Rio Asumi

is a Japanese actress and former leading otokoyaku (男役, "male role") of Takarazuka Revue.

Biography Asumi Rio was born on June 26, 1985, in Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan. Asumi participated in many sports and arts growing up. She did swimming from the age of 1 until she was in elementary school, as well as ballet from the age of 3, and piano and calligraphy from the age of 4.

She entered a private middle school, where in her third year a ballet friend of hers lent her a video of a performance by the Moon Troupe of Takarazuka Revue. After watching it, she became obsessed with Takarazuka and begged her parents to let her take the entry exam for the Takarazuka Music School. Her parents initially wouldn't allow her to attempt the exam. She later locked herself in her room for 3 days and 3 nights, crying until she started running a fever. Eventually, her parents let her take the exam, and she passed on the first try.

In January and February 2021, Asumi Rio reprised her role as Edgar Portsnell in a new staging of The Poe Clan. Asumi also was announced as the lead for the musical Mademoiselle Mozart in October 2021. She also made several TV appearances in 2021, including, Ao no SP, Konto ga Hajimaru, and was a Friday host for the month of June on the morning TV show ZIP!. In this same year, she also had an 8 episode hulu special called Asumi Rio's Atelier, where life-style topics such as cooking and interior decorating were explored by Asumi. In late November and early December 2021, Asumi hosted her first concert titled Asumic Lab.

In 2022, Asumi made a guest appearance on episodes 6 and 7 in the drama DCU. It was also announced that she would play Sarah Brown in the Toho production of the hit musical Guys & Dolls from June to July 2022. She also began a renewed season of her Hulu original show Asumi Rio's Atelier in November 2022, for 8 episodes.

Filmography

TV drama

Japanese dub

Musical works

Notable Takarazuka roles

Flower Troupe

Sengoku Basara – Uesugi Kenshn The Love of the Last Tycoon – Pat Brady

As top star The Rose of Versailles – Fersen Elisabeth (2014) – Death Ernest in Love – Ernest (Jack Worthing) Me and My Girl (2016) – Bill Snibson Romanesque Mask – Victome de Valmont The Poe Clan – Edgar Portsnell

Moon Troupe = Switch casts Romeo & Juliette – Romeo, Tybalt* The Rose of Versailles – Oscar, Andre* Spring Snow – Matsugae Kiyokai The Scarlet Pimpernel – Chauvelin, Armand St. Just* Elisabeth (2009) – Stephan, Rudolf* Me and My Girl (2008) – Jaqueline Carstone

Newcomer performances

Elisabeth (2009) – Death Me and My Girl (2009) – Bill Snibson

Post-Takarazuka roles

The Poe Clan (2021) – Edgar Portsnell Mademoiselle Mozart (2021) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Eliza) Guys & Dolls (2022) – Sarah Brown War Paint (2023) – Elizabeth Arden 9 to 5 (2024) – Violet Newstead Musical Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū (2025) – Miyokichi