Helen Funai
Helen Funai, born on January 25, 1943, in Los Angeles, California, is a Japanese-American actress and producer who has made significant contributions to the entertainment industry over several decades. Raised in a vibrant Japanese-American community, Helen's early life was marked by the cultural richness of her heritage, which she proudly carried into her career.
Acting Career
Helen Funai's acting career began in the 1960s, a time when opportunities for Asian-American actors were scarce. Despite the challenges, Helen's talent and perseverance paved the way for a remarkable career in both television and film. She appeared in numerous popular TV shows, including:
• Bewitched (1968): She charmed audiences with her guest appearance in this magical sitcom. • M*A*S*H (1973): Helen's role in this critically acclaimed series highlighted her dramatic skills. • Hawaii Five-O (1978-1980): She brought her talent to this beloved crime drama. • Dynasty (1985): Helen was part of the glitz and glamour of this iconic 80s soap opera.
Film Appearances
Helen Funai's film career is equally impressive. Her notable roles include:
• Our Man Flint (1966) as Sakito: Helen's performance in this spy spoof brought her recognition. • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) as Tintinabula: She showcased her comedic and dance talents in this classic musical. • Best of the Best (1989) as Tommy's Mother: Helen delivered a heartfelt performance in this martial arts drama.
Personal Life
Helen Funai's personal life is as fascinating as her professional one. She has an identical twin sister named Keiko, adding a unique twist to her family background. Helen was married to Harry Eugene Erickson Jr., with whom she had one child. Harry passed away on September 13, 2007. Helen has lived in the same house in Bel Air, California, for decades, a testament to her love for stability and home.
Achievements and Milestones
Helen Funai's career is dotted with numerous achievements and milestones. In 1963, she was crowned the Nisei Week Pageant Queen, a prestigious title that recognized her beauty and talent. In 1966, she was named a 'Deb Star,' further cementing her status in Hollywood.
One of Helen's most notable achievements was joining The Dingaling Sisters quartet for Season 8 of "The Dean Martin Show" in 1972. She made history as the first Asian-American member of the group, breaking racial barriers and paving the way for future generations of Asian-American performers.
Other Work and Contributions
In addition to her acting career, Helen Funai has made significant contributions behind the scenes. She worked as a choreographer for TV shows like "CHiPs" (1982) and "Sugar Time!" (1977-1978), showcasing her multifaceted talent in the entertainment industry.
Most recently, Helen is listed as an executive producer for a short film called "Ten Times Better" (2024), proving that her influence in Hollywood continues to this day.
Filmography
- Our Man Flint as Sakito (1966)
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as Tintinabula (16 October 1966)
- Gidget Gets Married as Minnie Chan (1972)
- Noble House (miniseries) as Mrs. Kwang (1988)
Television Roles
| Original Air Date | Network | Show Name | Episode Name | Character Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 31, 1970 | CBS | Mission: Impossible (s5,e7) | Butterfly | Nobu Kellem |
| December 27, 1970 | NBC | The Bill Cosby Show (s2,e14) | Teacher Of The Year | Miss Hillard |
| March 20, 1971 | CBS | My Three Sons (s11,e24) | After The Honeymoon | Tracy Lee |
| December 1, 1973 | CBS | M*A*S*H (s2,e12) | The Incubator | Betty Lou |
| October 25, 1974 | NBC | Sanford And Son (s4,e7) | Home Sweet Home | Miss Funai |
| January 31, 1975 | ABC | Baretta (s1,e3) | Woman In The Harbor | Kim |
