Warning: this story contains spoilers for Sunday's "Trust" episode of The Walking Dead.The doctor is in, and the backstory is out. Before the Commonwealth reunited Okumura siblings Tomi (Ian Anthony Dale) and Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), life was a piece of cake for Tomi. Yumiko's long-lost baker brother was contentbaking goodies at Elodie's Treatsandnotperforming life-saving surgeries as a thoracic surgeon, like the thyroidectomy that removed King Ezekiel's (Khary Payton) tumor or the emergency appendectomy performed on Ezekiel's old friend Theresa (Terri Joe Kennedy). More than a decade after Dr. Okumura escaped Chicago atthe onset of the apocalypse, ending his high-pressure career, Tomi was happy.
"I like my life the way it is. It's the one gift I got out of the world falling apart," Tomiconfided in his sisterearlier in Season 11. "Please, don't ruin this for me." (Spoiler alert: Yumiko ruined it for him.)
After Sunday's episode ofThe Walking Deadshowed Dr. Tomi grieving the death of a patient with a bottle of alcohol, Dale revealed more of his character's pre-apocalypse backstory onTalking Dead:
"Tomi's backstory, prior to the world falling, he was absolutely miserable as a surgeon. It was a profession that he never wanted to be a part of, but was sort of forced into due to the unrelenting pressure of his overbearing parents," Dale said live onTalking Dead. "The job of a thoracic surgeon is a high-pressure, high-stakes type of profession where it's life-and-death every day, multiple times a day. And as much as Tomi wished he could save every patient, that just is impossible. The losses sort of weigh heavily on him, and he also just never felt comfortable with the bureaucracy of the health care system that prioritizes one socioeconomic group over another."
The pressures and discontentment of the job took their toll and "culminated in him abusing drugs and alcohol and burning it at both ends," Dale explained. "That life, working as a surgeon, was extremely self-destructive."
In "Out of the Ashes," Tomi told Yumiko he was stranded about 20 miles north of Charleston, West Virginia when he encountered a good group of people after the outbreak. When they ended up at Ohio's Commonwealth community, Tomi covered up his history as a thoracic surgeon to avoid assigned work at the hospital.
"When he finds himself at the doorstep of the Commonwealth, he's so desperate to start anew and start fresh and say goodbye to that life that he risks being turned away or incarcerated or even worse and lies about what he used to do in the world before," Dale said. "He was so happy. He loved it until his sister comes along and blows up his spot [laughs]."
Season 11 mid-season finale "Acts of God" premieres Sunday, April 10 on AMC. The Walking Dead returns with Part 3 of The Final Season later in 2022.
Follow@CameronBonomolo on Twitterand@NewsOfTheDeadfor TWD Universe coverage all season long.
Original post:
Ian Anthony Dale Details Tomi's Tragic Backstory on The Walking Dead - ComicBook.com
- The Walking Dead Will Releases A Trilogy Of Cryptic Puzzles - Bleeding Cool News - May 9th, 2024
- How could you be with her? What's wrong with you?: Norman Reedus Faced the Wrath of The Walking Dead Fans ... - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- He's got no coordination whatsoever, zero: The Baddest Man on The Walking Dead Was Actually the Worst at Fake ... - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- How could you be with her? Whats wrong with you?: Norman Reedus Faced the Wrath of The Walking Dead Fans ... - imdb - May 9th, 2024
- Skybound Celebrating "The Walking Dead" Interactive Game with San Diego Comic-Con Offsite - San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog - May 9th, 2024
- Photos: 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' production takes over downtown Worcester - Worcester Telegram - May 9th, 2024
- "I don't think it'll be possible until...": Only 1 Thing is Stopping Robert Kirkman from Making The Walking Dead Animated ... - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- 10 The Walking Dead Moments That Made Viewers Quit The Show - Screen Rant - May 9th, 2024
- What you cant see from the street Inside the The Walking Dead: Dead City set - MassLive.com - May 9th, 2024
- Worcesters Union Station closed Wednesday for Walking Dead spin-off filming - MassLive.com - May 9th, 2024
- On set at The Walking Dead: Dead City in Worcester - MassLive.com - May 9th, 2024
- New Photos Surface of 'Walking Dead: Dead City' Production in Worcester - FUN 107 - May 9th, 2024
- That tends to make me want to kill them: Robert Kirkman Has One Huge Reason for 'The Walking Dead' Deaths That ... - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- Robert Kirkman's Favorite The Walking Dead Character Will Make Andrew Lincoln and Steven Yeun Fans Super Mad - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- Andrew Lincoln: "There's Infinite Chance" for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Season 2 Under 1 Condition - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Revisits Early Chapter in "The Book of Carol" Story - Bleeding Cool News - May 9th, 2024
- I Do Credit Robert Kirkman: How The Walking Dead Helped Launch Another Massive Horror Hit (by Accident) - Screen Rant - May 9th, 2024
- "I miss that scene": Jeffrey Dean Morgan Was Upset After The Walking Dead Ignored 1 Iconic Scene From The Comic ... - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- Skybound Entertainment & Those Beyond Launch Trilogy of New The Walking Dead Cryptic Puzzles to Pioneer the ... - Capsule Computers - May 9th, 2024
- Celebrate Free Comic Book Day with first issue of The Walking Dead comic (digital - Undead Walking - May 9th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Not Eligible for Emmys Limited Series Category, Will Submit as Drama (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety - May 1st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: Dead City to film in Worcester - heres when and where - MassLive.com - May 1st, 2024
- 10 Walking Dead Characters Who Need Their Own Spin-Off - CBR - May 1st, 2024
- "She was not in that first movie": Andrew Lincoln Was Devastated 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Nearly Didn ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- All 11 Fear The Walking Dead Main Villains Ranked - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- All 11 Seasons of 'The Walking Dead', Ranked From Worst to Best - Collider - May 1st, 2024
