---
name: "Tadanobu Asano"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/tadanobu-asano"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "27 November 1973"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 66
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-19T12:05:21.285519+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Tadanobu Asano

Actor. Born 27 November 1973 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 27 November 1973, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- **Active:** 2011–2017
- **Also known as:** Tadanobu Satô , あさの ただのぶ, Tadanobu Sato, Mach 1.67, Asano Tadanobu, 浅野 忠信, تادانوبو آسانو, تادانوبو ساتو, تادانوبو أسانو
- **Average Fi1m score:** 66, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 66 to 68 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Action 3, Adventure 3, Fantasy 2, Comedy 1, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,949m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadanobu_Asano, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q379824, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0038355/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13275

## Coming up

- *All the Lovers in the Night* (2026-12-11), as Mitsutsuka

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Thor*](https://film.one/film/thor.md) (66), [*Thor: The Dark World*](https://film.one/film/thor-the-dark-world.md) (58)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Tadanobu Asano

> Tadanobu Asano does most of his acting before he speaks: a grunt, a look, a way of standing, and the character is already there. Japanese cinema has used that for three decades. Hollywood, on our evidence, has mostly asked him to stand at the back.

Watch what Asano does when the script gives him nothing to say. Most actors wait. He works: a grunt, a shift of weight, a look held a beat longer than is comfortable, and the character has arrived before the dialogue does. It is the thing critics notice about him most often, along with a punk edge that never quite leaves him, and it is why he is so often handed the intense man, the odd man, the one whose morals you cannot settle. He put it well himself: “In any story, there’s going to be a problem. And I think it’s fun to be the problem.”

The career splits in two. He started at sixteen in the television series *Kinpachi Sensei*, on his father's suggestion, made his film debut in *Swimming Upstream* (1990), and spent the 1990s in Japanese independent cinema, where the directors who mattered kept finding him. Hirokazu Kore-eda cast him as Ikuo in *Maborosi* (1995), Takashi Miike as Kakihara in *Ichi the Killer* (2001), Takeshi Kitano as Hattori Genosuke in *Zatoichi* (2003). Three directors who could hardly be less alike, and each gave him the part with the edge on it. *Mongol* (2007), with Asano as Temujin, the young Genghis Khan, made him an international lead. Then Hollywood called, and it called with *Thor* (2011).

Hollywood gave him Hogun, and kept giving him Hogun. We have reviewed *Thor: The Dark World* (2013) and scored it 58, and the honest thing to report is that Asano barely appears in our notes on it. That is not his failing. The film has Loki in a glass box and a Malekith with nothing behind the eyes, and our review spends its time on those two, because that is where the film spends its time. We came out able to describe what Hiddleston did and unable to say what Asano had been asked to do at all, and we were faintly cross on his behalf. The complaint that his Hollywood work has wasted him is one we cannot argue with.

*Shōgun* (2024), in which he plays Kashigi Yabushige, has brought him abroad the sort of attention his Japanese films earned at home, and the part is the kind he has always done best: the man in the ensemble whose loyalties will not stay fixed. We have not reviewed it and will not judge it here. What we will say is that anyone who knows Asano only as a face in a Marvel line-up has seen the least of him. Go back to the Kore-eda or the Kitano and watch what he does with silence.

## Biography

Tadanobu Asano, born Tadanobu Satō, is a Japanese actor, director and musician. He began acting at the age of 16 in the television series *Kinpachi Sensei* and made his film debut in *Swimming Upstream* (1990). His early work in Japanese cinema includes roles in *Maborosi* (1995), *Gohatto* (1999), *Ichi the Killer* (2001) and *Zatoichi* (2003).

