Shinobu Sakagami

Sakagami was influenced to join the theatre group Gekidan Wakakusa at the age of three due to the death of his grandmother.[1] He was enrolled by his parents in hopes of making friends,[2] but instead flourished in acting and quickly rose to prominence in the industry.

At the age of four, Sakagami starred in several television dramas and variety programs, and was called a "child prodigy" with his natural acting skills.[3] He continued acting as his main career path into his teens, when Sakagami's father went into bankruptcy and accumulating a large sum of debt from his addiction to gambling. Sakagami's parents divorced when he was 15, and he continued his acting career, with most of his earnings sent to pay off the family's debt.[4] Due to his career in the entertainment world, he had difficulties keeping up with studies. Despite successfully enrolling into high school,[5] Sakagami got into a fight on the first day of school and voluntarily expelled himself from school.[6]

Sakagami's acting career came to a bottleneck in his teenage years as he was remembered mainly for his acting as a child.[7] He began activities as a musician but found relatively little success.[8] It was in 1988 that his career turned upwards with his role in the yakuza film Crazy Boys, propelling him into success once again.[9]

In 1995, Sakagami was involved in a car crash into a utility pole when driving under the influence.[10]

In 2012, Sakagami's performance on various variety shows garnered him popularity and success as a tarento.[10][11] From then on, he became a prevalent figure and television personality in the entertainment industry, with hundreds of program appearances per year. He transitioned as a television presenter and MC, and is a regular on several ongoing variety programs.

• Avance – Sakagami's agency