The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift premiered on June 16, 2006, and remains one of the most talked-about entries in the Fast & Furious franchise thanks to its bold decision to introduce an almost entirely new cast. With Vin Diesel and Paul Walker initially passing on the project, Universal Pictures took the series in a younger, Tokyo-set direction that ultimately reshaped the franchise’s future. Two decades later, fans are still searching for the full Tokyo Drift cast list and what happened to the actors who starred in it. Here’s a complete, updated breakdown.
Full Cast of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
The film starred Lucas Black, Bow Wow (credited as Shad Moss), Nathalie Kelley, Sung Kang, Brian Tee, Leonardo Nam, Zachery Ty Bryan, and the late martial arts legend Sonny Chiba, along with Brian Goodman, Nikki Griffin, Jason Tobin, Keiko Kitagawa, Lynda Boyd, and Vin Diesel in a franchise-connecting cameo appearance.
Lucas Black as Sean Boswell
Lucas Black played Sean Boswell, the troubled American teenager sent to live with his father in Tokyo after wrecking his car in a street race. Black did not return to the franchise until nine years later, reprising the role in 2015’s Furious 7 when Dominic Toretto travels to Tokyo to retrieve Han’s body. He appeared again in 2021’s F9, helping Roman and Tej build a rocket car. Outside the franchise, Black starred in Legion (2010) and 42 (2013), and played Special Agent Christopher LaSalle on NCIS: New Orleans from 2014 to 2019. He and his wife, Maggie O’Brien, share three children and he frequently shares family and fishing content on social media.
Bow Wow as Twinkie
Bow Wow reprised his role as Twinkie in F9 alongside Lucas Black for the same rocket car sequence. He has continued acting in projects including Scary Movie 5, Madea’s Big Happy Family, Lottery Ticket, and Allegiance, and has appeared on Ugly Betty, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Entourage, CSI: Cyber, and Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta. He also hosted 106 & Park and competed on The Masked Singer. Musically, he released New Jack City II in 2009 and continues to drop new music, including the 2025 single “Use Me” with Chris Brown. He is a father of two.
Sung Kang as Han Lue
Han Lue, introduced by director Justin Lin in his earlier film Better Luck Tomorrow, became one of the most beloved characters in the franchise. Although Han appeared to die in Tokyo Drift, he later appeared in Fast & Furious (2009), Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and Furious 7, with the timeline eventually revealing that his death was faked. Sung Kang has also starred in Live Free or Die Hard, Raya and the Last Dragon, and 2024’s Weekend in Taipei, along with television roles in Gang Related, Power, Power Book II: Ghost, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. He is set to make his directorial debut with a film titled Drifter.
Brian Tee as Takashi (D.K.)
Brian Tee played the film’s antagonist, Takashi, also known as the Drift King. He went on to appear in The Wolverine, Jurassic World, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and 2025’s A House of Dynamite. On television, he played Dr. Ethan Choi across the Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Fire universe, directing several episodes of Chicago Med, and most recently starred in Season 3 of Reacher and the Fox series Doc. He shares a daughter with his wife, Mirelly Taylor.
Nathalie Kelley as Neela
Tokyo Drift marked Nathalie Kelley’s film debut. She later appeared in Take Me Home Tonight, Loaded, and 2018’s In Like Flynn. Her television career has been especially strong, with main roles on Unreal, The Vampire Diaries (as the siren Sybil), Dynasty, The Baker and the Beauty, and the 2025 series Motorheads. She also appeared in Bruno Mars’s music video for “Just the Way You Are.”
Leonardo Nam as Morimoto
Leonardo Nam went on to appear in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, He’s Just Not That Into You, and Yes Day, and voices Maddox Hatter in Disney’s Descendants franchise. He is also known for playing Felix on HBO’s Westworld, along with appearances on The Flash, Swamp Thing, and Werewolf by Night. Nam is married to Michael Dodge, and the couple share twin sons.
Zachery Ty Bryan as Clay
Best known for his earlier role on Home Improvement, Zachery Ty Bryan has had a much quieter career since Tokyo Drift, with limited credits including the 2008 short film Trunk and single-episode appearances on Burn Notice and Knight Rider. He has faced a series of legal issues over the years, including fraud allegations and arrests for DUI and domestic violence. As of June 2026, Bryan is serving a 16-month prison sentence for DUI, to be followed by a 19-month sentence in Oregon for a probation violation.
Sonny Chiba as Kamata
Legendary Japanese martial arts actor Sonny Chiba played Kamata in what would be his final English-language film role. He continued acting in Japan afterward, including a 2015 Resident Evil-inspired stage production. Chiba passed away in August 2021 at age 82 due to complications from COVID-19.
Where Does Tokyo Drift Fit in the Fast & Furious Timeline?
Although Tokyo Drift was released as the third film in the franchise, later entries retroactively placed its events chronologically between Fast & Furious 6 and Furious 7, due to Han’s storyline and Dominic Toretto’s cameo appearance in the film.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who starred in Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift? The film starred Lucas Black, Bow Wow, Nathalie Kelley, Sung Kang, Brian Tee, Leonardo Nam, Zachery Ty Bryan, and Sonny Chiba.
Did Vin Diesel appear in Tokyo Drift? Yes, Vin Diesel appears in a cameo as Dominic Toretto at the end of the film, connecting it to the wider franchise.
Where does Tokyo Drift rank in the Fast and Furious timeline? While released third, its events are chronologically placed between Fast & Furious 6 and Furious 7.
Is Sonny Chiba still alive? No, Sonny Chiba died in August 2021 at age 82 from COVID-19 complications.
We’d love to hear which Tokyo Drift cast member’s journey surprised you the most — drop a comment below and stay tuned for more updates on the Fast & Furious franchise!