SUPAGAIJIN

There is a special duality built into the name SUPAGAIJIN, one that serves both comedic and dramatic purposes.

At first glance, SUPA (the phonetic pronunciation of the Japanese katakana for “Super”) suggests an exaggerated, cartoon version of the stereotypical foreigner. It invites the audience to expect the obvious.

But once those expectations have been met and everyone is at ease, something unexpected happens. A completely different character emerges—one that replaces “otherness” with familiarity, challenges first impressions, and transforms the meaning of SUPA from TOTAL into AMAZING.

Guy (Gaetano) Totaro is a storyteller at heart. His comedic alter ego, SUPAGAIJIN, has been delighting children and families throughout Japan since 1993. As an actor, narrator, musician, physical comedian, magician, and fire artist, Guy proudly puts the TALENT back into “タレント.”

A native of Southern California, Guy earned a BA in Acting/Theatre Arts from San Francisco State University in 1989. It was there that he discovered the Italian tradition of Commedia dell’Arte, a form of physical theatre that would become one of the defining influences on his career. He continued his training as an apprentice with the award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe, touring throughout the United States.

Guy later developed his vaudeville clown character, Uncle Guido, on the streets of San Francisco and at the world-famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College (Class of 1992).

In 1993, an unexpected opportunity brought Guy to Japan, where he spent five years working as a variety entertainer, actor, narrator, and print model. He returned to Los Angeles in 1998, appearing in television commercials and stage productions while also working as a Hollywood production location representative.

The following year, Guy was recruited to train and perform with a Commedia dell’Arte troupe that became part of the in-house entertainment program at the newly opened Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas.

In 2005, Guy returned to Tokyo and founded GAETANO Co., KK, creating a home for his many creative pursuits. Alongside providing family entertainment for private parties and events, he has appeared in numerous television commercials, dramas, music videos, and radio programs.

He is perhaps best known for portraying Suntory’s superhero spokesperson Mr. CC Lemon, the inventive Mr. Clark in Benesse’s World Wide Kids DVD series, and as a former co-host of NHK Radio’s Kiso Eigo 3.

Among Guy’s proudest accomplishments is Niko Niko Taishi, the volunteer program he founded following the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. Built on the belief that laughter has the power to heal, the program brings joy, confidence, imagination, and permission to play to children who need it most.

Today, Guy continues to pursue his lifelong dream of changing the world, one smile at a time through the Smile Ambassadors program and the SUPAGAIJIN Variety Comedy Show.