Tadanobu Asano facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tadanobu Asano
浅野 忠信
Asano at the world premiere of Thor 2011
Born	Tadanobu Satō (1973-11-27) November 27, 1973 (age 51) Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Occupation	Actor director musician
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Chara ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 2009)​ Kurumi Nakata ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	2
Relatives	Minori Nakata [ja] (sister-in-law)
Japanese name
Kanji	浅野 忠信
Hiragana	あさの ただのぶ
Katakana	アサノ タダノブ
Transcriptions Romanization Asano Tadanobu
Alternative Japanese name
Kanji	佐藤 忠信
Hiragana	さとう ただのぶ
Katakana	サトウ タダノブ
Transcriptions Romanization Satō Tadanobu

Tadanobu Satō (佐藤 忠信, Satō Tadanobu, born November 27, 1973), known as Tadanobu Asano (浅野 忠信, Asano Tadanobu), is a famous Japanese actor, director, and musician. He has had a long and successful career in both Japanese and international movies.

Asano has been nominated for many awards, including five Japan Academy Film Prizes. He won the Most Popular Performer award at the Japan Academy Film Prizes. He also won the Best Actor Award at the Yokohama Film Festival twice. He received the Upstream Prize for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Actor Award at the Moscow International Film Festival. In 2024, he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for his role in the TV series Shōgun.

Some of his most well-known roles include Kakihara in Ichi the Killer (2001) and Hattori Genosuke in Zatoichi (2003). He also played Temujin in Mongol (2007). You might know him from Hollywood movies like Hogun in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Thor films. He also played Lord Kira Yoshinaka in 47 Ronin (2013). More recently, he was Raiden in Mortal Kombat (2021).

Asano has worked with many great directors from Japan and other countries. These include Hirokazu Kore-eda, Takeshi Kitano, Martin Scorsese, and Kenneth Branagh.

Early Life and Family

Tadanobu Asano was born in Yokohama, Japan. His father, Yukihisa Satō, is an artist. His mother is Junko. Asano's grandfather on his mother's side was from Norway.

He has an older brother named Kujun Satō, who is a musician. Kujun is also a partner in a talent agency that Asano and their father started.

Acting Career Highlights

Asano's father, who was an agent for actors, helped him get his first acting job. He was 16 years old when he appeared in the TV show Kinpachi Sensei. His first movie was Swimming Upstream in 1990.

He gained international attention for his role in Maboroshi no Hikari (1995). In this film, he played a man who unexpectedly dies. He also worked with director Hirokazu Kore-eda again in the movie Distance in 2001.

Asano is well-known for his roles in samurai films. These include Gohatto (1999) and Zatoichi (2003). He also starred in the movie Bright Future.

In 2007, he played a young Genghis Khan in the movie Mongol. This film was nominated for an Oscar.

Hollywood and International Roles

Tadanobu Asano became known to many young fans for his role as Hogun in the Marvel Studios movie Thor in 2011. Hogun is an Asgardian warrior and a friend of Thor. He played Hogun again in Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017).

In 2021, Asano appeared as Raiden in the Mortal Kombat movie. This film is based on the popular video game.

More recently, in 2024, Asano starred in the TV series Shōgun. He played the character Lord Kashigi Yabushige. This role earned him a Golden Globe Award.

Other Creative Work

Besides acting, Tadanobu Asano has also directed TV commercials. He is also a musician. He formed a band called MACH-1.67 in 1996. He has also played in other bands like Peace Pill and Safari.

Asano is also an artist and a model. He has modeled for famous Japanese fashion designers.

Personal Life

Tadanobu Asano met J-pop singer Chara while working on the movie Picnic in 1994. They got married in March 1995. They have two children: a daughter named Sumire, born in 1995, and a son named Himi, born in 1999. They divorced in 2009.

In August 2022, Asano announced that he married model and actress Kurumi Nakata. They had been together for more than six years.

Awards and Recognition

Asano has won several awards for his acting.

• In 1997, he won the Most Popular Performer award at the Japanese Academy Awards.
• In 2003, he received the Upstream Prize for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his role in Last Life in the Universe.
• In 2014, he won Best Actor at the 36th Moscow International Film Festival for the movie My Man.
• In 2024, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in Shōgun.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Tadanobu Asano para niños