If American-Japanese actor Masi Oka had the superpowers of his Heroes character, he would like to travel back in time and also explore outer space.
'I love history. Maybe I could just look at the oldest civilisations, whether they're in feudal Japan or England, the Mayans and the discovery of certain technology,' said the 32-year-old, who plays avid comic reader Hiro Nakamura. 'It would be great to teleport to Mars, Saturn or wherever. Hopefully there's oxygen there so I don't die.'
His role won him a nomination for best supporting actor in a TV series in last month's Golden Globes. The show, also nominated for best drama at the Globes, follows a group of ordinary people discovering their extraordinary abilities. It started showing in Hong Kong on Star World last Wednesday.
The Tokyo-born actor, who moved to Los Angeles at the age of six, worked as a programmer at George Lucas' special effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, and on blockbusters such as the Star Wars prequels and Pirates of the Caribbean before launching an acting career in 2001. Oka said he wanted to continue doing his special effects job, to keep the left and right sides of his brain active - and to keep him humble.
'Many actors forget that there are people behind the scenes who make it all happen. I think it's important to stay connected to that - it will keep me grounded and maintain my appreciation and respect for the crew,' said Oka (left), who is also a manga devotee in real life.
He said his Heroes character required him 'to keep the comedy grounded in truth and reality', even though the character is getting more difficult to handle as his trials and tribulations mount. 'The writers are doing an amazing job. The biggest mystery in the show for me is how they keep coming up with fresh ideas week after week. They always come up with something that's surprising and something really ingenuous,' he said.