Minae Noji

By Ken Hall

Minae Noji isn't yet a household name, but her profile figures to get considerably higher later this year with the release of the much anticipated epic film, Memoirs of a Geisha, based on the popular book of the same title. Steven Spielberg is the producer and Rob Marshall (Chicago) is directing. A Dec. 9 release date is planned.

Noji plays a young apprentice geisha in her teens (Minae is out of her teens, but she won't say by how much). Memoirs of a Geisha is a love story, set in pre- and post-World War II. The movie features some of the world's finest Oriental actors, including Ziyi Zhang, Michelle Yao, Lee Gang and Ken Watanabe. Noji is a Japanese-American who was born and raised in Hollywood.

Being from the Los Angeles area was a convenient stroke of luck for the starlet, who has been acting since she was a child, both in theatre and on television. Her TV credits include a recurring role on the CBS daytime series The Bold and the Beautiful (as the vampy "Katie") and a guest starring appearance on Spin City (ABC). In film, she played the sexy singer, "Miss Bangkok," in Be Cool (MGM), the sequel to Get Shorty, starring John Travolta and Uma Thurman.

On the stage, Minae was chosen from among thousands of hopefuls to be one of the female cast members of the first national touring company of Miss Saigon, the highly praised play that enjoyed a long Broadway run. Noji met and befriended Emy Coligado, a Phillipine actress who also had a part (although in different casts) in the play. Coligado has since gone on to enjoy other roles, including a recurring part in the hit television show, Malcolm in the Middle.

What drew the women together as friends was a mutual love of art, fashion and creativity. "I was raised in a family of painters," Noji said, "and Emy has a background in clothing and fashion design. We both grew up sewing and making things. Whenever we got together, we'd talk and knit. At some point, we decided to turn our passion into a business venture."

The two launched EmyMinae, a company that designs and produces unique handmade women's accessories for boutiques like Fred Segal and Planet Blue. "Everything we make is a hand-made, one-of-a-kind," Noji said. The items include blankets (typically ranging from $500-$600), scarves, hats, purses, corsages and the hottest item at the moment: Japanese-style house slippers (priced from $65-$125).

"Our tastes complement one another so well," Noji said. "Emy's designs are on the funky side, while mine are a little more elegant. We really enjoy it so much. And it's something we can do while we're on the set of a film or TV show, since there's so much down time. It's something we'd be doing anyway, so we decided it was best to just turn it into a business."

The items have an Oriental flavor to them, and the women purchase as many raw materials from Japan as possible. "They have great yarns and textiles," Noji said. "Color is very important to us, and so much of what is made in Japan is very colorful." Aside from yarns and cloth, other materials include beads, pearls, stones, gems and chains. Word of their creations has spread to the rich and famous. Often, they are commissioned to make personalized accessories for Hollywood's wealthiest women.

But the two haven't let success go to their heads. In an effort to spread the love, they've decided to split part of the profits of EmyMinae with various worthwhile charities such as the Save the Children Fund and the Make a Wish Foundation.

Minae Noji is an only child to a father who is an engineer and a mother who is an accountant. Her grandfather was a painter and she has various aunts who paint and make jewelry. "Even my parents," she said, "wouldn't admit to it, but they're very artistically inclined."

As a young girl, Minae was always making things, creating art. "I would do unusual things," she recalled. "Once, I found a piece of blank film strip, and I inpainted scenes onto it. I also liked to do little clay sculptures."

By age 5, she was already painting with acrylics. Oils would soon follow. In college, she took an art course, but it wasn't to her liking. "There were too many rules," she said. "I just wanted to do what I wanted to do." She took a ceramics class, too.

Noji worked as a child actress in theatre and television, earning recurring roles on Together We Stand (CBS), with Elliot Gould, and A Year In The Life (NBC), with Alan Arkin. She is semi-fluent in Japanese, and at age 16 she won a recording contract and toured South America and Asia as a Japanese recording artist. She also became a vocal finalist on the TV show Star Search.

Her film credits include Instant Trauma (she played Yoko Ono to the delusional hero's John Lennon, played by Clete Keith); The Last Run (a comedy, with Fred Savage); Honor Bound, God's Waiting List and Judge Is God (for which she also had a producing credit).

Minae attended the University of Southern California at Irvine and graduated with a BA degree in sociology. She took a year off when she was chosen for her role in Miss Saigon, whereupon she met Emy Coligado and the rest is artistic and creative history.

Noji has some offbeat talents of which she is particularly proud. These include making animal sounds and doing hyper-extended splits and toe-tricks. She makes her home in Los Angeles with her Rottweiller, Bonc, and a 13-inch catfish named Nessie.

Fans of Minae Noji may write to the star c/o Sharp & Associates Public Relations, 8721 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 208, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

 Minae Noji will appear in Steven Spielberg's epic film, Memoirs of a Geisha, due out in December.

Minae and her business partner, Emy Coligado, make one-of-a-kind fashion accessories.

Minae and Emy purchase as many raw materials from Japan as possible.

"Color is very important to us," Minae said, "and so much of what is made in Japan is colorful."

Hand-crocheted purse makes a colorful fashion accent.

Corsages worn on the shoulder strap are an eye-grabbing conversation piece.

Japanese slippers are one of EmyMinae's hottest sellers.