Masahiro Motoki | |
|---|---|
| Born | Masahiro Motoki (本木雅弘) (1965-12-21)21 December 1965 (age 59) |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Asian Film Award for Best Actor 2009Departures Japanese Academy Award for Best Newcomer 1990226 Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor 1993Sumo Do, Sumo Don't 2009Departures Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor 1993Sumo Do, Sumo Don't 2009Departures Hochi Film Award for Best Actor 1992Sumo Do, Sumo Don't Japanese Professional Movie Award for Best Actor 1992Bang! Kinema Junpo Award for Best Actor 2009Departures Mainichi Film Concours for Best Actor 1999The Bird People in China Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Actor 1999The Bird People in China Tokyo International Film Festival (Best Actor) 1993Last Song Yokohama Film Festival (Best Actor) 1993Sumo Do, Sumo Don't |
Masahiro Motoki (本木 雅弘Motoki Masahiro, born December 21, 1965) is a Japanese actor. He portrayed protagonist Daigo Kobayashi inDepartures, which won the81st Academy Awards forBest Foreign Language Film. His performance earned him the Award for Best Actor at the 2009Asia Pacific Screen Awards, at the3rd Asian Film Awards and at the 32ndJapan Academy Prize.[1]
Motoki started his entertainment career as a member ofboy bandShibugakitai (シブがき隊) (the name of the band contains a portmanteau of tough (渋い,Shibui) and kids (ガキ,gaki), a homonym of astringent persimmon (渋柿,Shibugaki)). The band made its debut in 1982 under the management ofJohnny & Associates and was popular for a good part of the 1980s.
After the band broke up Motoki turned to acting. His first main role in a film was as a Zen monk in the comedyFancy Dance (ファンシイダンス,Fanshii Dansu) directed byMasayuki Suo. Motoki also starred in Suo's next film,Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (シコふんじゃった。,Shiko Funjatta.), which practically introduced him to audiences outside Japan. He then worked with directors such asTakashi Miike (The Bird People in China (中国の鳥人,Chūgoku no Chōjin)) andShinya Tsukamoto (Gemini (双生児,Sōseiji)).
Motoki's breakthrough to international fame came with the 2008 filmDepartures (おくりびと,Okuribito) directed byYōjirō Takita, in which he plays a cellist turned mortician. The film received theBest Foreign Language Film award at the81st Academy Awards, as well assix acting awards for Motoki. The film project started from an idea of Motoki's after he read a book written by a professional mortician.
He married essayist and musicianYayako Uchida, the daughter of actressKirin Kiki and rock'n roll singerYuya Uchida, in 1995. As amukoyōshi, he took his wife's surname, which is thus his legal surname.[2] The couple have three children.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Fancy Dance | Yōhei Shiono | Lead role | [3] |
| Four Days of Snow and Blood | Hisashi Kōno | [4] | ||
| 1992 | Sumo Do, Sumo Don't | Shuhei Yamamoto | Lead role | [5] |
| 1994 | Rampo | Kogoro Akechi | Lead role | [6] |
| 1995 | Gonin | Junichi Mitsuya | [7] | |
| 1996 | Tokiwa: The Manga Apartment | Hiroo Terada | Lead role | [8] |
| Shall We Dance? | Hiromasa Kimoto | [9] | ||
| 1998 | The Bird People in China | Wada | Lead role | [10] |
| 1999 | Gemini | Yukio Daitokuji / Sutekichi | Lead role | [11] |
| 2003 | Spy Sorge | Hotsumi Ozaki | [12] | |
| 2006 | Tekkonkinkreet | Snake (voice) | [13] | |
| 2007 | The Longest Night in Shanghai | Naoki Mizushima | Lead role; Chinese-Japanese film | [14] |
| 2008 | Departures | Daigo Kobayashi | Lead role | [5] |
| 2015 | The Big Bee | Kōichi Mishima | [5] | |
| The Emperor in August | Emperor Hirohito | [5] | ||
| 2016 | The Long Excuse | Sachio Kinugasa | Lead role | [15] |
| 2020 | The Works and Days | NPC | USA/Sweden/Japan/UK film | [16] |
| 2024 | Touch | British-Icelandic film | [17] | |
| Silence of the Sea | Ryūji Tsuyama | Lead role | [18] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Sempachi Sensei | Subaru Morita | [19] | |
| 1991 | Taiheiki | Chigusa Tadaaki | Taiga drama | [20] |
| 1998 | Tokugawa Yoshinobu | Tokugawa Yoshinobu | Lead role;Taiga drama | [21] |
| 2009–11 | Clouds Over the Hill | Akiyama Saneyuki | Lead role | [22] |
| 2012 | Man of Destiny | Ryōta Yuminari | Lead role | [23] |
| 2019 | Giri/Haji | Fukuhara | British television series | [24] |
| 2020 | Awaiting Kirin | Saitō Dōsan | Taiga drama | [20] |
| 2021 | Ryūkō Kanbō | Naoya Shiga | Lead role; television film | [25] |
| 2023 | Friendship: Seiji Hirao and Shinya Yamanaka | Seiji Hirao | Lead role; television film | [26] |
| 2025 | Asura | Takao Satomi | [27] |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Asian Film Awards | ||
| Preceded by | Best Actor 2009 forDepartures | Succeeded by |