Asano has appeared in international productions, playing Hogun in *Thor* (2011), *Thor: The Dark World* (2013) and *Thor: Ragnarok* (2017). Other credits include *47 Ronin* (2013), *Silence* (2016), *Battleship* (2012), *Mortal Kombat* (2021) and the series *Shōgun* (2024), in which he portrayed Kashigi Yabushige. He has received awards including a Golden Globe for his performance in *Shōgun* and the Upstream Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Asano is also a musician and has directed short films. He was previously married to singer Chara.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, goldenglobes.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Thor: Ragnarok* (2017), Fi1m 74, as Hogun — [page](https://film.one/film/thor-ragnarok.md)
- *Thor: The Dark World* (2013), Fi1m 58, as Hogun — [page](https://film.one/film/thor-the-dark-world.md)
- *Thor* (2011), Fi1m 66, as Hogun — [page](https://film.one/film/thor.md)

## Complete filmography (145)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *All the Lovers in the Night* (2026), as Mitsutsuka
- *Morte Cucina* (2026), as Artist
- *Mortal Kombat II* (2026), as Lord Raiden
- *Ravens* (2025), as Masahisa Fukase
- *Otoko to Tori* (2024), Director, Writer
- *Broken Rage* (2024), as Detective Inoue
- *The Box Man* (2024), as Fake Doctor
- *Kanasando* (2024), Actor
- *The Women in the Lakes* (2024), Actor
- *Shōgun* (2024), series, as Kashigi Yabushige
- *Kubi* (2023), as Kuroda Kanbei
- *We're Broke, My Lord!* (2023), as Heihachiro Isogai
- *Mugonkan* (2022), as Kuboshima Seiichiro
- *Kate* (2021), as Renji
- *Mortal Kombat* (2021), as Lord Raiden
- *Detective Chinatown 3* (2021), as Tanaka Naoki
- *Independence of Japan* (2020), Actor
- *Labyrinth of Cinema* (2020), as Sako
- *Minamata* (2020), as Tatsuo Matsumura
- *Followers* (2020), series, as Tamio Mochizuki
- *Midway* (2019), as Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi
- *Wolf's Calling* (2019), as Samurai
- *They Say Nothing Stays the Same* (2019), as Regular customer
- *Chiwawa-chan* (2019), as Sakata
- *KASANE –Beauty and Fate–* (2018), as Kingo Habuta
- *Punk Samurai Slash Down* (2018), as Hanro Chayama
- *The Bastard and the Beautiful World* (2018), as Daimon (Mad Dog) (segment: Don't Shoot the Pianist!)
- *The Outsider* (2018), as Kiyoshi
- *The Brand New Legend of the Stardust Brothers* (2018), as Christ
- *Detective Yugami* (2017), series, as Yukimasa Yugami
- *Thor: Ragnarok* (2017), as Hogun — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/thor-ragnarok.md)
- *Dear Etranger* (2017), as Makoto Tanaka
- *Shinjuku Swan II* (2017), as Masaki Taki
- *A Life: A Love* (2017), series, as Danjo Masao
- *Silence* (2016), as Interpreter
- *The Wasted Times* (2016), as Watabe
- *Harmonium* (2016), as Sotaro Yasaka
- *fuji_jukai.mov* (2016), as Doctor (Village of Reincarnation)
- *Nagasaki: Memories of My Son* (2015), Actor
- *Grasshopper* (2015), as Kujira
- *Journey to the Shore* (2015), as Yusuke
- *Parasyte: Part 2* (2015), as Goto
- *Parasyte: Part 1* (2014), as Goto
- *Ruined Heart: Another Lovestory Between a Criminal & a Whore* (2014), as The Criminal
- *Lupin the 3rd* (2014), as Koichi Zenigata
- *My Man* (2014), as Jungo Kusarino
- *The Long Goodbye* (2014), series, as Banji Masuzawa
- *Kiki's Delivery Service* (2014), as Dr. Ishi
- *47 Ronin* (2013), as Lord Kira
- *The Kiyosu Conference* (2013), as Toshiie Maeda
- *Thor: The Dark World* (2013), as Hogun — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/thor-the-dark-world.md)
- *Children Who Won’t Die* (2013), as Narrator (voice)
- *Fly with the Gold* (2012), as Kitagawa
- *The Terminal Trust* (2012), as Noriyuki Takai
- *Dearest* (2012), as Policeman
- *Battleship* (2012), as Captain Yugi Nagata
- *Tales of the Bizarre: 2011 Fall Special* (2011), Actor
- *A Flawless Concierge* (2011), as The Artist
- *A Ghost of a Chance* (2011), as Kenichi Kido
- *That's the Way!* (2011), as Fujio Akatsuka
