Rinko Kikuchi
Encyclopedia
, born , January 6, 1981, is a Japan
ese actress. Kikuchi is the first Japanese actress to be nominated for an Academy Award in 50 years. She is currently Japan's only living female Academy Award nominee in acting categories. The only other nominee was Miyoshi Umeki
, who won the Best Supporting Actress award in 1957 for Sayonara
.
-directed film . Soon after, in 2001, she starred in the acclaimed Kazuyoshi Komuri-directed film , which was featured across several international film festivals, including the Rotterdam Film Festival. In 2004, she appeared in the critically acclaimed Katsuhito Ishii
-directed film , which was selected for the Cannes Film Festival
.
In 2006, she appeared in the critically acclaimed Alejandro González Iñárritu
-directed film Babel
, where she played Chieko Wataya, a deaf-mute teenage girl, in a role for which she was critically acclaimed and nominated for numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
. She won several, such as the National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Female Performance (tying with Jennifer Hudson
) and the Gotham Award
for Best Breakthrough. Kikuchi is also the fifth actress in Academy Award history to be nominated for an award for a role in which she does not speak a word. (The others were Jane Wyman
, Patty Duke
, Holly Hunter
, and Samantha Morton
). Kikuchi has appeared in two Mamoru Oshii
movies: 2008's The Sky Crawlers
and Assault Girls
(2009).
Her emotionally intense role in Babel has led to her being noticed by many international directors, such as Rian Johnson
, auteur director of Brick
. She starred in his second film, 2009's The Brothers Bloom
, which was her first fully English-language feature. Though she plays a main character, she only speaks three words in the film; her character is said to only know three words of English.
She was mentioned in an episode of the TV show Robot Chicken
on the Adult Swim
network in a parody of the popular movie-themed Lego
play sets.
In March 2011 she was named to the Keanu Reeves
-led cast of 47 Ronin, the first English-language adaptation of the Chushingura
legend, Japan's most famous tale of samurai loyalty and revenge.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese actress. Kikuchi is the first Japanese actress to be nominated for an Academy Award in 50 years. She is currently Japan's only living female Academy Award nominee in acting categories. The only other nominee was Miyoshi Umeki
Miyoshi Umeki
was a naturalized American actress and standards singer. She was best known for her roles as Katsumi, the wife of Joe Kelly , in the 1957 film Sayonara, as Mei Li in the 1958 Broadway musical and 1961 film Flower Drum Song, and as Mrs. Livingston, the housekeeper of Bill Bixby's and Brandon Cruz's...
, who won the Best Supporting Actress award in 1957 for Sayonara
Sayonara
Sayonara is a 1957 color American film starring Marlon Brando. It tells the story of an American Air Force flier who was an "ace" fighter pilot during the Korean War....
.
Life and career
Kikuchi was born in Minamigaoka, Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture. She debuted in 1999 under her birth name, Yuriko Kikuchi, with the Kaneto ShindoKaneto Shindo
, Hiroshima, Japan) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His best known films include Children of Hiroshima, The Naked Island, Onibaba, Kuroneko and A Last Note.Shindō has often made films dealing with Hiroshima or the atomic bomb...
-directed film . Soon after, in 2001, she starred in the acclaimed Kazuyoshi Komuri-directed film , which was featured across several international film festivals, including the Rotterdam Film Festival. In 2004, she appeared in the critically acclaimed Katsuhito Ishii
Katsuhito Ishii
-Work:Katsuhito Ishii began directing commercials in 1992, receiving numerous awards in this field. His first short film The Promise of August, shot in 1995, went on to receive the Japanese Film Grand Prix in the Fantastic Video Section of the 1995 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival Ishii...
-directed film , which was selected for the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
In 2006, she appeared in the critically acclaimed Alejandro González Iñárritu
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Alejandro González Iñárritu is a Mexican film director.González Iñárritu is the first Mexican director to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and by the DGA of America for Best Director. He is also the first and only Mexican born director to have won the Prix de la mise en scene...
-directed film Babel
Babel (2006 film)
Babel is a 2006 international drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga, starring an ensemble cast. The multi-narrative drama completes Iñárritu's Death Trilogy, following Amores perros and 21 Grams....
, where she played Chieko Wataya, a deaf-mute teenage girl, in a role for which she was critically acclaimed and nominated for numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
. She won several, such as the National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Female Performance (tying with Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...
