|
YAKUSHO Koji (Japanese:
役所広司) is a Japanese
actor.
Biography
Born HASHIMOTO Koji (橋本広司) on 1 January
1956 in
Isahaya,
Nagasaki,
Japan. He was the youngest of five brothers.
After graduation from the Nagasaki Prefectural High School of
Technology in
1974, he took employment at the Chiyoda municipal ward office (the
Chiyoda-Ku Yakusho) in Tokyo, hence the screen name "Yakusho," a Japanese
word meaning "public office." In 1976, he saw a production of
Maxim Gorky's
The Lower Depths and was inspired, first to take in as many plays
as possible, later to take part in as many plays as possible.
In the spring of
1978 he auditioned, and was 1 of 4 chosen out of 800 applicants to the
Mumeijyuku acting studio. While at the school he met actress
Kawatsu Saeko, whom he would marry in
1982. The couple's son was born in
1985.
In
1983 he landed the role of
Oda Nobunaga in the year-long
NHK
drama
Tokugawa Ieyasu and was catapulted to (moderate) fame. He has
also appeared in a TV version of
Miyamoto Musashi from 1984-85.
Yakusho had four major successes in 1996-97: Shall We Dance?,
The Eel, Lost Paradise and Bounce ko-Gals ("ko"
means "small" or "little"). Lost Paradise was second at the
Japanese box office only to
Princess Mononoke; The Eel won the Palm d'Or at
Cannes. Shall We Dance? was a major hit in Japan that
actually inspired a domestic dance craze. Bounce ko-gals was an
insightful commentary on high school prostitution in specific, and money
worship in general.
Yakusho was given a special award for work in cinema by the Japanese
Minister of Education, Science, Sports and Culture in
1988.
Filmography
- The Choice of Hercules (2002)
- Pulse (2001)
- Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (赤い橋の下のぬるい水) (2001)
- Swing Man (2000)
- Seance (2000) (TV)
- Eureka (2000)
- Dora-heita (2000)
- Spellbound (1999)
- Charisma (カリスマ) (1999)
- Tadon to chikuwa (1998)
- License to Live (1999)
- Kizuna (1998)
- Bounce ko gals (1997)
- Cure (キュア) (1997)
- The Eel (うなぎ) (1998)
- Paradise Lost (1997)
- Sleeping Man (眠る男) (1996)
- Shall We Dance? (Shall we ダンス？) (1997)
- Kamikaze Taxi (1995)
- Gurenbana (1993)
- Under Northern Lights (1990)
- The Great Department Store Robbery (1987)
-
Tampopo (1985)
- The Legend of Sayo (1982)
- The Tower of Lilies (1982)
- Hunter in the Dark (1979)
|
