| Birth place | Columbus, Ohio, United States[1] |
|---|---|
| Education | Harvard University (AB) |
| Occupation | Actress · voice actor · filmmaker |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Known for | Space Channel 5 ER Transformers: Prime |
| Spouse | Craig Zimmerman (m. 2011) |
| Website | sumalee.com |
Sumalee Montano is an American actress, voice actress, and film producer. Originally, she worked as an investment bank analyst in New York City and Hong Kong before starting her acting career.
For TV and film, Montano has appeared on Close to Home, Days of Our Lives, Nashville, Scandal, The Young and the Restless, This Is Us, and Veep. As a voice actress, she has provided the voice of Pudding in Space Channel 5 and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, Arcee on Transformers: Prime, Cali in the Skylanders series, Katana on Beware the Batman, the President in Saints Row IV, the female Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition and Yuna in Ghost of Tsushima and she is the best known as Maria Santiago in The Loud House and The Casagrandes. She has also guest-starred as Nila on the web series Critical Role.
She resides and works in Los Angeles.
Early life
Montano is of Filipino[2] and Thai descent and grew up mostly in the United States, but also spent a few years in Bangkok, Thailand. During her high school career, she began acting as an extracurricular activity.[3] Her great-uncle is Filipino actor and writer Severino Montano.[4]
Education and acting career
She graduated from Harvard University in 1993 and is a U.S. Fulbright scholar.[5] After graduation, she worked as an investment banking analyst for Morgan Stanley for a few years.[6] After realizing investment banking wasn't something she was passionate about, Montano quit and went backpacking through Africa before realizing she wanted to pursue acting professionally.[7]
Montano has taken on a variety of different roles, both live-action and voice-over. She is talented in using many different accents, including Chinese, Filipino, British, Southern, Thai, Vietnamese, Eastern European and Japanese.[8] Her first voice acting role was as Pudding in the 1999 music-rhythm game, Space Channel 5. Her first major acting role was playing the nurse Duvata Mahal for three seasons of the TV show ER.[7]
In 2021, Montano gained acclaim for her role as Inoue Sato in the Peacock TV series The Lost Symbol.[9] Following her portrayal as Sato, she had also appeared in the 2021 animated Disney series The Ghost and Molly McGee, voicing Sharon McGee, the titular character's mother, and Grandma Nin.
Filmography
Voice acting
Video games
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters | the Wu sisters | Short film | [11] |
| 2012 | Superman vs. The Elite | Newscaster | ||
| 2013 | Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising | Arcee | ||
| 2015 | Justice League: Throne of Atlantis | Mera | ||
| 2016 | Only Yesterday | Kiyoko | English dub | |
| 10 Cloverfield Lane | Voice on Radio | [11] | ||
| 2019 | Justice League vs. the Fatal Five | Emerald Empress, Pharmacist | [25] | |
| 2021 | PAW Patrol: The Movie | Additional Voices (US) | ||
| 2022 | Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind | Kindra | [26] | |
| 2024 | The Casagrandes Movie | Maria Santiago | [27] |
Animation
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–13 | Transformers: Prime | Arcee, Raf's Mother | Main role | [11] |
| 2013–14 | Beware the Batman | Katana, additional voices | Main role | |
| 2017 | The Loud House | Maria Santiago | ||
| Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! | Arachne, Harpy | Episode: "Greece Is the Word" | ||
| 2017–18 | Bunnicula | Fluffy | Episodes: "Vampire Rabbit Season" and "Harold the Vampire Pointer" | |
| 2018 | Voltron: Legendary Defender | Admiral Sanda, Principle | [28][11] | |
| 2018–19 | Spider-Man | Yuri Watanabe, Nurse | [11] | |
| 2019–20 | Star Wars Resistance | Agent Tierny | ||
| 2019 | Love, Death & Robots | Young Yan, Woman | Episode: "Good Hunting" | |
| Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny | Shi Long | Episode: "Curse of the Monkey King" | ||