) and the Gotham Award
Gotham Awards
The Gotham Awards is an annual ceremony of awards presented to the makers of independent films which takes place in New York City...
for Best Breakthrough. Kikuchi is also the fifth actress in Academy Award history to be nominated for an award for a role in which she does not speak a word. (The others were Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
, Patty Duke
Patty Duke
Anna Marie "Patty" Duke is an American actress of stage, film, and television. First becoming famous as a child star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16, and later starring in her eponymous sitcom for three years, she progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely...
, Holly Hunter
Holly Hunter
Holly Hunter is an American actress. Hunter starred in The Piano for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She has also been nominated for Oscars for her roles in Broadcast News, The Firm, and Thirteen...
, and Samantha Morton
Samantha Morton
Samantha Jane Morton is an English actress and film director. She began her performing career with guest roles in television shows such as Soldier Soldier and Boon before making her film debut in the 1997 drama film This Is the Sea, playing the character of Hazel Stokes...
). Kikuchi has appeared in two Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director, and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of popular anime, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Ghost in the Shell, and Patlabor 2...
movies: 2008's The Sky Crawlers
The Sky Crawlers (film)
is a 2008 Japanese anime film, directed by Mamoru Oshii. It is an adaptation of Hiroshi Mori's novel of the same name. It was released across Japanese theatres by Warner Bros. Japan on August 2, 2008. Animated by Production I.G, the film was written by Chihiro Itō, featuring character designs by...
and Assault Girls
Assault Girls
is a Japanese live-action feature written and directed by Mamoru Oshii.-Synopsis:In the aftermath of global thermonuclear war, three battle tested women wage war in a virtual reality videogame against giant mutant sandwhales...
(2009).
Her emotionally intense role in Babel has led to her being noticed by many international directors, such as Rian Johnson
Rian Johnson
Rian Craig Johnson is an American writer and director, who won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival with his debut feature, Brick.-Background:...
, auteur director of Brick
Brick (film)
Brick is a 2005 American neo-noir film written and directed by Rian Johnson. It was Johnson's directorial debut and won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival...
. She starred in his second film, 2009's The Brothers Bloom
The Brothers Bloom
The Brothers Bloom is a 2008 American postmodern caper film written and directed by Rian Johnson. The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Ricky Jay, Rinko Kikuchi, and Robbie Coltrane...
, which was her first fully English-language feature. Though she plays a main character, she only speaks three words in the film; her character is said to only know three words of English.
She was mentioned in an episode of the TV show Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
on the Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
network in a parody of the popular movie-themed Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
play sets.
In March 2011 she was named to the Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
-led cast of 47 Ronin, the first English-language adaptation of the Chushingura
Chushingura
is the name for fictionalized accounts of the historical revenge by the Forty-seven Ronin of the death of their master, Asano Naganori. Including the early , the story has been told in kabuki, bunraku, stage plays, films, novels, television shows and other media...
legend, Japan's most famous tale of samurai loyalty and revenge.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Ikitai | Kaneto Shindo Kaneto Shindo , Hiroshima, Japan) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His best known films include Children of Hiroshima, The Naked Island, Onibaba, Kuroneko and A Last Note.Shindō has often made films dealing with Hiroshima or the atomic bomb... |
a.k.a. Will to Live |
| 2000 | Sanmon Yakusha | Kaneto Shindo Kaneto Shindo , Hiroshima, Japan) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His best known films include Children of Hiroshima, The Naked Island, Onibaba, Kuroneko and A Last Note.Shindō has often made films dealing with Hiroshima or the atomic bomb... |
|
| Akai Shibafu | Mieko Umeuchi | a.k.a. Red lawn | |
| 2001 | Paradice | Tatsuya Moriyama | a.k.a. Paradise |
| Sora no Ana | Kazuyoshi Kumakiri | a.k.a. Hole of Sky | |
| DRUG | Hiroshi Sugawara | ||
| 2002 | Hachigatsu no Maboroshi | Kosuke Suzuki | a.k.a.Mirage of August |
| 2003 | Jyunanasai | Hoka Kinoshita | a.k.a. Seventeen |
| 2004 | Tori | Tadanobu Asano Tadanobu Asano , born is a Japanese actor. He is known for his roles as Dragon Eye Morrison in Electric Dragon 80.000 V, Kakihara in Ichi the Killer, Mamoru Arita in Bright Future, Hattori Genosuke in Zatoichi, Kenji in Last Life in the Universe, Aman in Survive Style 5+, Ayano in The Taste of Tea, and Temudjin... |
