Kenichi Matsuyama

Kenichi Matsuyama (松山 ケンイチ, Matsuyama Ken'ichi, born March 5, 1985) 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 was cast to play lead character Toru Watanabe in the film adaptation of Haruki Murakami's novel Norwegian Wood, which was released in December 2010.

Kenichi Matsuyama
松山 ケンイチ
Matsuyama at the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival
Born
Kenichi Matsuyama (松山 研一)

(1985-03-05) March 5, 1985
Mutsu, Aomori, Japan
NationalityJapanese
OccupationActor
Years active2001–present
AgentHoripro
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Spouse
​
(m. 2011)​
Children3

His stage name uses the katakana spelling of his first name (ケンイチ) instead of the usual kanji (研一).

He graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Toyama High School.

Career

He debuted as a model in 2001 for PARCO. He made his acting debut in the television series Gokusen in 2002 and made his first film appearance in Bright Future in 2003. He starred in the film Winning Pass a year later.

Matsuyama starred in Ultra Miracle Love Story in 2009, using the Tsugaru dialect of Japanese in the film.

He voiced the role of Balthazar Bratt in the Japanese dub of Despicable Me 3 in 2017. He was in the stage play Seven Souls in the Skull Castle the same year.

He played a police detective in the 2023 drama Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times?

Personal life

On April 1, 2011, he married Koyuki Katō, who co-starred with him in Kamui Gaiden.[1] The couple's first child was born in January 2012,[2] and their second child was born in January 2013 in South Korea.[3] In July 2015, the couple had their third child.[4]

He speaks in the Shimokita dialect.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2003 Bright Future Jun
Worst by Chance A bully
2004 Winning Pass Kenta Kobayashi Lead role
The Locker 2 Yosuke Shinohara
Kamachi
The Taste of Tea Matsuken
2005 Linda Linda Linda Makihara
Nana Shinichi "Shin" Okazaki
Furyo Shonen no Yume Hiroyuki Yoshiie Lead role
Custom Made 10.30 Tamotsu/Shin-Getsu
Otoko-tachi no Yamato Katsumi Kamio (15 years old)
2006 Oyayubi Sagashi Tomohiko Igarashi
Death Note L
Death Note 2: The Last Name L
2007 Ten Nights of Dreams Shōtarō Anthology film
Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea Juchi
Shindo Wao
Southbound Officer Niigaki
Tsubaki Sanjuro Iori Isaka
Dolphin Blue: Fuji, mo Ichido Sora e Kazuya Uemura Lead role
2008 L: Change the World L Lead role
Sex Is No Laughing Matter Mirume Lead role [5]
Detroit Metal City Souichi Negishi/Johannes Krauser II Lead role
2009 Kamui Gaiden Kamui Lead role
Kaiji Makoto Sahara
Ultra Miracle Love Story Yojin Lead role
2010 Norwegian Wood Toru Watanabe Lead role
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac Yuji Miwa Lead role
2011 Gantz Masaru Kato Lead role
Gantz: Perfect Answer Masaru Kato Lead role
My Back Page Umeyama Lead role
Usagi Drop Daikichi Kawachi Lead role
2012 Train Brain Express Kei Komachi Lead role
2013 The Kiyosu Conference Hidemasa Hori
2014 Homeland Jirō Sawada Lead role
Climbing to Spring Tōru Nagamine Lead role
2015 Chasuke's Journey Chasuke Lead role
The Emperor in August Takeo Sasaki Special appearance
2016 Rage Tetsuya Tashiro
Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow Satoshi Murayama Lead role
Chin-yu-ki: The Journey to the West with Farts Tarō Yamada Lead role
Something Like, Something Like It Defunetei Shinden Lead role
Death Note: Light Up the New World L Cameo
2017 Sekigahara Naoe Kanetsugu
Yurigokoro Yōsuke
Despicable Me 3 Balthazar Bratt Voice; Japanese dub
2019 Miyamoto Kazuo Jinbo
Promare Galo Thymos Voice; Lead role
2020 Mio's Cookbook [6]
Hotel Royal Miyagawa [7]
2021 Brave: Gunjō Senki Oda Nobunaga [8]
Blue Urita Lead role [9]
2022 Noise Jun Tanabe Lead role [10]
Dreaming of the Meridian Arc Kinoshita / Matakichi [11]
Riverside Mukolitta Yamada Lead role [12]
2023 Do Unto Others Munenori Shiba Lead role [13]
We're Broke, My Lord! Matsudaira Shinjirō [14]

Television
Year Title Role Network Notes Ref.
2002 Gokusen Kenichi Mouri NTV
2003 Kids War 5 Yūta Kuroda TBS
2005 1 Litre of Tears Yuji Kawamoto Fuji TV
2006 Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi Tarō / Shingo Fuji TV
Sono 5 fun mae Yuka Takashi NHK Lead role
Death Note Gelus Voice; Episode: "Koigokoro"
2007 Sexy Voice and Robo Iichiro Sudo/Robo NTV Lead role
2008 Matsuda Spinoff L NTV
Detroit Metal City Makoto Hokazono Voice; Cameo
2009 Zeni Geba Gamagori Futaro NTV Lead role
2010 Japanese Americans Hiramatsu Jiro TBS
2012 Taira no Kiyomori Taira no Kiyomori NHK Lead role; Taiga drama [15]
2015 Dokonjo Gaeru Hiroshi NTV Lead role
Futagashira Benzō Wowow Lead role
2016 Death Note: New Generation L Hulu Cameo
2017 A Life Sōta Igawa TBS
2018 Residential Complex Daiki Igarashi Fuji TV
Miyamoto kara Kimi e Kazuo Jinbo TV Tokyo [16]
2019 Shiroi Kyotō Shuji Satomi TV Asahi Miniseries
Yuganda Hamon Mitazono NHK
2020 Komoribito Masao NHK Lead role; TV movie [17]
2021 Japan Sinks: People of Hope Koichi Tokiwa TBS [18][19]
2023 What Will You Do, Ieyasu? Honda Masanobu NHK Taiga drama [15]
Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times? Yuzuru Uozumi TBS [20]
2024 Tora ni Tsubasa Tōichirō Katsuraba NHK Asadora [21]

Awards
Year Award Category Nominated Work(s) Result Ref.
2006 31st Hochi Film Awards Best New Actor Death Note Won
2007 28th Yokohama Film Festival Best New Talent Won
30th Japan Academy Film Prize Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Best New Actor Won
31st Elan d'or Awards Newcomer of the Year Himself Won [22]
2008 2nd Asia Pacific Producer's Network Award Best Actor Death Note Won
2009 32nd Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actor Detroit Metal City Nominated
Most Popular Actor Won
Television Drama Academy Awards Best Actor Zeni Geba Won
2010 64th Mainichi Film Awards Best Actor Ultra Miracle Love story Won
24th Takasaki Film Festival Best Actor Won
2011 24th Nikkan Sports Film Awards Best Actor My Back Page, Norwegian Wood, Gantz, Usagi Drop Won
2017 71st Mainichi Film Awards Best Actor Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow Nominated
12th Osaka Cinema Festival Best Actor Won
40th Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actor Nominated
59th Blue Ribbon Awards Best Actor Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow, Chinyūki Won
2022 76th Mainichi Film Awards Best Actor Blue Nominated [23]
35th Nikkan Sports Film Awards Best Actor Riverside Mukolitta and Noise Nominated [24]

References
  1. The Mainichi Daily News, 20 April, 2011 Archived April 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Matsuyama Kenichi, Koyuki become parents". Tokyograph. 8 January 2012.
  3. "Japanese Actress Gives Birth in Korea". The Chisunilbo. Chosun.com. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  4. "松山ケンイチ＆小雪夫妻に第3子誕生 生放送で発表" (in Japanese). 10 July 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  5. "Sex is No Laughing Matter". JFDB. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  6. "みをつくし料理帖". eiga.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  7. "松山ケンイチ、安田顕ら17人が「ホテルローヤル」に出演、公開は11月13日". Natalie. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  8. "ブレイブ 群青戦記". eiga.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  9. "松山ケンイチ主演、木村文乃がヒロイン！ 吉田恵輔完全オリジナル『BLUE/ブルー』公開". Cinema Cafe. 8 December 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  10. "藤原竜也＆松山ケンイチW主演「ノイズ」映画化決定「デスノート」"名ライバル"が"殺人の共犯"に". Moel Press. 6 March 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  11. "中井貴一×松山ケンイチ×北川景子で立川志の輔の創作落語「伊能忠敬物語-大河への道-」を映画化！". eiga.com. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  12. "松山ケンイチ主演×ムロツヨシ共演、荻上直子監督最新作『川っぺりムコリッタ』来年公開". Crank-in!. 5 October 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  13. "松山ケンイチ＆長澤まさみ、初共演 映画『ロストケア』で"連続殺人犯"役と"検事"役". Crank-in!. 29 March 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  14. "大名倒産". eiga.com. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  15. "どうする家康:松山ケンイチ「平清盛」以来11年ぶり大河ドラマ "家臣団の嫌われ者"本多正信に". Mantan-web. 30 June 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  16. "Miyamoto kara Kimi e Live-Action Series Reveals Additional Cast". Anime News Network. 2018-03-25.
  17. "松山ケンイチ主演、引きこもり当事者たち描くドラマをNHKで放送". Natalie. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  18. "小栗旬で「日本沈没」ドラマ化 小松左京さんの名作SF、「未来への希望」テーマに2023年の日本舞台". sponichi.co.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  19. "小栗旬主演で「日本沈没」TBS日曜劇場でドラマ化 松山ケンイチ・杏らの出演も決定". mdpr.jp (in Japanese). 20 November 2020. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  20. "井上真央『花男2』以来"16年ぶり"TBS連ドラ主演 佐藤健&松山ケンイチと「ファンタジーラブストーリー」描く". Oricon. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  21. "松山ケンイチ＆小林薫、朝ドラ『虎に翼』出演決定 伊藤沙莉の"師匠"となる法曹界の人物に". Real Sound. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  22. "2007年 エランドール賞 受賞作品・受賞者". All Nippon Producers Association. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  23. "毎日映画コンクール 候補作が決定 「ドライブ・マイ・カー」最多10ノミネート". Sponichi. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  24. "日刊スポーツ映画大賞・石原裕次郎賞ノミネート発表 「PLAN75」が最多6部門". eiga.com. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
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