Takanori Iwata facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Takanori Iwata
Takanori Iwata at SSFF Asia 2018
Background information
Native name	岩田 剛典
Also known as	Gun Boi Twiggz Gun-chan
Born	(1989-03-06) 6 March 1989 (age 36) Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Origin	Keio Futsubu School Keio Senior High School Keio University
Genres	J-pop
Occupations	Dancer actor singer
Years active	2010–present
Labels	Rhythm Zone
Associated acts	Exile Tribe Exile Sandaime J Soul Brothers ®AG POUND

Takanori Iwata (born March 6, 1989) is a Japanese dancer and actor. He was born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. He is a member of the J-pop groups Sandaime J Soul Brothers and Exile.

As a member of Sandaime J Soul Brothers, he has won the Japan Record Awards twice. In 2016, he got his first main acting role in the film Evergreen Love. This role earned him the "Newcomer of the Year Award" at the 40th Japan Academy Film Prize. Since then, he has appeared in many TV shows and movies. In 2019, he played Junichi Wakamiya, a Japanese version of Dr. Watson, in the Fuji TV drama Sherlock: Untold Stories. He also started his singing career on September 15, 2021, with the song korekara. Takanori Iwata is a graduate of Keio University. His nickname is Gun-chan.

Biography

Early Life and Dance

Takanori Iwata grew up in Nagoya. His family had a tradition of attending Keio University. To prepare, he went to juku (cram school) and had a tutor from elementary school. He later moved to Tokyo with his mother to attend Keio Futsubu School. He then went to Keio Senior High School.

In high school, he played Lacrosse. He even made it to a special list for the Japan national Lacrosse team. Iwata started dancing, specifically a style called Krumping, after watching the American documentary film RIZE. He used "GUN" as his stage name. He loved dancing so much that he decided to focus on it in university.

At Keio University, Iwata joined a dance club called Dancing Crew JADE. He later became its leader. He also joined a Krump dance group called Twiggz Fam and used the name Boi Twiggz.

Career Highlights

Iwata didn't plan to be a dancer at first. He even had a job offer from a big company after university. However, in 2010, the group J Soul Brothers was being reformed into Sandaime J Soul Brothers. His friend, Naoki Kobayashi, invited him to try out for the new group.

On September 18, 2010, Iwata was chosen as one of the performers for Sandaime J Soul Brothers. He decided to become an entertainer instead of taking the company job. On November 10, he officially debuted with Sandaime J Soul Brothers. Their first song, "Best Friend's Girl," was very popular. He was still a university student when he debuted and graduated in March 2011.

In 2013, Iwata began his acting career in a play called "Attack No.1." In 2014, he appeared in his first movie, Crows Explode. On his 25th birthday, March 6, 2014, he released his first photo-book, G Takanori Iwata Sandaime J Soul Brothers from Exile Tribe. On April 27, 2014, he also joined Exile as a new performer. He remained a member of both Sandaime J Soul Brothers and Exile. Later that year, he acted in the TV drama Dear Sister. He played a character who dreamed of being a professional skateboarder.

In 2015, Iwata appeared in two TV dramas: Wild Heroes and High＆Low: The Story of S.W.O.R.D.. In High&Low, he played Cobra, the leader of a gang called Sanno Hoodlum Squad. This role was part of the High&Low action and music series. He continued to play Cobra in many High&Low movies and events. In October 2015, he formed a special dance and vocal group called The Sharehappi. They released a popular song called Share The Love, which was used in a Pocky advertisement. The "Pocky Dance" from the ad became a national hit.

In 2016, Iwata starred in the romance film Evergreen Love. He played Itsuki, a mysterious herb lover. This was his first main role in a movie, and he won several awards for it. These included the Best New Artist Award and the Newcomer of the Year Award. He also appeared in the TV drama Suna no Tou (Tower of Sand).

In 2017, he had a main role in "Fate Detector," a mystery story. He also continued to play Cobra in the High&Low movies, High&Low The Movie 2 / End of Sky and High&Low The Movie 3 / Final Mission.

Iwata took on more roles in 2018. He starred in the short film Swan Song. He also played the main character in the film Kyonen no Fuyu, Kimi to Wakare (Last Winter We Parted). On April 15, Gakeppuchi Hoteru (Hotel on the Brink) started airing. This was his first main role in a TV drama. He also appeared in the film Vision and the romance film Perfect World. For Perfect World, he learned how to use a wheelchair and play wheelchair basketball. He won an award for his performances in these films.

In 2019, Iwata appeared in Machida-kun no Sekai (Almost a Miracle). He also released his third photo-book, Spin. In July, he was cast in the Fuji TV drama Sherlock. He played Junichi Wakamiya, a Japanese version of Dr. Watson. The show started on October 7, 2019.

In 2020, Iwata appeared in the film AI Collapse (AI Amok) as a police officer. He also acted in Living in the Sky and The Untold Tale of the Three Kingdoms. He started a regular column in Elle Japan magazine called "ASK! Gun-chan: Takanori Iwata's Counseling Room." He also worked as a voice actor for an NHK documentary show.

On January 29, 2021, the film Na mo Naki Sekai no End Roll (The Master Plan), starring Iwata, was released. On September 15, 2021, he officially debuted as a singer with his first song, korekara.

Personal Life

Takanori Iwata was a good student and got high scores in national tests when he was in elementary school. He graduated from Keio University. When he was looking for jobs in university, he even applied to be a news anchor for NTV. He is a fan of the movie director Christopher Nolan.

Participating Groups

• Sandaime J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE (2010 – present)
• EXILE (2014 – present)
• ®AG POUND (2015–present)
• The Sharehappi from Sandaime J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE (2015- unknown)
• Twiggz Fam
• STREET KINGDOM JAPAN

Filmography

TV Series

Film

Short Films

Stage

Voice Acting

Narration

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Others

Dubbing

• Jurassic World Rebirth (Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey))

Awards

See also

In Spanish: Takanori Iwata para niños