Asano, Tadanobu 1973- (Sato Tadanobu)

PERSONAL

Original name, Tadanobu Sato; born November 27, 1973, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan; father, an actor's agent; married, wife's name Chara (a musician), c. 1995; children: Smile (some sources cite Sumile), Himi (son). Avocational Interests: Swimming, drawing, karate, playing guitar, horseback riding, composing music.

Addresses:

Office—Anore, Inc., 9F Ochiai-Build, 6-17-15 Jingumae Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan.

Career:

Actor, composer, and director. Mach 1.67 (band), vocalist; also singer with the band Safari; model for designers Takeo Kikuchi and Jun Takashashi; appeared in a Hong Kong commercial for Motorola mobile phones.

Awards, Honors:

Popularity Award, most popular performer, Awards of the Japanese Academy, 1997, for Acri, Focus, Fried Dragon Fish, and Picnic; Festival Prize, best actor, Yokohama Film Festival, 1997, for Picnic, Focus, Helpless, and Acri; Japanese Professional Movie Award, best actor, 1997, for Helpless and Focus; Takasaki Film Festival Award, best actor, 1997; Japanese Film Producers Award, best actor, 1997; Japanese Film Critics Award, best character role, 1999, for Neji-shiki; Hochi Film Award, best supporting actor, 2000, for Gojo reisenki: Gojoe and Gohatto; Takasaki Film Festival Award, best actor, 2000, for Jirai wo fundara sayonara; Festival Prize, best actor, Yokohama Film Festival, 2001, for Gojo reisenki: Gojoe and Jirai wo fundara sayonara; Mainichi Film Concours, best actor, 2001, for Jirai wo fundara sayonara, Gojo reisenki: Gojoe, and Gohatto; Upstream Prize, best actor, Venice Film Festival, 2003, and Chlotrudis Award nomination, best actor, 2005, both for Ruang rak noi nid mahasan; Japanese Academy Award nomination, best supporting actor, Awards of the Japanese Academy, 2004, for Zatoichi; Takasaki Film Festival Award, best actor, 2005, for Vital; Mainichi Film Concours, best actor, 2006, for Taga tameni and Rampo Jigoku.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Ushiwakamaru, Bataashi kingyo (also known as Swimming Upstream), 1990.

Sadahito Iwata, Aitsu (also known as Waiting for the Flood), 1991.

Seiichi Shirai, Seishun dendekedekedeke (also known as The Rocking Horsemen), 1992.

Koichi Sunagami, Nemuranai machi, 1993.

Akira Higuchi, Yonshimai monogatari, 1994.

Satoshi, 119 (also known as Quiet Days of Fireman), 1994.

Ikuo, Maboroshi no hikari (also known as Illusion and Maborosi), 1995.

Tsumuji, Picnic (also known as Pikunikku), 1996.

Kenji, Helpless, 1996.

Hisoka, Acri (also known as The Legend of Homo-Aquarellius), 1996.

Kanemura, Focus, 1996.

Man, wkw/tk/1996@7′55″hk.net (short film), 1996.

Customer in club, Swallowtail (also known as Swallowtail & Butterfly), 1996.

Tatsuo Niitaka, Yume no ginga (also known as Labyrinth of Dreams), 1997.

Young man, Tokyo biyori, 1997.

Kuroo Samehada, Samehada otoko to momojiri onna (also known as Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl), 1998.

Captain XX, Love & Pop, 1998.

Tsube, Neji-shiki (also known as Screwed), 1998.

Asano, Away with Words (also known as Kujaku and San tiao ren), c. 1998.

Ichinose, Taizo, Jirai wo fundara sayonara (also known as One Step on a Mine, It's All Over), Cine Qua Non Films, 1999.

Samurai Hyozo Tashiro, Gohatto (also known as Taboo and Tabou [Gahatto]), New Yorker Films, 1999.

Isawa, Hakuchi: The Innocent (also known as Hakuchi), Le Studio Canal+, 1999.