|
| Cha no Aji The Taste of Tea is the third film by Japanese writer and director Katsuhito Ishii. The film has been referred to as a "surreal" version of Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander. It was a selection of the Cannes Film Festival.-Synopsis:... |
Katsuhito Ishii Katsuhito Ishii -Work:Katsuhito Ishii began directing commercials in 1992, receiving numerous awards in this field. His first short film The Promise of August, shot in 1995, went on to receive the Japanese Film Grand Prix in the Fantastic Video Section of the 1995 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival Ishii... |
a.k.a. The Taste of Tea | |
| 69 sixty nine 69 (film) 69 is a 2004 film adaptation of Ryu Murakami's novel 69.-Cast:*Satoshi Tsumabuki as Kenichi Yazaki*Masanobu Ando as Tadashi "Adama" Yamada*Yuta Kanai as Manabu Iwase*Asami Mizukawa as Mie Nagayama* as Kazuko "Lady Jane" Matsui... |
Sang-il Lee Sang-il Lee Lee Sang-il is a Zainichi Korean film director and screenwriter. His first film Chong was a short film about the lives of third generation Koreans living in Japan.... |
||
| Survive Style 5+ Survive Style 5+ Survive Style 5+ is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Gen Sekiguchi. It stars Tadanobu Asano, Kyōko Koizumi, Reika Hashimoto, Jai West, Sonny Chiba and Vinnie Jones.-Synopsis:... |
Gen Sekiguchi Gen Sekiguchi Gen Sekiguchi is a Japanese film director.He has directed Bus Panic!!! , Worst Contact and directed and edited Survive Style 5+ , starring Tadanobu Asano, Reika Hashimoto, and Vinnie Jones. He also directed a number of music videos for the band Supercar. He is known for his use of vibrant colours... , Taku Tada |
||
| Riyū | Nobuhiko Obayashi | ||
| 2005 | Tagatameni | Taro Hyugaji | |
| 2006 | Nice no Mori: The First Contact | Katsuhito Ishii Katsuhito Ishii -Work:Katsuhito Ishii began directing commercials in 1992, receiving numerous awards in this field. His first short film The Promise of August, shot in 1995, went on to receive the Japanese Film Grand Prix in the Fantastic Video Section of the 1995 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival Ishii... , Shunichiro Miki, Hajime Ishimine (ANIKI) |
|
| Warau Michael Warau Michael is a manga series by Izumi Kawahara. It was serialized in Hana to Yume beginning in 1987. In 2006 it was adapted into a Japanese film, based on the manga of the same name. The soundtrack was provided by Japanese supergroup Metalchicks.... |
Issei Oda | aka Archangels | |
| Babel | Alejandro González Iñárritu Alejandro González Iñárritu Alejandro González Iñárritu is a Mexican film director.González Iñárritu is the first Mexican director to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and by the DGA of America for Best Director. He is also the first and only Mexican born director to have won the Prix de la mise en scene... |
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Film nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only... Non-speaking Role |
|
| 2007 | Zukan ni Nottenai Mushi | Satoshi Miki | a.k.a. The Bug That's Not in the Guide |
| 2008 | The Brothers Bloom The Brothers Bloom The Brothers Bloom is a 2008 American postmodern caper film written and directed by Rian Johnson. The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Ricky Jay, Rinko Kikuchi, and Robbie Coltrane... |
Rian Johnson Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson is an American writer and director, who won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival with his debut feature, Brick.-Background:... |
|
| The Sky Crawlers The Sky Crawlers is a Japanese novel series by Hiroshi Mori. First published by Chuōkōron-shinsha in June 2001 and spanning five books, it follows the journeys and tribulations of a group of young fighter pilots involved in dogfight warfare, and is set during an alternate historical period. The series is unlike... |
Mamoru Oshii Mamoru Oshii Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director, and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of popular anime, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Ghost in the Shell, and Patlabor 2... |
Animated film | |
| 2009 | Map of the Sounds of Tokyo Map of the Sounds of Tokyo Map of the Sounds of Tokyo is a 2009 Spanish drama film directed by Isabel Coixet. The film competed in the main competition at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:... |
Isabel Coixet Isabel Coixet Isabel Coixet is a Spanish film director.She received an M.A. in history from the University of Barcelona... |
|
| Sideways | Cellin Gluck | Remake of the 2004 film Sideways Sideways is a 2004 comedy-drama film written by Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne and directed by Payne. Adapted from Rex Pickett's 2004 novel of the same name, Sideways follows two forty-something year old men, portrayed by Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, who take a week-long road trip to... |
|
