is a Japanese actor and model. He is widely regarded as one of Japan's leading actors, having appeared in a wide range of films from science fiction films such as Shin Ultraman (2022) to small-scale art films such as Dolls (2002). He gained international recognition for his critically acclaimed leading role in the 2021 film Drive My Car, for which he received the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Actor.
Life and career Early years Nishijima became interested in watching films as a child, influenced by his father. He wanted to be a film crew member, but while in college, he passed the acting audition that an acquaintance encouraged him to take, and he became an actor.
Career Nishijima made his debut in the contemporary detective television drama series Hagure Keiji Junjōha in 1992.
In 1993, Nishijima gained public recognition for his portrayal of a gay character in the massive hit television series Asunaro Hakusho, which co-starred Takuya Kimura. Nishijima’s subtle performance and good looks in that series attracted attention. in 1994 as Man of the Month for November of1994 It was published in Playgirl magazine in November 1994 and was photographed naked by Naoko Yamamoto.
In 1990s, Nishijima gained popularity as a young actor in television series, but left a major talent agency to become a film actor, and did not appear on commercial television from 1998 to 2002.
Nishijima played his first leading role in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 1998 film License to Live, and co-starred with Kōji Yakusho. He won the Best Actor award at the Japan Film Professional Awards for the film.
Nishijima attracted attention again later, being selected by Takeshi Kitano for the lead role in Dolls in 2002. The film was a major turning point in his career.
In 2009, he was given the Best Supporting Actor award at the Yokohama Film Festival for his portrayal of a strange death row inmate in Vacation.
While establishing himself as a film actor, Nishijima also resumed appearing in television series.
In the 2010s, Nishijima became one of the most popular actors in Japan, for his performances in hit television series, such as General Rouge no Gaisen, Strawberry Night, Yae's Sakura, and MOZU.
In 2011, Nishijima had his first starring role alongside Korean actress Kim Tae-hee in the television series My 99 Days with the Superstar, a romantic comedy drama about the romance between an actress and her bodyguard.
In Amir Naderi's 2011 film Cut, Nishijima played the leading role, which was described by Chris Cabin of Slant Magazine as "the most convincingly pretentious and frustrated cinephile to ever be portrayed on film". His performance in the film was praised by Dan Fainaru of Screen International as "painfully memorable".
Nishijima has also appeared in films such as Akihiko Shiota's Canary and Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Loft. He also played the role of Kiro Honjo in Hayao Miyazaki's 2013 animated film The Wind Rises as a voice actor. His other voice work includes dubbing Colin Farrell in Dumbo and Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) in Pokémon Detective Pikachu. He also portrayed the role of Kotaro Minami in the reimaging of the 1987 Kamen Rider series Kamen Rider Black titled Kamen Rider Black Sun.
In 2017, Nishijima became the first Japanese man to model for Giorgio Armani's Made-to-Measure.
In 2019, Nishijima was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 42nd Japan Academy Film Prize for his performance in Samurai's Promise. He also starred in the television series What Did You Eat Yesterday?, a drama about the daily lives of a middle-aged gay couple. The drama became very popular and was made into a hit film.
In 2021, Nishijima starred in Ryusuke Hamaguchi's film Drive My Car. His performance was highly acclaimed, with The New York Times selecting him as one of the "Best Actors of 2021". The film also won him the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, and Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
In June 2022, Nishijima was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1994Ghost Pub Koichi1995Marks no Yama MoriKura Ryota Takeda19972/Duo Kei1998License to Live YutakaLead role2000Love/Juice Sakamoto2001Sekai no Owari to Iu Na no Zakkaten Lead role2002Dolls MatsumotoTokyo.sora Last Scene Lead role2004Casshern Lieutenant Colonel KamijoTony Takitani Narrator (voice) The Cat Leaves HomeKikyoAngel in the Box2005House of Himiko HosokawaSayonara Midori-chanSu-ki-daYosukeLoftKoichi KijimaCanaryAkira Izawa2006Oh! Oku Shingoro Ikushima2007Freesia: Bullet Over Tears Toshio Iwasaki Pacchigi! Love & PeaceShindo2008Tokyo RendezvousTakashi NogamiLead roleVacationShin'ichi KanedaOver the HilltopMa Hae-song Haru Yo Koi [ja]Toshio Okamoto2009Kanikōsen AsakawaZero FocusKenichi Ubara2010Goodbye, SomedayYutaka HigashigaitoLead role; South Korean film2011CutShujiLead role2012Seiji: Riku no SakanaSeijiLead role2013Strawberry NightKazuo KikutaMemories CornerOkabeThe Wind RisesKiro Honjo (voice)2014Genome HazardTaketo IshigamiLead role2015MozuNaotake KurakiLead rolePoison berry in my brainYoshida2016CreepyTakakuraLead roleWhile the Women Are SleepingKenji2017The Last RecipeYamagata2018Samurai's PromiseUneme SakakibaraThe House Where the Mermaid SleepsKazumasa HarimaOzland Yoshihiko OzukaPenguin Highway Aoyama's Father (voice)2019Ninkyō GakuenSeiji HimuraLead roleAircraft Carrier Ibuki Ryōta AkitsuLead role2020Voices in the Wind MorioSilent TokyoShinobu Seta202199.9 Criminal Lawyer: The Movie Kyōhei NagumoWhat Did You Eat Yesterday? Shirō KakeiLead roleCaution, Hazardous WifeYūki IsayamaDrive My Car Yūsuke KafukuLead role2022Shin Ultraman Kimio TamuraGoodbye Cruel WorldMikiya AnzaiLead role2023KubiAkechi Mitsuhide2024Serpent's PathYoshimuraFrench-Japanese film All About SuomiKeigo Kusano2025Dear StrangerKenjiLead role; Japan/Taiwan/US film2026The Brightest SunSatakeLead roleHer Private HellHayashiAmerican film2027All That ExistsJiro MondenLead roleTBAEnemiesAmerican filmRoad House 2American film
Television Year Title RoleNotes1992Hagure Keiji JunjōhaTsuyoshi NakagamiSeason 5Dinner On ThursdayTatsuro Miyazawa 1993Asunaro HakushoJunichiro Matsuoka1997Mori MotonariAiō MototsunaTaiga drama2003Always SmilingKazuya Yuzuhara2004ŌokuTokugawa IemitsuWaltz Of Her HeartShinya Minazuki2006UnfairIchiro SezakiJunjō KirariSuji TogoAsadora2007Yama Onna Kabe OnnaIguchi ShoheiJudge: The Struggle of the Island JudgeKyosuke Misawa2009Real ClothesYusaku Tabuchi 2010General Rouge no GaisenKoichi Hayami 2011SchoolIori KiriharaBoku to Star no 99 NichiKohei NamikiLead role2012Double FaceJun MoriyaLead roleStrawberry NightKazuo Kikuta2013Yae's SakuraYamamoto KakumaTaiga drama2015Mutsu: Mieru MeEisuke TameyoriLead roleSecond Chance ChauffeurKazuo NagataLead role2016Daddy SisterTakezō KohashiAsadora2017CrisisSaburo TamaruBlanket CatsShusuke ShiinaCaution, Hazardous WifeYuki Isayama2019Detective Akechi KogoroKogoro AkechiMaison de PoliceSoichiro Natsume2019–23What Did You Eat Yesterday?Shiro KakeiLead role; 2 seasons2020North LightMinoru AoseLead role; miniseries2021Welcome Home, MonetSatoru AsaokaAsadoraGuilty FlagRyosuke SagaraLead roleChef Is A Great DetectiveShinobu MifuneLead role2022Riding a UnicornSatoshi KotoriKamen Rider Black SunKōtarō Minami / Kamen Rider Black SunLead role2023Outsider CopsEiji KagawaLead role2024Sayonara MaestroShunpei NatsumeLead roleSunnyMasa Sakamoto2025Human SpecimensShiro SakakiLead role
Dubbing roles Dumbo (2019), Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019), Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds)
Awards and nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result 20009th Japan Film Professional AwardsBest ActorLicense to Live200615th Japan Film Professional AwardsBest ActorKikyō, Sayonara Midori-chan, Ame Yori Setsunaku20th Best ActorKikyō200930th Yokohama Film FestivalBest Supporting ActorVacation, Tokyo Rendezvous and Over the Hilltop201226th Takasaki Film FestivalBest ActorCut21st Japan Film Professional AwardsBest Actor201942nd Japan Academy Film PrizeBest Supporting ActorSamurai's Promise202114th Asia Pacific Screen AwardsBest Performance by an ActorDrive My Car42nd Boston Society of Film Critics AwardsBest Actor34th Chicago Film Critics Association AwardsBest Actor34th Nikkan Sports Film AwardBest Actor202276th Mainichi Film AwardsBest Actor35th Takasaki Film FestivalBest Actor 45th Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actor 56th National Society of Film Critics AwardsBest Actor25th Online Film Critics Society AwardsBest Actor 20th San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actor 2023 16th Asian Film Awards Best Actor
References
External links
Hidetoshi Nishijima, The Japan Times (in English)