Meet Azumi Tsutsui

We recently connected with Azumi Tsutsui and have shared our conversation below.

Azumi, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

At first, I was very judgmental toward myself. I had been that way since I was very little. Maybe it was the environment I grew up in, but I didn’t realize what I was doing. In the acting world, we often say, *’Don’t judge yourself (or other actors).’ *
One day I realized—oh, this is what I’ve been doing! That’s why everything felt so hard. Realizing it was the first step.

I was often very self-conscious because I don’t speak like others (I’m from Japan). But over the years, I’ve met so many diverse people, and that gradually helped me loosen up. Maybe I’m different—but not that different, especially in NYC. In this city, I just blend in.

Another big thing is the people I work with. They are open to my ideas and listen to me very attentively. It really gives me the feeling that I’m part of this—that we’re truly collaborating. Thanks to them, I became more and more confident, and the success just followed.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m an actress from Japan, and I’ve been working in NYC for about 15 years now. I’ve done a lot of films, commercials, and stage productions.
I have a martial arts background, and I’m trained in stage combat and stage fencing. I love getting violent in films and on stage—sword fights, guns, hand-to-hand combat. I love being covered in fake blood, and I love killing and being killed.

I’m also a big fan of horror films, experimental films, and anything gross, unusual, or even a little disturbing.

I work with spit&vigor, an acting company whose style I really enjoy. They’re known for creating work that is “legitimately upsetting.” People come to the theatre actually looking to feel something. Especially in New York, audiences see so many shows that their expectations are high—and in a way, they’re numb to feel-good productions. So what do they want? What can a small acting company like us offer? Something unreal. Something that helps you forget your everyday boredom.

I enjoy eating edible paper on stage, playing hideous cave creatures, or portraying mythical beings—like a half-human, half-sheep creature. That kind of stuff is right up my alley.

And spit&vigor is performing a show called “Anonymous” from 1/29/2026 to 2/28/2026. I’m playing Diana.
(Details: https://www.spitnvigor.com/event-details/anonymous-jan-29th-2026-01-29-19-30
)

It’s set in an addiction-counseling group session. Right now, we’re in rehearsals, deep-diving into each character’s background, motivations, and struggles. We actually performed this show earlier this year, but the upcoming run will be directed by Sara Fellini (Artistic Director and co-founder of spit&vigor), so it’ll have an additional flavor!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Professionalism, being on time, being polite, responding to emails.
It sounds cliché, but this is so important. And there are so many people who don’t understand that these things are essential for professional actors. You’re doing acting as a job, not as a hobby, so you have to behave like a professional.

Managing and controlling your emotions.
This is very difficult, and I’m still learning how to do it well. People often think actors are very emotional—maybe that’s true—but you have to tame your emotions and summon them only when needed.

Being passionate about what you do.
If you’re not, you might want to stop and think about whether you really want to keep doing it. I know not everyone is as lucky as I am—finding something I wanted to do my entire life and actually being able to pursue it—but I think passion is essential for success.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

As an actor, I think a lot about whether I want to be versatile or be truly one-of-a-kind.
My choice is the latter.

I often say I want to be someone like Sylvester Stallone—not literally, lol—but because he’s unique, singular, and instantly recognizable. You hear his voice and you know it’s him right away.

But can you imagine him playing a normal office worker or something? No. And that’s exactly the point: he is Sylvester Stallone. You can’t replace him when a role needs him.

So it’s a gamble—an all-in kind of decision. But you only have one life. Why not bet everything on being the one and only? It’s scary, yeah, but that’s how I want to live.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://atfieldny.wixsite.com/actress
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azumitsutsui
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCocgK5NRSme2rhuzmNiDapg

Image Credits

@momophoto8
Walter Wlodarczyk
Giancarlo Osaben
Ian McQueen