Ellen Tamaki is an American actress who played Niko Hamada in Charmed (2018–19) and Drea Mikami in Manifest from 2020 to 2022.
Early life Tamaki is from Brooklyn, New York. She studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, graduating in 2013. During her time as a student in London, she had theatre appearances as Lady Anne in Richard III and as Casca in Julius Caesar. Tamaki moved to the United States to study at the Boston University College of Fine Arts, graduating in 2014. On May 26, 2020, Tamaki shared via Instagram that she is of Japanese American ethnicity.
Career Tamaki was working on the One Year Lease Theater Company and Stages Repertory Theatre's production Balls at 59E59 Theaters in New York when the show's protagonist Billie-Jean King (played by Tamaki) showed up in real life to watch the play. After having several small roles in films and television from 2015, her first big break came in 2018, while working in New York theatre, she was offered a main role as the police detective Niko Hamada for 16 episodes of series 1 of the television series Charmed. Tamaki followed that television success with the recurring role of police officer Drea Mikami in the second series of Manifest in 2020. She continued in the role through to season 4 in 2022.
Filmography Film Year Title RoleNotes 2015 Searching for Sally MaeFrankie 2016 ReptiliaTina Short 2016 The DrowningBarista 2017 ValentinaDebbie Short 2018 The ProcedureCNA Nguyen Short 2018 We Only Know So MuchTaylor 2019 Inez & Doug & KiraValerie 2021 Fernanda Short 2025 The HousemaidPatrice
Television Year Title Role Notes 2017 The Holdouts Lisa TV movie 2018 Dichos 1 episode 2018–2019 Charmed Niko Hamada Season 1, 15 episodes 2020–2023 Manifest Drea Mikami Seasons 2–4, 21 episodes 2022 Girls5eva Amanda S2 E3 - "Who U Know" 2023 Die Trying Lisa In production 2024 FBI Most Wanted Tori Sewell S6 E3 - "White Buffalo"
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