| Amphibia | Additional Voices | Episode: "Reunion" | ||
| 2019–22 | The Casagrandes | Maria Santiago | Main role | |
| 2019 | Cannon Busters | 12welve, Additional Voices | English dub | |
| Carmen Sandiego | Lady Dokuso | 2 episodes | ||
| Cleopatra in Space | Administrant Khepra, Musti | |||
| 2020 | Where's Waldo? | Wizard Flambé | Episode: "Mad About Madagascar" | |
| DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders | Fanthom | Episode: "Divewings" | ||
| 2021 | Robot Chicken | Baby Secret, Pinhead's Mother | Episode: "May Cause Lucid Murder Dreams" | |
| 2021–2024 | The Ghost and Molly McGee | Sharon McGee, Grandma Nin | Main role | |
| 2022 | Dragon Age: Absolution | Hira | Main role | [29] |
| 2023 | The Legend of Vox Machina | Highbearer Vord | Episode: "The Trials of Vasselheim" | |
| 2024–2025 | Jurassic World: Chaos Theory | The Handler | 8 episodes |
Live-action
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–05 | E.R. | Duvata Mahal | 10 episodes | |
| 2003 | Strong Medicine | Med Student #2 | Episode: "Vaccinations" | |
| 2005 | Judging Amy | Helen | Episode: "The New Normal" | |
| Medium | Nurse #1 | Episode: "Penny for Your Thoughts" | ||
| The Comeback | Producer | Episode: "Valerie Stands Out on the Red Carpet" | ||
| 2005–06 | The West Wing | Vinick Reporter #1 | 2 episodes | |
| 2005–07 | Close to Home | Melinda Mallari | 6 episodes | |
| 2006 | Bones | Alexandra Combs | Episode: "The Graft in the Girl" | |
| Commander in Chief | Air Force One Reporter | Episode: "Happy Birthday, Madam President" | ||
| 2007 | Shogunate | Lady Sakato Adachi | Television film | |
| Cane | Christine Kim | 2 episodes | ||
| Lincoln Heights | Nurse Tan | Episode: "The Vision" | ||
| Shark | Arlene Pierce | Episode: "Every Breath You Take" | ||
| 2007–08 | The Young and the Restless | Dr. Maya Bagano | 5 episodes | |
| 2008 | Boston Legal | Dr. Linda Corbin | Episode: "Kill, Baby, Kill!" | |
| 2009 | Big Love | Dr. Gowan | Episode: "Empire" | |
| Nip/Tuck | Dr. Wu | Episode: "Briggitte Reinholt" | ||
| 2010 | Glory Daze | Kim-Ly Franklin | Episode: "Papa Don't Pre-Game" | |
| 2011 | Harry's Law | Dr. Erica Christie | Episode: "In the Ghetto" | |
| 2012 | The Finder | Lee Scott | Episode: "Little Green Men" | |
| NCIS: Los Angeles | Yen Tran | Episode: "The Dragon and the Fairy" | ||
| Parenthood | Malea | Episode: "What to My Wondering Eyes" | ||
| 2013 | Monday Mornings | Lynne Iverson | Episode: "Wheels Within Wheels" | |
| Touch | Nurse Liz | 2 episodes | ||
| 2014–17 | Days of Our Lives | Dr. Yuen, Dr. Ong | 3 episodes | |
| 2015 | The Mentalist | Susan Nguyen | Episode: "Green Light" | |
| NCIS: New Orleans | Melanie Pratt | Episode: "Touched by the Sun" | ||
| 2015–16 | Nashville | Dr. Kitley | 4 episodes | |
| 2016–17 | Veep | Joyce Cafferty | 3 episodes | |
| 2016 | Rizzoli & Isles | Judge Huang | Episode: "65 Hours" | |
| Grey's Anatomy | Lena McCallister | Episode: "Catastrophe and the Cure" | ||
| Shameless | Turks | Episode: "Hiraeth" | ||
| 2017 | NCIS | Nicole Taggart | Episode: "Rendezvous" | |
| Kevin (Probably) Saves the World | Tracy Haslett | Episode: "Rocky Road" | ||
| Dynasty | Deirde | Episode: "Company Slut" | ||
| 2018 | Scandal | Maria Campo | 4 episodes | |
| Critical Role | Nila | 2 episodes | ||
| Animal Kingdom | Melanie Southards | 2 episodes | ||
| This Is Us | Dr. Gail Jasper | 3 episodes | ||
| 2018–19 | S.W.A.T. | Gwen | 3 episodes | |
| 2018 | Blue Bloods | Inspector Jane Kimura | Episode: "Trust" | |
| The Gifted | Dr. Taylor | Episode: "iMprint" | ||
| 2019 | How to Get Away with Murder | FBI Agent Nancy Bayer | 2 episodes | |
| Magnum P.I. | Judge Majorie Kamaka | Episode: "Murder Is Never Quiet" | ||
| SEAL Team | Agent Susan Craver | Episode: "The Ones You Can't See" | ||
| The Resident | Trish Tintoc | Episode: "Out for Blood" | ||
| 2020 | Star Trek: Picard | Dahj and Soji's Mother | Episode: "Remembrance" | |
| Hawaii Five-0 | Yang | Episode: "He kauwa ke kanaka na ke aloha" | ||
| 2021 | The Lost Symbol | Inoue Sato | Main role | [30] |
| 2024 | Snowpiercer | Kari Chang | Recurring | |
| 2025 | The Residence | Danna Hammond | Recurring | |
| 2026 | Happy's Place | Money Fairy | season 2 episode 16 "AI-AI-No" |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Teknolust | Nelia | Uncredited | |
| Cherish | Officer Montano | |||
| Minority Report | Talking Billboard | Uncredited | ||
| 2003 | Water Under the Bridge | Sara | ||
| 2006 | Danika | News Reporter | ||
| 2008 | Hancock | News Anchor | Uncredited | |
| 2009 | Eating Out: All You Can Eat | Pam | ||
| 2011 | Losing Control | Breanna Lee |
References
- ^ "Profile: Sumalee MONTANO". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
- ^ Farris, Christopher (February 11, 2019). "These Filipinos Are the Voices of Modern Cartoon and Anime Characters". Esquire. Hearst Communications. Archived July 8, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "Voice Actor Interview: Sumalee Montano | BWTF". www.bwtf.com. Archived March 8, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ "Bio"
- ^ "Sumalee Montano". Sumalee Montano. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ "Sumalee Montano". Sumalee Montano. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
- ^ "Voice Actor Interview: Sumalee Montano". BWTF. Archived January 4, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
- ^ "Sumalee Montano". Sumalee Montano. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
- ^ "Watch Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol Streaming (2021-) | Peacock". @peacocktv. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ Montano, Sumalee (September 14, 2020). "1st and last console games I worked on 😊 https://t.co/sMxnBLyokL https://t.co/ajonLerLqL". No. 1305601360788729857. Archived September 16, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ "Sumalee Montano (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 27, 2017. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
- ^ "Sega Superstars Tennis". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
- ^ "Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
- ^ Skylanders: SuperChargers. Activision. 2015.
- ^ Lego Dimensions. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. 2016.
- ^ Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Sega. 2020.
- ^ Montano, Sumalee (November 4, 2020). "Here's 20 seconds of my newest alter ego from @Rainbow6Game 💪💥😘 #Aruni #RainbowSixSiege https://t.co/JxydEINJZ8". No. 1324182978809847808. Archived November 24, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ Aguilar, Jorge (2022-06-24). "All voice actors in Naraka: Bladepoint". Dot Esports. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
- ^ Novichenko, Alina (2023-07-21). "All Naraka Bladepoint Voice Actors Listed". The Nerd Stash. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
- ^ "Dead Space (Video Game 2023) - IMDb". IMDb
- ^ "Sumalee Montano Confirms Her Role in Starfield"
- ^ "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (2023 Video Game)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024 Video Game)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ "Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties (2026 Video Game)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (January 7, 2019). "'Justice League vs. The Fatal Five' Sets Voice Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind Movie Release Date and 4K Blu-Ray Pre-Order Details"
- ^ "Watch the Casagrandes Movie | Netflix Official Site". Netflix
- ^ Montano, Sumalee (August 10, 2018). "I'm SO thrilled to join this incredible cast!!! Admiral Sanda here, urging you to check out all new episodes of @Voltron Legendary Defender. Now on @Netflix. Whoooo-Hooooo!!! #Voltron #lovemyjob https://t.co/XmVWDQ7zfA". No. 1027981547587043328. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ "'Dragon Age: Absolution' Sets Voice Cast and Unveils New Trailer, First-Look Images for Netflix Animated Series". Deadline Hollywood. November 10, 2022.
- ^ Peacock (September 15, 2021). "Finding a show with an incredible cast of characters has never been so easy. 🔎 📺: Dan Brown's #TheLostSymbol https://t.co/Sb6lFlmUmH". No. 1438185913893351424. Archived September 16, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 3, 2021.