- She was not in that first movie: Andrew Lincoln Was Devastated The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Nearly Didn ... - imdb - May 1st, 2024
- Where are Rick and Michonne at the End of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live? Here's What We Know - Flickering Myth - May 1st, 2024
- There are other very important characters in the universe: Andrew Lincoln's Selfless Response When Asked if Rick ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- There are other very important characters in the universe: Andrew Lincolns Selfless Response When Asked if Rick ... - imdb - May 1st, 2024
- 10 Best Episodes of The Walking Dead Season 8, Ranked - CBR - May 1st, 2024
- "I hadn't thought about it that way": The Walking Dead Actress Never Knew Her Character's Death Would Cause Such a ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- Fear the Walking Dead: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray (Netherlands) - Blu-ray.com - May 1st, 2024
- Surprising 14-Year Walking Dead Actor Record Shows Who The Franchise's True Main Character Is - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- The Ones Who Live All But Confirms 1 Walking Dead Mystery Will Never Be Answered - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- "I must have been on their radar": Why The Walking Dead Star Andrew Lincoln Nearly Refused $650000 Per Episode ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Wallpaper You Know You Need - Bleeding Cool News - May 1st, 2024
- This Underrated Netflix Zombie Show Did One Thing Better Than The Walking Dead - MovieWeb - May 1st, 2024
- DEI is the walking dead | Commentary | bgdailynews.com - Bowling Green Daily News - May 1st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: Season 11 | Rotten Tomatoes - April 22nd, 2024
- About The Walking Dead | News, Bios and Photos | AMC - April 22nd, 2024
- How to Recreate the Most Iconic Location From The Walking Dead in 3D - 80.lv - April 22nd, 2024
- The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol Sets Tribeca Debut - Bleeding Cool News - April 22nd, 2024
- The Walking Dead star joins Superman movie in major role - Digital Spy - April 22nd, 2024
- Rick Grimes' Ending Finally Honored The Big Promise Walking Dead Made In Season 5 - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- When Will 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Season 2 Premiere? - UPROXX - April 21st, 2024
- The Surprising Reason HBO Turned Down 'The Walking Dead' - Collider - April 21st, 2024
- "You Really Have to Consider What He's Been Through": Walking Dead Creator Admits It's Hard to Root for Rick, But ... - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- Robert Kirkman: The Walking Dead Animated Series Can't Happen "Until I Get the Rights Back From AMC" - ComicBook.com - April 21st, 2024
- Morgan Jones' Got The Sendoff He Deserved On Fear The Walking Dead - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Animated Series Happening Depends On One Important Thing - GameRant - April 21st, 2024
- Robert Kirkman Says The Walking Dead Animated Series Can Only Happen Under One Condition - MovieWeb - April 21st, 2024
- Daryl Dixon season 2 could make the Walking Dead universe even better here's why - Tom's Guide - April 21st, 2024
- 7 New Walking Dead Villains That Could Replace The CRM - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Fails Rick Grimes and Here Are All the Reasons Why He Deserves A Better Fate - Hollywood.com - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Is a Reckoning of Hope - Reactor - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman Shares What's Holding Back the Planned Animated Series - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Crossover Plans Now Face A Huge Obstacle Thanks To Rick Grimes - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- Behind the scenes as 'Dead City' films in Taunton We talked to zombie, caterer and more - Taunton Daily Gazette - April 21st, 2024
- Die creators Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans' new original graphic novel is a cross between The Walking Dead and ... - Gamesradar - April 21st, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Season 2 and 'Presumed Innocent' Headline the 2024 Tribeca Festival TV Lineup - Collider - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman wants an animated show, but there's one issue - Winter is Coming - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Crossover Plans Now Face A Huge Obstacle Thanks To Rick Grimes - imdb - April 21st, 2024
- Tom Payne and Wife Jennifer kerman Welcome Twins (Exclusive) - PEOPLE - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 5 Trailer - ComicBook.com - March 24th, 2024
- What The Song Means In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 (Does It Reveal The Ending?) - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible Season 2 Is Avoiding A Problem That Nearly Killed The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible Season 2 Has A Walking Dead Easter Egg You Might Have Missed - Looper - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 Review What We - Den of Geek - March 24th, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Episode 4 Recap: It's Rick, Michonne, and Carl? - Collider - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Includes a Rare Sex Scene on The Ones Who Live: 'It Is About Pain,' Says Andrew Lincoln - PEOPLE - March 24th, 2024
- Daryl Dixon Season 2 Release, Cast & Everything We Know - The Direct - March 24th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Episodes 5 & 6 Get Ominous Tease From Walking Dead EP - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- TWD The Ones Who Live Episode 5 Trailer: Rick & Michonne Find Trouble Escaping - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Does Rick Leave the CRM on The Ones Who Live? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 24th, 2024
- Into The Kirkmanverse? Invincible Teases A Major Connection To The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Pulled a Bait-and-Switch on Walking Dead Fans, But It Works - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 24th, 2024
- Well, That Was The Walking Dead's Raunchiest Episode Since The Show Began In 2010 - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible x The Walking Dead Crossover is Now Likelier Than Ever Due to This Season 2 Character - imdb - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 5 - Release date & time, where to watch, and more - Sportskeeda - March 24th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero