is a Japanese actor. He is known for his affinity for strange character roles, and he is best known internationally for playing L in the 2006 films Death Note, Death Note 2: The Last Name, and L: Change the World in 2008. He played the main character Toru Watanabe in the film adaptation of Haruki Murakami's novel Norwegian Wood.
His stage name uses the katakana spelling of his first name (ケンイチ) instead of the usual kanji (研一).
Early career In 2000 he entered . While there, he debuted as a model, in 2001, for PARCO, after winning the Grand Prix "New Style Audition", an event in collaboration with the agency Horipro. from among 16,572 applicants. He graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Toyama High School.
Matsuyama made his acting debut in the television series Gokusen in 2002.
He made his first film appearance in Bright Future in 2003.
He starred in the film in 2004, a movie with its main character modeled after real–life wheelchair basketball player .
Matsuyama starred in in 2009, using the Tsugaru dialect of Japanese in the film.
He played a police detective in the 2023 drama Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times?
He voiced the role of Balthazar Bratt in the Japanese dub of Despicable Me 3 in 2017.
He was in the stage play in 2017.
Personal life On April 1, 2011, he married Koyuki Katō, who co-starred with him in Kamui Gaiden.The Mainichi Daily News, 20 April, 2011 The couple's first child was born in January 2012, and their second child was born in January 2013 in South Korea. In July 2015, the couple had their third child.
He speaks in the Shimokita dialect. He also presumably speaks English, judging from a scene in L: Change The World where he plays L, who is talking to Near in English.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes2003Bright FutureJunKorean high school student2004Kenta KobayashiLead roleThe Locker 2Yosuke ShinoharaKamachiThe Taste of TeaMatsuken2005Linda Linda LindaMakiharaNanaShinichi "Shin" OkazakiFuryo Shonen no YumeHiroyuki YoshiieLead roleCustom Made 10.30Tamotsu/Shin-GetsuOtoko-tachi no YamatoKatsumi Kamio (15 years old)2006Oyayubi SagashiTomohiko IgarashiDeath NoteLDeath Note 2: The Last NameL2007Ten Nights of DreamsShōtarōAnthology film Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and SeaJuchiShindoWaoSouthboundOfficer NiigakiTsubaki SanjuroIori IsakaDolphin Blue: Fuji, mo Ichido Sora eKazuya UemuraLead role2008L: Change the WorldLLead roleSex Is No Laughing MatterMirumeLead roleDetroit Metal CitySouichi Negishi/Johannes Krauser IILead role2009Kamui GaidenKamuiLead roleKaijiMakoto SaharaYojinLead role2010Norwegian WoodToru WatanabeLead roleMemoirs of a Teenage AmnesiacYuji MiwaLead role2011GantzMasaru KatoLead roleGantz: Perfect AnswerMasaru KatoLead roleMy Back PageUmeyamaLead roleUsagi DropDaikichi KawachiLead role2012Train Brain ExpressKei KomachiLead role2013The Kiyosu ConferenceHidemasa Hori2014HomelandJirō SawadaLead roleClimbing to SpringTōru NagamineLead role2015Chasuke's JourneyChasukeLead roleThe Emperor in AugustTakeo SasakiSpecial appearance 2016RageTetsuya TashiroSatoshi: A Move for TomorrowSatoshi MurayamaLead roleChin-yu-ki: The Journey to the West with FartsTarō YamadaLead roleSomething Like, Something Like ItDefunetei ShindenLead roleDeath Note: Light Up the New WorldLCameo2017SekigaharaNaoe KanetsuguYurigokoroYōsukeDespicable Me 3Balthazar BrattVoice; Japanese dub2019MiyamotoKazuo JinboPromareGalo Thymos Voice; Lead role2020Mio's CookbookHotel RoyalMiyagawa2021Brave: Gunjō SenkiOda NobunagaBlueUritaLead role2022NoiseJun TanabeLead roleDreaming of the Meridian ArcKinoshita / MatakichiRiverside MukolittaYamadaLead role2023Do Unto OthersMunenori ShibaLead roleWe're Broke, My Lord!Matsudaira Shinjirō2024Saint Young Men: The MovieJesusLead role2025Hey, Dazai: The MovieOsamu DazaiSeaside SerendipityVoiceNew Interpretation of the End of Edo PeriodHijikata Toshizō2026Nagi NotesYoshihiro IguchiHara o Kukutte
Japanese dub YearTitleRoleNotes2025ElioLord Grigon
Television YearTitleRoleNotes2002GokusenKenichi Mouri2003Kids War 5Yūta Kuroda20051 Litre of TearsYuji Kawamoto2006Tsubasa no Oreta TenshitachiTarō / ShingoSono 5 fun maeYuka TakashiLead roleDeath NoteGelusVoice; Episode: "Koigokoro"2007Sexy Voice and RoboIichiro Sudo/RoboLead role2008Matsuda SpinoffLDetroit Metal CityMakoto HokazonoVoice; Cameo2009Zeni GebaGamagori FutaroLead role2010Japanese AmericansHiramatsu Jiro2012Taira no KiyomoriTaira no KiyomoriLead role; Taiga drama2015Dokonjo GaeruHiroshiLead roleFutagashiraBenzōLead role2016Death Note: New GenerationLCameo2017A LifeSōta Igawa2018Residential ComplexDaiki IgarashiMiyamoto kara Kimi eKazuo Jinbo2019Shiroi KyotōShuji SatomiMiniseries Yuganda HamonMitazono2020KomoribitoMasaoLead role; Television film2021Japan Sinks: People of HopeKoichi Tokiwa2023What Will You Do, Ieyasu?Honda MasanobuTaiga dramaWhy Didn't I Tell You a Million Times?Yuzuru Uozumi2024The Tiger and Her WingsTōichirō KatsurabaAsadora2025Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle?Yoshiteru MatsukazeHey, DazaiOsamu DazaiTelevision film2026Did Someone Happen to Mention Me?KawashimaUntil the T-shirt DriesMitsuru
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryNominated work(s)Result2006 31st Hochi Film AwardsBest New ActorDeath Note200728th Yokohama Film FestivalBest New Talent30th Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Supporting ActorBest New Actor31st Elan d'or AwardsNewcomer of the YearHimself20082nd Asia Pacific Producer's Network AwardBest ActorDeath Note200932nd Japan Academy Film PrizeBest ActorDetroit Metal CityMost Popular Actor201064th Mainichi Film AwardsBest ActorUltra Miracle Love story24th Takasaki Film FestivalBest Actor201124th Nikkan Sports Film AwardsBest ActorMy Back Page, Norwegian Wood, Gantz, Usagi Drop201771st Mainichi Film AwardsBest ActorSatoshi: A Move for Tomorrow12th Osaka Cinema FestivalBest Actor40th Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Actor59th Blue Ribbon AwardsBest ActorSatoshi: A Move for Tomorrow, Chinyūki202276th Mainichi Film AwardsBest ActorBlue 35th Nikkan Sports Film AwardsBest ActorRiverside Mukolitta and Noise202336th Nikkan Sports Film AwardsBest ActorDo Unto Others202466th Blue Ribbon AwardsBest Actor
References
External links
Horipro agency profile