Archives For actor

Joe Odagiri and Chiaki Kuriyama for New Satoshi Miki Drama

May 26, 2010 — 4 Comments

Two of my favorite people are teaming up with one of my fave Japanese directors for a new drama for Asahi TV. Joe Odagiri was set to star on Atami no Sousakan (熱海の捜査官, Atami Investigators?), a series directed by Satoshi Miki (Turtles Swim Faster than Expected, Instant Swamp) that will start airing on Asahi TV on July 2nd (Friday) at 11.15pm. And now, Chiaki Kuriyama (Kill Bill) has joined the cast.

Now… wonder, is anyone subbing this, or am I watching this and figuring out the plot as I go. LOL

via Tokyograph.

—

*EDIT*

I dunno why I posted July 2nd
it starts July 30th

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Yusuke Iseya joins Ryomaden

May 20, 2010 — 3 Comments

So… casting over at the current NHK Taiga drama gets even more interesting with the announcement that Yusuke Iseya will be playing Takasugi Shinsaku, samurai friend of Ryomaden.

His first appearance will be in the episode scheduled to air on July 18th. It starts from the scene where Ryoma meets Shinsaku and other Choshu samaurai by chance at a restaurant in Nagasaki.

Suzuki Kei, the chief producer, explained: “Ryoma and Shinsaku both died young, had an unconventional fashion sense, dreamed of activity overseas, there were a lot of common features between them. We’ll be depicting them as ‘having the same soul,’ the friendship and intermingling of two people as soulmates.”

via Arama They Didn’t.

Bolding mine.

I gotta be honest with you, I haven’t kept up with Ryomaden, mainly because it just gets a really difficult time-slot here. It airs like at 6am, and then it re-airs at 1pm… Maybe NHK should really think about differing their transmission. But then I would be complaining about that too, right?

Six Degrees of separation! Well, not really… Yu Aoi — anyone knows when her character will show up? — played opposite Yusuke Iseya on Honey & Clover. Their names also appeared together on Tekkonkinkreet… and Tekkon is much cooler than HachiKURO xD

I just wanted to post this photo.

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AfterElton Top East-Asian Suggestions 2010

May 17, 2010 — 13 Comments

Dear AfterElton,

I love that Taye Diggs topped your list of Top10 Men of Color, and that you also included Ricky Martin. Though, I still wonder… really? Eddie Cibrian? Anyway…

I like that you tried to include 1/5 of Asians… but there’s too much Asian hotness in the world to only count Daniel Dae Kim (from Lost), and John Cho… it just makes it seem like you know two Asians in the west.

So here is a list of Asian male that I’m pimping so you could check out for future editions. I would be more than happy (and I’m sure my friend Julz would also be happy) to contribute weekly or monthly posts of Asian hotties on AfterElton.

So… in no particular order…

Continue Reading…

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
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To Watch Until They’re 35 – Louis Garrel

May 17, 2010 — 5 Comments

Well, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?

Forgive the delay on the countdown, and I certainly hope that this sudden interruption didn’t cause any screw-ups on the next few inclusions (like it did with #6 on my actors list). Anyway, continuing with our 20 to Watch between the ages of 25-30, there’s no other than… another French actor! Louis Garrel~

Born in Paris, France, on June 14th 1983, this 26-year-old actor shot to fame next to his the 20 to Watch fellow co-star Eva Green on Bertolucci’s The Dreamers, and with less than 10 years acting, he’s become one of France’s most promising new generation actors.

Son of Philippe Garrel (director) and Brigitte Sy (actress), grandson of Maurice Garrel (actor) and godchild of Jean-Pierre Leaud (actor)… it seems like Louis Garrel’s got acting running through his veins. No wonder he made his screen debut when he was only 6. However, it wasn’t until he was of legal age (around 18 years) when he made his 2nd film.

After his big break with Bertolucci, Garrel starred on Ma Mère (My Mother) alongside Isabelle Huppert, and directed by Christophe Honoré, who would direct him in several other films. He followed that up with Les Amants Réguliers (Regular Lovers) directed by his father, featuring his grandfather in a supporting role, and sharing the screen with Clotilde Hesme, who would eventually play opposite him on Les Chansons d’Amour with fellow the 20 to Watch Ludivine Sagnier. Regular Lovers would eventually earn him the Most Promising Actor at César Awards, and the Best Male Newcomer at the Étoiles d’Or.

He continued his collaborations with Honoré on the film Dans Paris (In Paris), and Les Chansons d’Amour (Love Songs), which is possibly Garrel’s 2nd most popular film after The Dreamers, La Belle Personne (The Beautiful Person), and Non ma Fille, Tu n’Iras pas Danser (Making Plans for Lena). He followed that up with work with François Ozon on Un Lever de Rideau (A Curtain Raiser), and Actrices (Actresses) directed by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi — whom he seems to currently date.

What’s in store for the future for Garrel? To be honest, it’s a mystery to me. The only thing I got to find out is that he’s worked on  a short film titled Petit Tailleur, where he takes the role of screenwriter and director. As far as acting gigs? Nothing seems to be on the horizon at the moment, but that’s no excuse to keep an eye on him… Right?

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To Watch Until They’re 35 – Tahar Rahim

May 6, 2010 — 2 Comments

So continuing with our list of actors, we move onto #5 with non other than French actor Tahar Rahim. And sorry for the photograph, I couldn’t find any cool photo of him big enough looking towards the camera that I could use, so this will have to do. You have to admit it’s a really stylish shot.

Born in Belfort, France, on July 4th 1981, Rahim is the 28-year-old actor who shot to fame for playing Malik on the critically-acclaimed film Un Prophète (A Prophet). Interestingly enough, this is his first major film role, after having played a “police officer” on the gory À l’Intérieur (Inside) just two years before.

However, after being nominated in the 2010 Rising Star Award at the BAFTA – beaten by Kristen Stewart… Oh, really? – and winning Best Actor at the César Awards (also with a Most Promising Actor win), at the European Film Awards, and the Lumiere Awards… well, we can’t help but wonder!

Rahim’s next project? The Eagle of the Ninth directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland), based on the novel by Rosemary Sutcliff, a project which apparently has him with an ancient Gaelic accent?

Well, what can I say? After being able to front a movie like A Prophet, we want to see more. On Eagle of the Ninth, he co-stars alongside the likes of Donald Sutherland and fellow the 20 to Watch Jamie Bell.

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To Watch Until They’re 35 – James McAvoy

April 23, 2010 — 4 Comments

Crap, I’m gonna have to make an exception here, as James McAvoy has just turned 31 — about two days ago — but I had already added him to the list. I knew I was cutting it too close…

Anyway, McAvoy places #5 on the list of the 20 to Watch, which marks the first 5 names to be added. Now, I will add my 5 additions to the Actresses list, and we’ll continue with one guy and a girl ;P

Born in Port Glasgow, Scotland on April 21st 1979, James McAvoy is probably best known for playing Wesley Gibson alongside Angelina Jolie in the action film Wanted released in 2008. However, he shot to fame for playing opposite Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland in 2006. After it, he was cast as the male lead in films such as Penelope with Christina Ricci, as well as Becoming Jane alongside Anne Hathaway.

He has also shared the screen in the well-received Atonement with Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan and fellow the 20 to Watch Jérémie Renier. He followed the project with The Last Station last year, which was also received well in critic circles.

It’s true that he’s dropped out of projects due to personal reasons, but McAvoy still has a couple of projects for the next couple of years, starting with The Conspirator directed by Robert Redford, and sharing credits alongside Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson, Robin Wright, and fellow the 20 to Watch Evan Rachel Wood.

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To Watch Until They’re 35 – Jérémie Renier

April 22, 2010 — 5 Comments

Steadily moving up our list of the 20 to Watch, this time around with a less mainstream face.

It’s Belgian actor Jérémie Renier, born in Brussels on January 6th 1981. At 29 years old, Renier has a prolific filmography. Probably first known worldwide by his performance as Thomas d’Apcher in Le Pacte des Loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf) alongside Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci.

He later starred as Bruno in the Dardenne brothers’ l’Enfant (The Child), which would eventually open the opportunity to play Claudy Moreau in the 2008 critically-acclaimed Le Silence de Lorna (Lorna’s Silence). Renier’s also had appearances in well-regarded films such as Atonement, starring Keira Knightley and Saoirse Ronan, , as well as In Brudges with Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes and Brendan Gleeson.

Last time we saw him on screen was on Olivier Assayas’ l’Heure d’Été (Summer Hours) alongside Juliette Binoche. The film was a favorite among critics in 2009, gathering a bunch of Best Foreign Film Awards. Hopefully, we will get to see him soon on Niki Caro’s The Vintner’s Luck alongside recently-nominated Vera Farmiga and Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider). Add to that his role on François Ozon’s Potiche with Gérard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve, Judith Godrèche, and fellow the 20 to Watch Ludivine Sagnier… and well, we’re sold!

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To Watch Until They’re 35 – Ben Whishaw

April 21, 2010 — 3 Comments

Moving from #9 to #8 on the list of the 20 to Watch, there’s another familiar face… even if the name doesn’t really ring a bell, unless… of course, you are already familiar with Ben Whishaw~

Born in Bedfordshire, England on October 14th 1980, this 29-year-old actor is probably most recognized for his starring role on Tom Tykwer’s Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. However, before his big break as smelling murderer Jean-Baptiste, Whishaw participated in the film Layer Cake alongside Daniel Craig, and Sally Hawkins.

In 2007, Whishaw became part of the cast of I’m Not There, the experimental film about Bob Dylan credited alongside the likes of Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, and Heath Ledger. His last big hit on the silver screen was playing poet John Keats in Bright Star, directed by acclaimed director Jane Campion. The film garnered considerable buzz not only for him, but also his co-star Abbie Cornish.

Next up for him? A re-adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest by writer/director Julie Taymor (Across the Universe) alongside Djimon Hounsou, Alfred Molina, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming and Helen Mirren.

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To Watch Until They’re 35 – Nick Stahl

April 20, 2010 — 1 Comment

Continuing with our list of The 20 to Watch… in the actors category, comes perhaps a familiar face, but not really a name that sticks around. It’s none other than Nick Stahl~

Born in Texas, USA on December 5th 1979, Stahl barely cuts it with the age at 30 years old. However, with films in his filmography like the critically-acclaimed The Thin Red Line by Terrence Malick with heavy-weights like Sean Penn and George Clooney, or the fantastic In the Bedroom, sharing scenes with Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek and Marisa Tomei… we can’t help but keep an eye on him.

He doesn’t stop with the heavy drama, since he also starred as John Connor on Terminator 3, as well as playing Yellow Bastard on Sin City. Moreover, he also played Ben Hawkins in the kind-of-short-lived but critically-acclaimed HBO series, Carnivale.

Stahl has a few projects on the works now, including On the Inside alongside the newest It Girl, Olivia Wilde, as well as Burning Palms with Zoe Saldana, Rosamund Pike and Paz Vega. However, we really REALLY think he should get a better agent… I’m sure there are a lot of interesting independent films that are much better suited for a fine actor than… let’s say, Mirrors 2.

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To Watch Until They’re 35 – Eita

April 18, 2010 — 14 Comments

Guess who’s #10 on the list of The 20 to Watch Between 25-30?

But it’s, of course, Eita!

Born in Tokyo, Japan on December 13th 1982. He might be unknown to almost everyone, unless you are already familiar with Japanese films and series, but this 27-year-old actor has proven that you should keep on watching him.

His list of films include Aoi Haru (Blue Spring), Azumi, Densha Otoko, Su-ki-da and Memories of Matsuko. Of course, Matsuko as a film works because of so many different aspects including Eita’s ability to make you want to connect with the brilliant Miki Nakatani.

Last year, Eita worked on two films that seemed to be in many of the “best of lists” in Japan, including the acclaimed Dear Doctor — by famous director Miwa Nishikawa, who wrote and directed Yureru (Sway) — as well as the seemingly popular April Bride, directed by indie acclaimed director Ryuichi Hiroki.

Add to that his recurring role as Mine on the Nodame Cantabile franchise [headed by fellow 20 to watch Juri Ueno] which sprung not only an 11-episode series, and two television special, but also two theatrical films opening on December 2009 and this month.

There is a certain softness in Eita’s aura that translates well whenever he’s on screen, making him perfect to play the sensible young man. He doesn’t even need to speak a single word, even though you probably would need the subtitles to actually understand what he is saying [unless, of course, you speak Japanese], but whenever he’s in a dramatic scene… all of that doesn’t matter. He’ll deliver the goods in a way that language would really not be a barrier.

Very few [men or women] can captivate you like this.

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