- *Thor* (2011), as Hogun — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/thor.md)
- *Moonlight Mask* (2011), as Taro Okamoto
- *Wandering Home* (2010), as Yasuyuki Tsukahara
- *Vengeance Can Wait* (2010), as Hidenori Yamane
- *42 One Dream Rush* (2010), Director
- *Snow Prince* (2009), Actor
- *Photographing Mt. Tsurugi: 873 days of fierce fighting at an altitude of 3,000 meters* (2009), Actor
- *SOUL RED Yusaku Matsuda* (2009), Actor
- *Villon's Wife* (2009), as Otani
- *Eatrip* (2009), Actor
- *Redline* (2009), as Frisbee (voice)
- *The Summit: A Chronicle Of Stones to Serenity* (2009), as Shibasaki
- *Dumbeast* (2009), as Dekogawa
- *Dreaming Awake* (2008), Actor
- *R246 STORY* (2008), Director
- *Buyusenki Battle Chronicle* (2008), Actor
- *Kabei: Our Mother* (2008), as Yamazaki Toru
- *Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan* (2007), as Genghis Khan / Temüjin
- *Sad Vacation* (2007), as Kenji Shiraishi
- *The Capricious Robot* (2007), as Mr. N
- *Hana* (2006), as Jubei Kanazawa
- *Invisible Waves* (2006), as Kyoji
- *Tokyo Zombie* (2005), as Fujio
- *SORANO* (2005), Actor
- *Funky Forest: The First Contact* (2005), as Masaru Tanaka
- *Portrait of the Wind* (2005), Actor
- *Takeshis'* (2005), Actor
- *The Buried Forest* (2005), as San-chan
- *My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?* (2005), as Mizui
- *Rampo Noir* (2005), as Man / Kogoro Akechi / Masaki / Fuyo's Lover
- *Vital* (2004), as Hiroshi Takagi
- *Survive Style 5+* (2004), as Aman
- *Café Lumière* (2004), as Hajime Takeuchi
- *The Thirsty Flower: Four by Four Equals One* (2004), as (voice)
- *The Face of Jizo* (2004), as Mr. Kinoshita
- *The Taste of Tea* (2004), as Ayano Haruno
- *Tori* (2004), Director
- *Soul Dancing* (2004), Actor
- *Dead End Run* (2003), Actor
- *Zatoichi* (2003), as Hattori Genosuke
- *Last Life in the Universe* (2003), as Kenji
- *My Grandpa* (2003), as S. Nakatoh
- *1-Ichi* (2003), Original Music Composer
- *Bright Future* (2003), as Mamoru Arita
- *Iden & Tity* (2003), Actor
- *Woman of Water* (2002), as Yusaku Miyazawa
- *The Private Detective Mike* (2002), series, Actor
- *Ichi the Killer* (2001), as Kakihara
- *Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle* (2001), as Shanao
- *Distance* (2001), as Sakata
- *Electric Dragon 80000V* (2001), as Dragon Eye Morrison
- *Kaza-hana* (2001), as Renji Sawashiro
- *Party 7* (2000), as Okita Souji
- *Taboo* (1999), as Hyozo Tashiro
- *One Step on a Mine, It's All Over* (1999), as Taizo Ichinose
- *Hakuchi: The Innocent* (1999), as Isawa
- *Gemini* (1999), as Revenger with Sword
- *Away with Words* (1999), as Asano Takashi
- *Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl* (1999), as Kuroo Samehada
- *Document Love & Pop* (1998), Actor
- *Falling into the Evening* (1998), Actor
- *Screwed* (1998), as Tsube
- *Typhoon Shelter* (1998), Actor
- *Love & Pop* (1998), as Captain XX
- *Motorola* (1998), Actor
- *Tokyo Fair Weather* (1997), Actor
- *Labyrinth of Dreams* (1997), as Tatsuo Niitaka
- *wkw/tk/1996@7'55''hk.net* (1996), as Man
- *Focus* (1996), as Kanemura
- *Swallowtail Butterfly* (1996), as Customer in the Club
- *ACRI: The Legend of Homo-Aquarellius* (1996), as Hisoka
- *Helpless* (1996), as Kenji Shiraishi
- *Picnic* (1996), as Tsumuji
- *Maborosi* (1995), as Ikuo
- *Story of Four Sisters* (1995), Actor
- *119* (1994), as Satoshi Matsushita
- *The City That Never Sleeps: Shinjuku Shark* (1993), as Koichi Sunagami
- *Fried Dragon Fish* (1993), as Natsuro
- *The Rocking Horsemen* (1992), as Seiichi Shirai
- *Waiting for the Flood* (1991), as Sadahito Iwata
- *Hole in the Pants 5: I Found a Glittering Star!* (1990), Actor
- *Swimming Upstream* (1990), as Ushi
- *Pseudo Idealist*, Actor
- *Mortal Kombat III*, as Raiden (Rumoured)
- *Funky Forest: The Second Contact*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Tadanobu Asano](https://film.one/media/person/1072790/gallery-185cef9f4fdf.jpg) Tadanobu Asano — Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Asano_Tadanobu_from_%22Ravens%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2024_%2854577962659%29.jpg/1280px-Asano_Tadanobu_from_%22Ravens%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2024_%2854577962659%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![第37回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 浅野忠信 (レイブンズ) (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/1072790/gallery-03239cf5abe0.jpg) 第37回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 浅野忠信 (レイブンズ) (2024) — Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Asano_Tadanobu_from_%22Ravens%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2024_%2854576916842%29.jpg/1280px-Asano_Tadanobu_from_%22Ravens%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2024_%2854576916842%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano (playing off a mini yamaha qy100 palm top midi sequencer that was making sounds? and controlling a korg electribe esx-1 with bonus (2007)](https://film.one/media/person/1072790/gallery-a56379358331.jpg) Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano (playing off a mini yamaha qy100 palm top midi sequencer that was making sounds? and controlling a korg electribe esx-1 with bonus (2007) — Dr.Rek, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Tadanobu.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden in the “Mortal Kombat II” trailer. (2025)](https://film.one/media/person/1072790/gallery-866234f4a63c.png) Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden in the “Mortal Kombat II” trailer. (2025) — Mortal Kombat, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Raiden_as_depicted_in_Mortal_Kombat_II_%282026_film%29.png/1280px-Raiden_as_depicted_in_Mortal_Kombat_II_%282026_film%29.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Tadanobu Asano](https://film.one/media/person/1072790/gallery-9a340ffe2876.jpg) Tadanobu Asano — Image via TMDB
- ![Tadanobu Asano](https://film.one/media/person/1072790/gallery-26363151ba42.jpg) Tadanobu Asano — Image via TMDB
- ![Tadanobu Asano](https://film.one/media/person/1072790/gallery-caaeec97b06b.jpg) Tadanobu Asano — Image via TMDB
- ![Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden in the “Mortal Kombat II” trailer. (2025)](https://film.one/media/person/1072790/gallery-52095378b06c.png) Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden in the “Mortal Kombat II” trailer. (2025) — Mortal Kombat, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Raiden_as_depicted_in_Mortal_Kombat_II_%282026_film%29_%28cropped%29.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![第37回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 浅野忠信 (レイブンズ) (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/1072790/gallery-2c582b42254b.jpg) 第37回 東京国際映画祭 オープニングイベント レッドカーペット 浅野忠信 (レイブンズ) (2024) — Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Asano_Tadanobu_from_%22Ravens%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2024_%2854577962679%29.jpg/1280px-Asano_Tadanobu_from_%22Ravens%22_at_Red_Carpet_of_the_Tokyo_International_Film_Festival_2024_%2854577962679%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 4 won, 2 nominated

- Asian Film Award for Best Actor 2017: Asian Film Award for Best Actor (won)
- Asian Film Award for Best Supporting Actor 2016: Asian Film Award for Best Supporting Actor (won), for *Journey to the Shore*
- Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor 2015: Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor (won)
- Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 2010: Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (nominated), for *Mt. Tsurugidake*
- Asian Film Award for Best Actor 2009: Asian Film Award for Best Actor (nominated), for *Villon's Wife*
- Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year 1998: Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/tadanobu-asano