Takuya Kimura

Infobox actor
name = Takuya Kimura
imagesize =
caption = Takuya Kimura
birthname =
birthdate = birth date and age|1972|11|13
location = Tokyo, Japan
deathdate =
deathplace =
height = 1.76 m
othername = Kimutaku
yearsactive = 1988–present
spouse = Shizuka Kudo
homepage =
notable role = Hidetoshi Sena in "Long Vacation" (1996)
Shuji Okishima in "Beautiful Life" (2000)
Kuryu Kohei in "Hero" (2001)
Hajime Shinkai in "Good Luck!!" (2003)
academyawards =
emmyawards =
tonyawards = nihongo|Takuya Kimura|木村 拓哉|Kimura Takuya|nicknamed "Kimutaku"; born on November 13, 1972 is an actor and a member of the Japanese idol group SMAP. Many of the TV dramas he starred in produced high ratings in Japan.

Early life and pre-fame

Born in Tokyo, Kimura lived in Minoo, Osaka Prefecture until he was six years old. Then, he lived and attended elementary school and junior high school in Chiba. One of his relatives sent in the application to the Johnny & Associates talent agency, which specializes in young male teen idols, and he became a member of Johnny's Juniors, a group of trainees, in 1987. Then he became one of the 12 members in a unit called "Skate Boys". Skate Boys used to be backup dancers of Hikaru Genji, which at the time was a very popular group. In 1988, SMAP was created, and he joined. The group then consisted of six members: Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Katsuyuki Mori, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Shingo Katori; Katsuyuki Mori later left SMAP to pursue an autoracing career in mid 90s. After SMAP was formed, each member pursued an individual career by starring in B-list dramas. Their first single "Can't Stop!! ~Lovin." was released in 1991, but it received mixed reviews. When SMAP had their first concert, the hall was almost empty, too.

Rise to fame

1993 can be considered to be a breakthrough year for Kimura and SMAP. After years of starring in low-budget dramas, Kimura played a leading role in the teen drama Asunaro Hakusho (あすなろ白書) as Osamu Toride, a college freshman in love with a friend Narumi Sonoda. The series, based on a then-popular manga of the same name, quickly became a hit. SMAP also released their hit single "$10". In 1994, a phrase "Kimutaku Syndrome" started to be observed in some media. The term refers to a phenomenon in which some young boys copy his fashion. In 1995, he played a role in a movie "Kimi o Wasurenai" (君を忘れない). In 1996 he starred with Yamaguchi Tomoko in a TV series "Long Vacation", which also became a hit. Kimura played a young shy pianist "Sena" who falls in love with an older woman, a former model. In the same year, SMAP began to host a weekly Japanese variety show "SMAP×SMAP". During 1997, Kimura continued his streak of hit dramas with "Gift" and "Love Generation". However "Gift", was criticized for its violent plot which allegedly promoted teenage crime.Fact|date=February 2007 In 2000, he played a leading role in a TV series "Beautiful Life". He also announced his marriage with Shizuka Kudo, another idol. By the time of the announcement, Shizuka was pregnant. In 2001, Kimura starred in "Hero", which set a record with its high TV ratings of about 36.8%. [ [http://www.tvdrama-db.com/news/20010325.htm 『HERO』、全話30％超の視聴率を達成　平均視聴率も新記録] ] He enjoyed more success in string of many hit series after Hero, such as "Sorakara Furu Ichiokuno Hoshi", "Good Luck!!", "Pride", and "ENGINE." "Good Luck" topped 2003's TV view ratings at 37.6%. [ [http://www003.upp.so-net.ne.jp/kaori_a/drama/ranking_history_A.html 平均視聴率ランキングＡ（平均視聴率18％以上）] ]

In 2004 Kimura extra appearance in a movie 2046, nominated at Cannes. The cast of this Hong Kong film included Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, and Faye Wong. The film won many awards including Best Art Direction and Best Original Film Score at Golden Horse Film Festival in 2004 and scored Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Make-Up, Best Art Direction, and Best Original Film Score at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2005. In the original version shown in the Cannes film festival, his scene lasted about 7 minutes, although in the final edition, which was played in Japan, it was extended to approximately 20 minutes. In 2005 he voiced Howl in Hayao Miyazaki's animation "Howl's Moving Castle." In July 2006, Fuji TV aired a 2 hour long HERO special. Along with the original cast, he revived his role as prosecutor Kuryu Kohei. Additional big name stars were also seen in this drama, including "Socrates in Love" star Haruka Ayase. Kimura's latest movie is " Bushi no Ichibun", released in December 2006. Directed by Yoji Yamada he played a young blind samurai during the Edo period. He earned a Japan Academy Prize nomination for Best Actor. However, he declined it because his agency, Johnny & Associates, was reluctant to have him compete with the other nominees, who are experienced film actors. This has been said to be the first case of decline for such reason. The film is the final in the trilogy, which includes "The Twilight Samurai"(2002) and "The Hidden Blade"(2004). In 2007, Kimura starred in TBS' 55th Anniversary drama, "Karei-naru Ichizoku", which stars other big-name actors and actresses. In September, the movie sequel to 2001's "HERO" was released, continuing the story from where the last episode on TV special in 2006 left off. It has proved a major success, sparking rumours that a sequel will be produced. Continuing his huge success, Kimura will appear in a 2008 film produced in France, I Come with the Rain with Korean actor, Lee Byung-Hun.

Personal life

In 1999 he ended the nine-year relationship with his longtime girlfriend Kaorin. A year later, he announced he was going to marry Shizuka Kudo, another pop idol. His first daughter, Kokomi, was born in 2001, and his second daughter, Mitsuki, was born in 2003.

Trivia

A relatively long vertical scar on one of his nostrils is visible in some of his posters.

In the manga Gantz the character Kenzo Sakata looks like Takuya Kimura.

Masami Tsuda declared on the Vol 3 of 'Karekano' (His and Hers Circumstances) manga that a picture of Kimura Takuya before being famous was the inspiration for the look of Arima (one of the manga's main characters).

Filmography

Dramas

*Change as Asakura Keita Fuji TV (2008)
*Karei-naru Ichizoku as Manpyo Teppei TBS (2007)
*Hero SP as Kuriyu Kouhei Fuji TV (2006)
*Saiyūki as Emperor Genyoku Fuji TV (2006, Ep 1)
*Engine as Kanzaki Jiro Fuji TV (2005)
*Pride as Satonaka Haru Fuji TV (2004)
*Good Luck!! as Shinkai Hajime TBS (2003)
*Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi as Katase Ryo Fuji TV (2002)
*Chūshingura 1/47 as Hirobe Yasubei Fuji TV (2001)
*Hero as Kuriyu Kouhei Fuji TV (2001)
*Food Fight as voice of Crow NTV (2000)
*Beautiful Life as Okishima Shuji TBS (2000)
*Konya wa eigyouchu Fuji TV (1999)
*Nemureru Mori as Ito Naoki Fuji TV (1998)
*Oda Nobunaga as Oda Nobunaga (1998)
*Love Generation as Katagiri Teppei Fuji TV (1997)
*Gift as Hayasaka Yukio/Mizoguchi Takehiro Fuji TV (1997)
*Ii Hito Fuji TV (1997)
*Boku ga boku de aru tame ni as Kurosawa Riki Fuji TV (1997)
*Kyousoukyoku as Takakura Kakeru TBS (1996)
*Long Vacation as Hidetoshi Senna Fuji TV (1996)
*Furuhata Ninzaburo 1 Fuji TV (1996)
*Jinsei wa joujoda as Ogami Kazuma TBS (1995)
*Wakamono no subete as Ueda Takeshi Fuji TV (1994)
*Asunaro hakusho as Toride Osamu Fuji TV (1993)
*Izu no odorikko as Kawabata Yasunari TV Tokyo (1993)
*Sono toki haatowa nusumareta Fuji TV (1992)
*Otouto as Hekiro TBS (1990)

Films

*I Come with the Rain as Shitao (2008)
*HERO the movie as Kuriyu Kouhei (2007)
*Bushi no Ichibun (Love And Honor) as Mimura Shinnojo (2006)
*2046 as Tak (2004)
*Howl's Moving Castle as Howl (Voice) (2004)
*Kimi wo Wasurenai (Fly Boys, Fly!) as Ueda Junichiro (1995)

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0454120|name=Takuya Kimura
* [http://jweb85.blog48.fc2.com Johnny's J-Web Translations]

Persondata
NAME = Kimura, Takuya
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Japanese actor, singer
DATE OF BIRTH = November 13, 1972
PLACE OF BIRTH = Tokyo, Japan
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =