- Born
- Died
- Birth nameGrant Masaru Imahara
- Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- A popular co-host of TV's MythBusters (2003), he was the go-to guy for building and engineering all manner of electronic devices, from rocket sleds to robots. The awesomely talented Grant Imahara was a self-confessed science fiction aficionado from an early age, his future career path somehow inspired by the androids of the Star Wars franchise. He had a natural affinity for building machines and an inherent curiosity as to how their internal mechanics worked. In a 2008 interview he said that he would have rather aspired to be Q than James Bond because that "was the guy who made all the gadgets."
A USC graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, Imahara worked for three years at the Lucasfilm division THX (Tomlinson Holman eXperiment), the company noted for supplying the surround sound system used in most motion picture theatres. He spent another nine years as a modelmaker, animatronics engineer and droid operator at the visual effects subsidiary Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), set up by George Lucas in 1975. During this tenure, his work included updating the R2-D2 electronics for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) (as well as being one of only three 'official' operators of the iconic droid) and building/engineering models and miniatures for big screen productions like The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Galaxy Quest (1999), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) and the two Matrix sequels. Whilst at ILM, he worked with future Mythbusters Adam Savage and Tory Belleci.
Jamie Hyneman invited Imahara to join the Mythbusters at the start of season 3 in 2005. As the Build Team's electronics wizard, he went on to bring his expertise and seemingly boundless energy to bear on more than 200 episodes over a ten year period and, eventually, to a short-lived spin-off, White Rabbit Project (2016). It has to be said that the enduring popularity of MythBusters was in no small part due to the jokey lightheartedness and esprit de corps among the team members. As Imahara himself explained: "That kind of camaraderie that you see on the show, the kind of playful joking, that's something that comes with years of experience of working together. I think that was one of the reasons I got the job on Mythbusters because I already knew Tory and I knew Adam and I knew Jamie from many years of working together and that kind of chemistry is very difficult to just jump into, it develops over time." Imahara also dabbled in acting, which included a recurring role as Hikaru Sulu in the fan created web series Star Trek Continues (2013).
Grant Imahara's untimely passing from a brain aneurysm at the age of 49 came as a huge shock to millions of fans worldwide.
- IMDb mini biography by: I.S.Mowis
- He was one of three official operators of R2-D2 for Lucasfilm.
- While working at Industrial Light & Magic, Grant wore the official C-3PO suit at a variety of press functions over the course of nine years. He went on The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986), did Mitsubishi ads in Japan, and met the Lakers (to name just a few) dressed as C-3PO.
- Had a degree in electrical engineering (USC, 1993).
- While working at Industrial Light & Magic, Grant was on a team that rebuilt the Energizer Bunny (the model that is still in use in commercials). They built and operated three bunnies. Each bunny requires three operators (head, hands, and driver). Grant began as the arms man, and moved up to become the driver.
- Grant Imahara appears prominently in some audience reaction shots on Masters of Illusion, including episode S9.E12, which was first aired almost three years after he passed away.
- Regarding MythBusters (2003): We're insured by the same people who do Jackass (2000). Once I heard that, I knew we were with the right people. (Source: Geek Monthly, January 2008, p. 35)
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