Japanese actress and model (born 1973)
Nanako Matsushima (松嶋 菜々子, Matsushima Nanako, born October 13, 1973) is a Japanese actress[1] and 🤶 model. She starred in the horror film Ring, and was also the female lead character in the drama A Story 🤶 of Love, along with Ring co-star Hiroyuki Sanada. In 2011, her drama I'm Mita, Your Housekeeper. reached a viewer rating 🤶 of 40%, making it one of the highest rated Japanese dramas of all time.[2]
Biography [ edit ]
Personal life [ edit 🤶 ]
Matsushima was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. On February 21, 2001, she married Japanese actor Takashi Sorimachi, her co-star in 🤶 the hit drama GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka). They have two daughters together, born on May 31, 2004, and November 30, 🤶 2007. She has been called one of Japan's most beautiful women.[3]
Career [ edit ]
Nanako Matsushima in 2010.
Matsushima has appeared in 🤶 a number of popular or critically acclaimed dramas, and she has won the Best Actress Award at the Japan Television 🤶 Drama Academy Awards six times.[4]
In 1997, Matsushima was selected to play the female lead, a poor but happy designer who 🤶 happens to run a shop in a building owned by a wealthy, arrogant but dying rich man played by Hiroyuki 🤶 Sanada in the drama A Story of Love, also known as Konna Koi No Hanashi for its Japanese title. The 🤶 drama chronicles the trial and tribulations that the leads undergo as their feelings developed into something more than mere friendship.
In 🤶 1998, Matsushima starred together with her now husband, Takashi Sorimachi in the drama Great Teacher Onizuka, about a former delinquent 🤶 turned teacher. The drama which was based on a popular manga, received a 35.7 rating for its final episode, making 🤶 it one of the highest rated Japanese dramas ever.
In 1999, Matsushima subsequently appeared as the female lead in the controversial 🤶 drama Terms for a Witch, also known as Majo no Jōken for its Japanese title. which centres on the romance 🤶 between a teacher and her student, with Hideaki Takizawa as the male lead. Despite its controversial nature, the drama was 🤶 awarded the best drama at the 21st Japan Television Drama Academy Awards.[5]
Matsushima played Tsubaki Domyouji, the sister of the main 🤶 male lead Domyouji Tsukasa (Jun Matsumoto), in 2005 popular drama Boys Over Flowers and Boys Over Flowers 2. Both dramas 🤶 were a rating success with the final episode of Boys Over Flowers 2 peaking at 27.6. This was the first 🤶 time the two appeared together. The second was in 2012, when Matsushima starred in the comedy serial drama Lucky Seven, 🤶 where she played the role as the President of Private Investigative Detective Firm, where Matsumoto plays a rookie detective.[6] The 🤶 third time they appeared together, Matsushima played Matsumoto's character Chikara Nakagoshi's neighbor, Yoriko Michio, in 2024 drama My neighbor, Chikara.[7] 🤶 The two shared another stage in NHK's 2024 Taiga drama What Will You Do, Ieyasu?, with her playing the role 🤶 of Odai no Kata, mother to Matsumoto's Ieyasu Tokugawa.[8]
In 2011, Matsushima starred in the hit I am Mita, Your Housekeeper, 🤶 the final episode which garnered the rating of 40%, making it one of the highest rated Japanese dramas of all 🤶 time.I am Mita, Your Housekeeper won several awards, including the Best Drama and Best Female Actress awards, at the 71st 🤶 Television Drama Academy Awards.[9]
Matsushima was also cast as the main lead in the cult classic horror film Ring, often cited 🤶 as one of the best horror films of all time.[10] The movies also marked the second debut between Matsushima and 🤶 Hiroyuki Sanada, who previously worked together in the drama A Story of love.[11] This film brought Matsushima worldwide recognition and 🤶 it has since been remade into an American film.
Matsushima has also appeared in several other popular films, amongst them the 🤶 2000 film Whiteout, which grossed over 4.2 billion yen in Japan. For her role in the film, Matsushima was nominated 🤶 for the Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role award at the 24th Japan Academy Film Prize.
In September 🤶 2024, she co-starred in a commercial for Uber Eats alongside Matt Kuwata.[12]
In November 2024, Nanako Matsushima co-starred along with her 🤶 husband Takashi Sorimachi in a commercial for skincare and makeup Shiseido.[13][14] The new Shiseido commercial marked the couple first sharing 🤶 screen in 25 years following the couple co-starred together in 1998 TV Drama Great Teacher Onizuka and the first time 🤶 the couple co-starred together following their marriage in 2001.[14][13]
Filmography [ edit ]
TV dramas [ edit ]
Film [ edit ]
Awards [ 🤶 edit ]