Man with sword, Soseiji (also known as Gemini), 1999.

Shanao, prince of the Genji clan, Gojo reisenki: Gojoe (also known as Gojoe and Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle), 2000.

Renji Sawaki, Kaza-hana, 2000.

Okita Souji, Party 7, 2000.

Koichi Sakata, Distance, Filmmuseum Distributie, 2001.

Kakihara, Koroshiy 1 (also known as Ichi the Killer), Prenom H, 2001, subtitled version, Media Blasters, 2003.

Dragon Eye Morrison, Electric Dragon 80.000 V, Rapid Eye Movies, 2002.

Yusaku Miyazawa, Mizu no onna (also known as Woman of Water), Films sans Frontieres, 2002.

Dead End Run, RealProduct, 2003.

Shinichi Makafuji, Watashi no guranpa (also known as My Grandpa), Toei, 2003.

Hajime Takeuchi, Kohi jiko (also known as Cafe Lumiere), Shochiku, 2003.

Mamoru Arita, Akarui mirai (also known as Bright Future), Palm Pictures, 2004.

Kenji, Ruang rak noi nid mahasan (also known as Last Life in the Universe and Chikyu de saigo no futari), Palm Pictures, 2004.

Hattori Genosuke, Zatoichi (also known as The Blind Swordsman, Takeshi Kitano's "Zatoichi"), subtitled version, Miramax, 2004.

Tori (short film), Jetro Berlin, 2004.

Ayano Haruno, Cha no aji (also known as The Taste of Tea), 2004, Viz Pictures, 2007.

Hiroshi Takagi, Vital, Gold View, 2004.

Tadashi Kinoshita, Chichi to kuraseba (also known as The Face of Jizo), Pal, 2004.

A stranger, Kokoro Odoru (short film), 2004.

Aman (some sources cite Ishigaki), Survive Style 5+, 2004, Manga Entertainment, 2006.

San-chan, Umoregi (also known as The Buried Forest), Gold View, 2005.

Mizui, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? (also known as My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?), Exception Wild Bunch, 2005.

Takeshis', Shochiku, 2005.

Tamio Murase, Taga tameni (also known as Portrait of the Wind), Magic Hour/Paru Kikaku, 2005.

Naisu no mori: The First Contact (also known as Funky Forest: The First Contact), Naisu no mori Seisaku linkai, 2005.

Private Detective Kogoro Akechi, Rampo jigoku (also known as Rampo Noir), Albatros Film, 2005.

Jubei Kanazawa, Hana yori mo naho, Shochiku, 2006.

Temudjin/Genghis Khan, Mongol, Picturehouse Entertainment, 2006.

Fujio, Tokyo zonbi (also known as Tokyo Zombie), Toshiba Entertainment, 2006.

Kyoji, Invisible Waves, Palm Pictures, 2006.

Film Director:

Tori (short film), Jetro Berlin, 2004.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Ah-So Graham Norton, Channel 4, 2001.

Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell, 2003.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Tomoki Ubukata, Haru no Ichizoku, NHK, 1993.

Tatsuhiko, Masui, NTV, 1994.

Yuji, Mabataki no Umi ni, NHK, 1994.

Kouji, Watashi no Ojisan, CX, 1995.

Genta, Inochi sasage sourou, NHK, 1996.

Hong Kong, Typhoon Shelter, CX, 1997.

Yukio Yamazaki, The Private Detective Mike Hama, YTV, 2002.

Guest, Cinema mil, 2005.

Television Appearances; Other:

(As Sato Tadanobu) San-nen B-gumi Kinpachi sensei 3 (series), 1988.

Natsuro, Fried Dragon Fish, CX, 1993.

WRITINGS

Film Music:

1-Ichi, KSS Media Entertainment, 2003, Unearthed Films, 2005.

Tori (short film), Jetro Berlin, 2004.

OTHER SOURCES

Electronic:

Tadanobu Asano Official Site,http://www.asanotadanobu.com, April 4, 2007.