Sac History Happenings: In History's Spotlight: Sab Shimono

Sac History Happenings

News and developments in Sacramento and California history

April 1, 2012

In History's Spotlight: Sab Shimono

Born: July 31, 1943

Known for: Sacramento native Sab Shimono has fashioned a long acting career in television shows, movies and Broadway plays.

Background: Shimono was born in an apartment on Third and L streets in Sacramento. During World War II, Shimono's family was relocated to the Tule Lake camp in Northern California and then to Amache, Colo., as part of Executive Order 9066, which uprooted more than 110,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry. When Shimono's family returned home, his father opened the Diamond Cafe on K Street. Shimono attended Sacramento High School and then University of California, Berkeley, where he took acting classes. He made his Broadway debut in "Mame," with Angela Lansbury. His film credits include "Presumed Innocent." On TV, he's appeared in "2 1/2 Men", "Friends" "Seinfeld" and "M.A.S.H." He also has won awards for his work in regional theater, including San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

A highlight: He was the voice of Uncle on the hit TV series "Jackie Chan Adventures." He also has provided voice work for "The Simpsons."

In History's Spotlight profiles of Sacramento newsmakers were published originally in 2007 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of The Sacramento Bee. They were written by Anthony Sorci. Look for them every Sunday in Sac History Happenings.

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California and Sacramento have a long, rich, vibrant history. And our region is blessed with an abundance of historical resources maintained by museums, libraries, archives and societies. This blog aims to alert readers to the latest developments in local/state historical education and research.

Send tips concerning upcoming exhibits, tours, lectures and meetings, as well as new books, magazine articles and online collections to the blog's contributors.

The Contributors:

Michael Dolgushkin

Michael Dolgushkin is Manuscript Librarian at the California State Library History Section. He is co-author of San Francisco's California Street Cable Cars and is a frequent contributor to the California State Library Foundation Bulletin. Contact him at mdolgushkin@library.ca.gov.

Amanda Graham is a Certified Archivist working in the Sacramento Room of the Sacramento Public Library. She earned a BS in History from Southern Oregon University and a MS in Information Studies with an emphasis in archives from The University of Texas at Austin. Contact her at agraham@saclibrary.org.

Pete Basofin is Director of Editorial Research at The Sacramento Bee. He previously worked at The St. Petersburg Times and Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune. Contact him at pbasofin@sacbee.com.

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