Ken Watanabe (Niigata Prefecture, 1959- )
Casting Watanabe Ken as the "Last Samurai" in the Hollywood movie of the same name was the perfect choice, as he had firmly established himself in the 1980s as the ideal actor for such roles. But in fact, the critical acclaim and 2004 Golden Globe and Oscar nominations that he earned in the role came, for many people, as an unexpected pinnacle in a career that seemed doomed just a few years before. A battle with disease that was as life-threatening as any on-screen opponent, followed by a struggle to work his way out of serious debt had many people writing him off as an actor with any real future. But Watanabe is a survivor, and a damned fine actor, to boot.
Filmography : The shinjuku incident (2009), Letter From Iwo Jima (2006), Bat Man Begins (2005), Kita no zeronen (2005), The Last samurai (2003)......etc.
Sanada Hiroyuki (Tokyo, 1960- )
Sanada Hiroyuki is a rare animal in the Japanese entertainment world -- an "engi-ha" or actor who can really act. Perhaps this is the greatest compliment that an actor can be paid in Japan, superfluous though it would seem elsewhere. And Sanada is one of the very few who have had the courage to prove this outside Japan. Like the late Mifune Toshiro or Takakura Ken who have proved themselves abroad, or contemporaries such as Yakusyo Kouji who has dominated the award shows since the mid-1990s, or "The Last Samurai" co-star a href="watanabe_ken.shtml">Watanabe Ken, Sanada is much in demand for serious films.
filmography: Speed Racer (2008) Rash Hour 3 (2007) Sun shine (2007) The Last amurai (2003)... etc.
Toshiro Mifune (1920~1997)
Japanese actor who achieved more world-wide fame than any other Japanese actor of his century. In 1947, he took a test for Kajiro Yamamoto, who recommended him to director Srnkichi Taniguchi, thus leading to Mifune's first film role in Shin Baka Jidai (1947). Mifune then met and bonded with director Akira Kurosawa, and the two joined to become the most prominent actor-director pairing in all Japanese cinema. Beginning with 'Yoidore tenshi' (1948), Mifune appeared in sixteen of Kurosawa's films, most of which have become world-renowned classics. In Kurosawa's pictures, especially 'Rashomon' (1950), Mifune would become most famous Japanese actor in the world. A dynamic and ferocious actor, he excelled in action roles, but had as well the depth to plumb intricate and subtle dramatic parts. A personal rift during the filming of 'Akahige' (1965) ended the Mifune-Kurosawa collaboration, but Mifune continued to perform leading roles in major films both in Japan and in foreign countries. He was twice named Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival (for 'Yojimbo' (1961) and 'Akahige' (1965)). In 1963, he formed his own production company and directed one film and produced several others. In his later years, he gained new fame in the title role of the American TV miniseries "Shogun" (1980), and appeared infrequently in cameo roles after that. His last years were plagued with Alzheimer's Syndrome and he died of organ failure in 1997, a few months before the death of the director with whose name he will forever be linked, Akira Kurosawa.
Filmography: Grand prix (1966), Hell in The Pacific, Tubaki sanjyuro (1960), Shichinin no Samurai (1954)
Rinko Kikuchi
(1981~ )
She is a Japanese actress who shot to international fame with her Oscar-nominated performance in the 2006 film Babel. A model since the age of 14, Kikuchi began her career as an actress in television commercials. Small roles in TV dramas and feature films led to a leading role in Sora no ana (2001, also called Hole in the Sky). Her work in little-known but "edgy" movies didn't make her a star in Japan, but her turn in Babel as a tragic teenage deaf-mute earned rave reviews in Europe and the United States, and Kikuchi was thrust into the limelight alongside the film's stars, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. On the international awards show circuit her dyed-blond hair and urban-chic glamour made a splash, and her 2007 Oscar nomination for a best supporting actress award sparked hometown pride back in Japan.
FIlmography : Koi suru madori (2007), Warau Mikaeru (2006), Babel (2006), Naisu no mori: The First Contact (2005), Taga temeni (2005),Riyu (2004).....etc
Koyuki (1976~ )
Gaining her first exposure to Western audiences in Edward Zwick's 2003 film The Last Samurai (2003), Koyuki was well-known in Japan for years before that. She first caught the attention of the public in 1997 by winning an exclusive modelling contract with the magazine Non-no, but quickly grew beyond modelling and has earned acclaim as an actress through her many roles on Japanese television and in several Japanese films.
Filmography: Always Zoku san-chome no yuhi(2007), Gegege no kitaro (2007), Always san-chome no yuhi (2005), The Last Samurai (2003)...etc.
Reference
Modern japan -japanese famous acters/actresses http://www.japan-zone.com/modern/actor.shtml
Toshiro Mifune official web site http://www.mifuneproductions.co.jp/eindex.html
The internet movie dater base http://www.imdb.com/
日本アカデミー賞公式サイト http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/allprizes/2007/index.html
A who2 profile :Rinko Kikuchi profile http://www.who2.com/rinkokikuchi.html
FlaMme Home page talent Profile Koyuki http://www.flamme.co.jp/Koyuki/flm_profkk.html
Written by Kenta Murooka