| September 20, 1975 | ABC | Matt Helm (s1,e1) | Dead Men Talk | Lin |
| September 22, 1976 | ABC | Baretta (s3,e1) | The Ninja | Nancy |
| December 18, 1976 | ABC | Most Wanted (s1,e7) | The Torch | Miko |
| March 23, 1978 | CBS | Hawaii Five-O (s10,e20) | Invitation To Murder | Riah Barlow |
| March 29, 1980 | CBS | Hawaii Five-O (s12,e19) | The Moroville Covenant | Margot Lawrence |
| April 28, 1981 | NBC | The Misadventures Of Sheriff Lobo (s2,e14) | Roller Disco Karate Kaper | Miss Cummings |
| October 24, 1982 | NBC | CHiPs (s6,e3) | The Spaceman Made Me Do It | Joy Fujino |
| April 9, 1969 | NBC | I Spy (s4,e26) | Pinwheel | Mai Ling |
| December 11, 1969 | CBS | Mannix (s3,e13) | Shadow of a Man | Receptionist |
| January 7, 1970 | NBC | The Virginian (s8,e17) | Nightmare | Mrs. Koby |
| November 13, 1972 | NBC | The Sixth Sense (s2,e9) | Dear Joan, We're Going to Scare You to Death | May |
| March 21, 1975 | ABC | Kung Fu (s3,e23) | The Last Raid | Miss Chang |
| April 22, 1980 | NBC | B.J. and the Bear (s2,e14) | The Pride of the Yankees | Bubbles |
| November 27, 1981 | CBS | Magnum, P.I. (s2,e9) | The Taking of Dick McWilliams | Hana Matsuo |
| January 8, 1982 | CBS | The Love Boat (s5,e17) | The Lady from Laramie/The Maid and the Millionaire/The Sensuous Senator | Ah Ling |
| January 19, 1988 | NBC | Highway to Heaven (s4,e15) | Time in a Bottle | Judge Helen Watanabe |
| 1988 | NBC | Noble House | Multiple Episodes | Mrs. Kwang |
| 1986 | ABC | The Colbys | Multiple Episodes | Min |
| 1986 | CBS | Cagney & Lacey (s5,e6) | Entrapment | Sophy |
| 1986 | ABC | Hotel (s4,e20) | The Ties That Bind | The Nun |
| 1985 | ABC | Dynasty (s6,e3) | The Californians | Constance's Assistant |
| 1983 | CBS | Simon & Simon (s2,e12) | Matchmaker | Lisa Chen |
| 1982 | ABC | Terror at Alcatraz (TV Movie) | TV Movie | Nancy |
| 1979 | NBC | Quincy, M.E. (s5,e18) | Diplomatic Immunity | Dr. Helen Matsuro |
| 1971–1977 | NBC | Days of Our Lives | Multiple Episodes | Kim Douglas |
| 1972 | ABC | Gidget Gets Married | TV Movie | Minnie Chan |
| 1971 | CBS | Bonanza (s13,e26) | The Younger Brothers' Younger Brother | Lim Toy |
| 1971 | CBS | Josie's Castle | TV Movie | Jennifer |
| 1969–1971 | CBS | The Red Skelton Hour | Multiple Episodes | Native Girl / Woman |
| 1970–1976 | NBC | Somerset | Multiple Episodes | Lai Ling |
| 1969 | NBC | Gidget Grows Up | TV Movie | Minnie Chan |
| 1969 | CBS | Mannix (s2,e12) | Shadow of a Man | Joy Suk |
| 1968 | ABC | It Takes a Thief (s1,e7) | The Radomir Miniature | Lori Chan |
| 1968 | ABC | Bewitched (s4,e27) | The No-Harm Charm | Stewardess |
| 1967 | CBS | Gomer Pyle: USMC (s4,e11) | To Watch a Thief | Japanese Girl |
| 1967 | CBS | The Wild Wild West (s3,e6) | The Night of the Samurai | Japanese Maiden |
| 1967 | MGM | Gunn | Film | Japanese Twin (uncredited) |
| 1966–1967 | NBC | The Dean Martin Show | Multiple Episodes | Dancer |
| 1966 | Columbia Pictures | Murderers' Row | Film | Bath Attendant (uncredited) |
| 1966 | United Artists | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | Film | Tintinabula |
| 1966 | 20th Century Fox | Our Man Flint | Film | Sakito |
| 1966 | NBC | I Spy (s2,e8) | The War Lord | Kako |
Trivia
- She has an identical twin who is named Keiko.
- Played in two different incarnations of 'Matt Helm from The Wrecking Crew (1968)': First in the movie Murderers' Row (1966), with Dean Martin playing the lead character, then 15 years later in the Matt Helm (1975) TV series' first episode (Matt Helm: Dead Men Talk (1975)) with Anthony Franciosa..
- Joined The Dingaling Sisters quartet for Season 8 of The Dean Martin Show (1965) in 1972, breaking barriers as the first Asian-American member of the group.
- Has lived in the same house in Bel Air, Californa for decades.
- Was a 'Deb Star' of 1966.
- Attended Los Angeles High School.
Appearances
- Best of the Best as Tommy's Mother
- 1988 Noble House (TV Mini Series) as Mrs. Kwang
- Part IV (1988) ... Mrs. Kwang
- Part III (1988) ... Mrs. Kwang
- Part II (1988) ... Mrs. Kwang
- Part I (1988) ... Mrs. Kwang
- 1988 Highway to Heaven (TV Series) as Judge Helen Watanabe
- Time in a Bottle (1988) ... Judge Helen Watanabe
- 1986 The Colbys (TV Series) as Min
- Checkmate (1986) ... Min
- Double Jeopardy (1986) ... Min
- 1986 Cagney & Lacey (TV Series) as Sophy
- Capitalism (1986) ... Sophy
- 1986 Hotel (TV Series) as The Nun
- Facades (1986) ... The Nun
- 1985 Dynasty (TV Series) as Constance's Assistant
- The Man (1985) ... Constance's Assistant
- 1983 Simon & Simon (TV Series) as Lisa Chen
- The Secret of the Chrome Eagle (1983) ... Lisa Chen
- 1982 CHiPs (TV Series) as Joy Fujino
- The Spaceman Made Me Do It (1982) ... Joy Fujino
- 1982 Terror at Alcatraz (TV Movie) as Nancy
- 1981 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (TV Series) as Miss Cummings
- The Roller Disco Karate Kaper (1981) ... Miss Cummings
- 1978-1980 Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) as Margo Lawrence / Riah Barlow
- The Moroville Covenant (1980) ... Margo Lawrence
- Invitation to Murder (1978) ... Riah Barlow
- 1979 The Ordeal of Patty Hearst (TV Movie) as Wendy Yoshimura
- 1979 Quincy M.E. (TV Series) as Dr. Helen Matsuro
- A Question of Death (1979) ... Dr. Helen Matsuro
- 1971-1977 Days of Our Lives (TV Series) as Kim Douglas
- Episode #1.2859 (1977) ... Kim Douglas
- Episode #1.2857 (1977) ... Kim Douglas
- Episode #1.2771 (1976) ... Kim Douglas
- Episode #1.2763 (1976) ... Kim Douglas
- Episode #1.2754 (1976) ... Kim Douglas
- 72 episodes
- 1976 Most Wanted (TV Series) as Miko
- The Torch (1976) ... Miko
- 1975-1976 Baretta (TV Series) as Nancy / Kim
- The Ninja (1976) ... Nancy
- Woman in the Harbor (1975) ... Kim
- 1976 I Will... I Will... For Now as Miss Ito
- 1974-1975 Sanford and Son (TV Series) as Japanese Masseuse / Miss Funai
- Sanford and Rising Son (1975) ... Japanese Masseuse (uncredited)
- Home Sweet Home (1974) ... Miss Funai
- 1975 Matt Helm (TV Series) as Lin
- Dead Men Talk (1975) ... Lin
- 1973 M*A*S*H (TV Series) as Betty Lou
- The Incubator (1973) ... Betty Lou
- 1973 The Young and the Restless (TV Series) as Sumiko (1980)
- 1972 Gidget Gets Married (TV Movie) as Minnie Chan
- 1970-1972 Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) as Waitress / Joyce
- The Basic Moment: Part 1 (1972) ... Waitress
- To Get Through the Night (1970) ... Joyce
- 1971 Bonanza (TV Series) as Lim Toy
- Rock-A-Bye Hoss (1971) ... Lim Toy
- 1971 Josie's Castle as Jennifer
- 1971 My Three Sons (TV Series) as Tracy Lee
- After the Honeymoon (1971) ... Tracy Lee
- 1970 The Bill Cosby Show (TV Series) as Miss Hillard
- Teacher of the Year (1970) ... Miss Hillard
- 1970 Mission: Impossible (TV Series) as Nobu Kellem
- Butterfly (Mission: Impossible) (1970) as Nobu Kellem
- 1970 Somerset (TV Series) as Lai Ling (1975-1976)
- 1969 Gidget Grows Up (TV Movie) as Minnie Chan
- 1969 The Red Skelton Hour (TV Series) as Woman / Chinese Drama
- Why the Show Must Go On or The History of Opening Night (1969) ... Woman / Chinese Drama
- 1969 Mannix (TV Series) as Joy Suk
- Shadow of a Man (1969) ... Joy Suk
- 1968 It Takes a Thief (TV Series) as Lori Chan
- The Lay of the Land (1968) ... Lori Chan
- 1968 Bewitched (TV Series) as Stewardess
- A Majority of Two (1968) ... Stewardess
- 1967 Gomer Pyle: USMC (TV Series) as Japanese Girl
- A Child Shall Lead Them (1967) ... Japanese Girl
- 1967 The Wild Wild West (TV Series) as Japanese Maiden
- The Night of the Samurai (1967) ... Japanese Maiden
- 1967 Gunn as Japanese Twin (uncredited)
- 1966-1967 The Dean Martin Show (TV Series) as Dancer
- Episode #2.18 (1967) ... Dancer (uncredited)
- Episode #2.14 (1966)
- 1966 Murderers' Row as the Bath Attendant (uncredited)
- 1966 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as Tintinabula
- 1966 Our Man Flint as Sakito
- 1966 I Spy (TV Series)
- The Barter (I Spy): I Spy, S1.E16, aired Jan 12, 1966 as Kako