, having lost his husband Michael, a fellow firefighter. In Season 6, he runs for mayor of Seattle.
Travis’ father, Paul, was played by Kenneth Meseroll (Seasons 3-4) and Robert Curtis Brown (Seasons 4-5).
On May 23, Sakata posted on Facebook: “Tonight is the two-part finale of ‘Station 19’ — how I will miss this groundbreaking show, like so many of you!
“I was honored to recur in seven episodes as Nari Montgomery, Travis’ mom, on Seasons 3 to 5. What a gift to work on a show with such a diverse and brilliant cast — every actor at the top of their game, an ensemble in the best sense of the word, and a show that tackled headlong the pressing and critical social and political issues of our time.
“What a joy to meet some of the incredible S19 fans that were so generous and supportive during the SAG-AFTRA strike — flying out to walk the picket lines with us, to share food and drink on the line, to organize the #SaveStation19 campaign.
“I’m so grateful for the storyline of Travis and his mom who, after years of struggle and pain, are finally able to arrive at the moment where Nari says to her son, ‘You were never anything but perfect, Travis.’
“Here are just a few of the wonderful artists I got to work with on the show! Shout-out to my amazing TV son and husband Jay Hayden and Robb Curtis Brown, directors David Greenspan and Tessa Blake, producer/writer Rochelle Zimmerman, staff writer Leah Gonzalez, series regulars Barrett Doss (Victoria Hughes), Jaina Ortiz (Andy Herrera), Carlos Miranda (Theo Ruiz) — and so many more.
“I’ll be crying with all the rest of you tonight! Here’s to a great sendoff for ‘Station 19’!”
When she was first cast, “I thought it was just going to be one episode, but I was delighted to be invited back,” Sakata told The Rafu Shimpo.
Sakata’s other recent recurring and guest star TV roles include CBS’ “Magnum P.I.,” “NCIS: Hawai’I” and “NCIS: Los Angeles”; Disney Plus’ “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”; and ABC’s “Dr. Ken.”
Her voice talents are featured in Marvel’s animated series “Hit Monkey,” Apple TV’s “Stillwater,” Disney’s “Big Hero 6” and Nickelodeon’s “Avatar: The Last Air-bender,” and she can also be heard on the audiobooks for “How High We Go in the Dark” and “Trust.”
On stage, Sakata recently per-formed in Anna Deavere Smith’s “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” at Center Theatre Group’s Mark Taper Forum, as well as the world premiere of Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich’s “Here There Are Blueberries” at La Jolla Playhouse.
Her first play as a playwright, “Hold These Truths,” commissioned by Center Theatre Group, premiered at East West Players (under a different title) and won rave reviews over two dozen productions across the country and continues to be produced nationally and internationally. The one-man show is based on the true story of Gordon Hirabayashi, who challenged the U.S. government in court during World War II over its treatment of Japanese Americans.
Sakata also authored the 2021 L.A. Theatre Works audio drama “For Us All,” based on the reopening Fred Korematsu’s landmark Supreme Court case challenging the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans.