Christopher Brian McCombs

Biography

Christopher Brian McCombs (born 25 August 1980) is an American actor, producer, writer, and television presenter based in Japan, known for his bilingual work in Japanese and English media. He is the creator, co-writer, producer, and star of the Amazon Prime Video series The Benza and its spin-off Benza English, and executive produced and appeared in the travel series Getting Dirty in Japan. He additionally co-wrote, produced, and starred in the feature film Aichaku. He is also known for his work on Japanese television, including regular appearances on NHK Educational TV programs and TV Asahi’s Kodawari Navi, as well as for portraying Hoteye in the stage adaptation of Fairy Tail. McCombs has received acting awards at international film festivals including the Formosa International Film Festival in Taiwan.

== Early life == McCombs was born in Geneva, Ohio, and moved to Cleveland with his mother, teacher Karen Callahan, at a young age. From childhood, he began performing in local church shows and plays. In middle school, he was encouraged to join a high school production of a musical by a director he had worked with as a child. He began acting and modeling professionally at the age of fifteen while still in high school, after his gifted education teacher urged him to audition. He started touring with a theater troupe at the same age and described this time as "probably the most informative experience of my young life." He credits his father, David McCombs, for his interest in the Japanese language. When he was a child, his father purchased a Super Famicom for him and his brother Matthew, which led McCombs to play video games in Japanese, including Final Fantasy V and Trials of Mana. This early exposure later motivated him to study the language formally, a pursuit he described as “a form of childhood wish fulfillment.”

== Career == McCombs continued modeling in Las Vegas, Nevada and has stated that he used his modeling income to study Japanese, initially with a private tutor before enrolling at the College of Southern Nevada and the University of Las Vegas. About a year into his studies, a magazine he had modeled for offered him work as a reporter in Tokyo, Japan where basic Japanese skills were required. After a week in Japan, he realized he could build a career there and quickly secured agency representation. He relocated permanently in 2010 and soon transitioned to television, securing a regular role on MX Television's Go Ji Ni Muchu in 2012–2013. He became a familiar face on NHK Educational programs, appearing on EiEiGo!, Shigoto no Kiso Eigo, and Omotenashi no Kiso Eigo. In 2016, McCombs appeared in both Chinese and Japanese stage productions of Fairy Tail, playing Hoteye. He also maintained a successful modeling career in Japan, featuring in magazines like Rolling Stone Japan, GQ Japan, and ELLE, and working for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Houston. From 2015 onward, he expanded his presence in entertainment, appearing in stage musicals, drama CDs, and voice work in commercials, even charting on Billboard Japan as a voice actor. From 2017, McCombs hosted Television Asahi’s Kodawari Navi weekly and frequently appeared on NHK1’s Bento Expo. He also reported for NHK World’s JTrip Japan. In 2020, he joined Nippon TV’s morning show ZIP! and continued appearances on NHK Educational programs including Onishi Hiroto’s Basic English Recipes and English Conversation Feelinglish!. In the streaming space, McCombs played Michael in Netflix’s original series Followers (2020). He also created and stars in the Amazon Prime Video series The Benza (2019) and its spin-off Benza English (2020), both of which he co-writes and produces. In 2021, he expanded into gaming with the release of The Benza RPG, for which he wrote the story and dialogue. In 2023, McCombs executive produced and appeared in the Amazon Prime Video travel series Getting Dirty in Japan, which explores outdoor adventure and local culture in Japan. In 2024, he co-wrote, produced, and starred in his feature film debut, the gay romance drama Aichaku which was released in April of 2025 on Amazon Prime Video in Japan. In 2026, McCombs appeared as a presenter and model in Japanese watch manufacturer Seiko’s “The Presage Museum” project, an online series exploring Japanese aesthetics and traditional arts connected to the Presage watch line. As part of the project, he interviewed Japanese calligrapher Goshow in a feature examining Japanese calligraphy, craftsmanship, and design philosophy. McCombs has also written lyrics for songs used in Tokyo Cowboys productions, including "Waiting to Be Seen", the theme song for Getting Dirty in Japan, and "A Feeling I Get" from the soundtrack of Aichaku. "Waiting to Be Seen" and "A Feeling I Get" peaked at numbers five and four respectively on the Japanese iTunes soundtrack songs chart. McCombs is currently represented in Japan by Free Wave Co., Ltd.

=== Tokyo Cowboys === In 2015, McCombs founded the Tokyo-based independent production company Tokyo Cowboys with the aim of creating more inclusive and representative roles for both foreign and Japanese performers in Japanese entertainment, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. McCombs serves as both producer and head scriptwriter for the company. Initially focused on short films—such as the award-winning LGBT short The Actor and the Model— Tokyo Cowboys expanded into serialized content in 2019 with the launch of The Benza on Amazon Prime Video, followed by its spin-off series Benza English. In 2023, McCombs executive produced and appeared in the company’s first non-narrative streaming series, Getting Dirty in Japan, also released via Amazon Prime Video Japan. Tokyo Cowboys’ first feature film, Aichaku, was released in 2025. In a 2025 interview, McCombs described the production team as “a network of entertainers from all over the world based out of Tokyo.” He explained that Tokyo Cowboys aims to create entertainment that reflects the diversity within Japan while also honoring its culture and traditions. “Tokyo Cowboys is an idea,” he said. “It is a suggestion of how Japanese and foreign entertainers can work together to create something distinct.” He emphasized the company's desire to make viewers feel welcome, regardless of where they're watching from.

== Filmography ==

=== Television ===

=== Film ===

=== Music Videos ===