| Assault Girls Assault Girls is a Japanese live-action feature written and directed by Mamoru Oshii.-Synopsis:In the aftermath of global thermonuclear war, three battle tested women wage war in a virtual reality videogame against giant mutant sandwhales... |
Mamoru Oshii | Live-action movie | |
| 2010 | Shanghai | Mikael Håfström Mikael Håfström Jan Mikael Håfström , known as Mikael Håfström, is a Swedish screenwriter and director.-Biography:Håfström directed the exorcism thriller The Rite, which is based on a novel from Matt Baglio.- Filmography :... |
Sumiko (uncredited) |
| Norwegian Wood Norwegian Wood (film) is a Japanese drama film directed by Tran Anh Hung, based on Haruki Murakami's novel of the same name. The film was released in Japan on 11 December 2010.- Plot :... |
Tran Anh Hung Tran Anh Hung Trần Anh Hùng is a French film director of Vietnamese ancestry.He was born in Đà Nẵng, Central Vietnam, and emigrated to France when he was 12 following the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.... |
Naoko | |
| 2012 | 47 Ronin | Carl Rinsch | Mizuki |
Television
| Year | Title | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Bakayaro! Special 2 | |
| Kawaii dakeja Dame kashira | ANB TV Asahi , also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network.... |
|
| 2001 | Chura-san | NHK NHK NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.... |
| 2002 | The private detective Mike Hama | YTV #1 |
| 2003 | Uchu ni Ichiban Chikai basho | |
| Ai to Shihonshugi | WOWOW WOWOW WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo... |
|
| 2004 | Ryu | WOWOW WOWOW WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo... |
| 2009-10 | Liar Game 2 Liar Game is a Japanese manga series originally written and illustrated by Shinobu Kaitani. The manga was first serialized in 2005 in the Japanese manga magazine Weekly Young Jump, published by Shueisha... |
Fuji TV |
| 2010 | Moteki | TV Tokyo TV Tokyo is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime... |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Group | Award | Result | Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Gotham Awards Gotham Awards The Gotham Awards is an annual ceremony of awards presented to the makers of independent films which takes place in New York City... |
Breakthrough Award | Babel | |
| Best Ensemble Cast | ||||
| National Board of Review | Best Breakthrough Performance - Female | |||
| Austin Film Critics Association Austin Film Critics Association The Austin Film Critics Association is an organization of film critics from Austin, Texas.Each year, the AFCA votes on their end of year awards for films released in the same calendar year... |
Best Supporting Actress | |||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... |
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| Most Promising Performer | ||||
| 2007 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards The Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, commonly called the Critics' Choice Awards, are bestowed annually by the Broadcast Film Critics Association to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Nominees are selected by written ballots in a week-long voting period, and are announced in... |
Best Supporting Actress BFCA Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress The Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association.- 1990s :*1995: Mira Sorvino - Mighty Aphrodite as Linda Ash... |
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| Online Film Critics Society Awards Online Film Critics Society The Online Film Critics Society is a professional association for film critics who publish their reviews, interviews, and essays on the Internet.The OFCS was founded in 1997... |
Best Breakthrough Performance | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | ||||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards A Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"... |
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest acting achievements:Note:... |
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| Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest acting achievements in film.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:- External links :*... |
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| Golden Globes | Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year.... |
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| Academy Awards Academy Awards An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers... |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... |
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| 2009 | Chlotrudis Awards | Best Supporting Actress Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress The Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film to the actress or actresses whose winning performance is voted by participating members... |
The Brothers Bloom The Brothers Bloom The Brothers Bloom is a 2008 American postmodern caper film written and directed by Rian Johnson. The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Ricky Jay, Rinko Kikuchi, and Robbie Coltrane... |