Tadanobu Asano facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tadanobu Asano
浅野 忠信
Asano at the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival in 2024
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
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 Asano (born Tadanobu Satō on November 27, 1973) is a famous Japanese actor, director, and musician. He has had a long and successful career in both Japanese and international movies. Asano is known for his many different roles and has worked with some of the biggest names in filmmaking.

He has been nominated for five Japan Academy Film Prizes, which are like the Oscars in Japan. He won the Most Popular Performer award there. Some of his well-known roles include characters in films like Maboroshi no Hikari (1995), Ichi the Killer (2001), and Zatoichi (2003). He also played Temujin in the movie Mongol (2007).

Asano has also appeared in big Hollywood movies. You might know him as Hogun in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films like Thor. He also played Lord Kira Yoshinaka in 47 Ronin (2013) and Raiden in Mortal Kombat (2021). In 2024, he gained even more recognition for his role as Lord Kashigi Yabushige in the TV series Shōgun, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.

Asano has worked with many respected directors from Japan and around the world. He has won several awards, including the Best Actor Award at the Yokohama Film Festival and the Upstream Prize for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival.

Early Life and Family

Tadanobu Asano was born in Yokohama, Japan. His father, Yukihisa Satō, is an artist. His mother, Junko, has some American family background. Asano has an older brother named Kujun Satō, who is a musician. Together, Asano and his father started a talent agency called Anore Inc. (now Adonis A).

His Acting Journey

Asano's father, who was an agent for actors, encouraged him to try acting when he was 16. His first role was in a TV show called Kinpachi Sensei. His first movie was Swimming Upstream in 1990. He gained early praise for his role in Fried Dragon Fish (1993).

His acting career really took off internationally with the film Maboroshi no Hikari (1995). In this movie, he played a man who mysteriously dies, leaving behind his wife and young son. He also worked on the film Distance in 2001. Some of his most famous international roles are in the samurai films Gohatto (1999) and Zatoichi (2003).

Asano continued to star in many films, including The Taste of Tea (2003) and Last Life in the Universe (2003). In 2007, he played the young Genghis Khan in the movie Mongol, which was nominated for an Oscar. He also joined the Marvel Studios universe as Hogun in Thor (2011) and its sequels, Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017).

In 2021, Asano appeared as Raiden in the Mortal Kombat movie. In September 2021, it was announced that he would be part of the TV series Shōgun, which became very popular in 2024.

Besides acting, Asano has also directed TV commercials. He is also a musician and has played in bands like MACH-1.67, Peace Pill, and Safari. He is also a model for 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 and had a daughter named Sumire that same year. In 1999, they had a son named Himi. In 2009, they decided to divorce.

In August 2022, Asano announced that he had married model and actress Kurumi Nakata.

Awards and Recognition

Asano has received many awards for his acting. He won the Most Popular Performer award at the 1997 Japanese Academy Awards. He also won the Upstream Prize for Best Actor at the 2003 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 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work in Shōgun. He also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for the same role.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

See also

In Spanish: Tadanobu Asano para niños