Biography
Masahiro Motoki is a Japanese actor. Born on 21 December 1965 in Okegawa, Saitama, he began his career in the 1980s as a member of the boy band Shibugakitai before transitioning to acting.
He is known for his leading role as Daigo Kobayashi in Departures (2008), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. His performance earned Best Actor awards at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the Asian Film Awards and the Japan Academy Prize. Other notable film roles include Hiromasa Kimoto in Shall We Dance? (1996), Wada in The Bird People in China (1998) and Yukio Daitokuji in Gemini (1999).
Motoki has also appeared in the British series Giri/Haji (2019) as Fukuhara, and in several Japanese television dramas including Clouds Over the Hill (2009–11).
