Takeshi Kaneshiro

Early life Kaneshiro was born and raised in Taipei to a Japanese businessman and a Taiwanese homemaker. He holds Japanese citizenship. Kaneshiro has two elder half-brothers: one who is seven years his senior, and another who is just one year older.

After graduating from Taipei Japanese Junior High School, he enrolled into Taipei American School. During his time at secondary school, Kaneshiro began working in television commercials, and he decided to leave school to pursue a full-time career in music and acting. Kaneshiro is fluent in Mandarin, Hokkien, Japanese and conversational in Cantonese and English.

Name is a common Okinawan surname, albeit with an unusual pronunciation, as the usual reading is Kinjō, while the traditional Okinawan pronunciation is Kanagusuku or Kanegusuku. His given name is . He appears as in Japanese media.

Since personal names are commonly written in Chinese characters in both Chinese and Japanese naming conventions, following the Eastern name order, and in this particular case the name, in its written form, appears native in both Japanese and Chinese, giving Kaneshiro the freedom to associate himself as a Japanese or Chinese when working in China by preserving or removing the space between his surname and given name.

Career

1992 to 1999: Early years and career breakthrough In 1992, Kaneshiro made his singing debut with the nickname "Aniki", meaning 'older brother' in Japanese. His debut album was Heartbreaking Night (1992). Contracted to EMI, he wrote many of his own Mandarin and Cantonese songs. The following year, his popularity propelled him into acting. He no longer produces any commercial music, although certain notable roles, such as those in Peter Chan’s Perhaps Love (2005) and See You Tomorrow (2016) have required him to sing onscreen.

Kaneshiro made his film debut in Executioners (1993) and this was followed by Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express (1994), Fallen Angels (1995) and a string of other Hong Kong films, such as Lost and Found (1996), and Anna Magdalena (1998). It was through his collaboration with the auteur director Wong Kar Wai in Chungking Express that Kaneshiro first developed what would become his onscreen signature, namely quirky, character-driven performances that often played against type and ran counter to his idol image. Later, Kaneshiro starred in the Japanese Drama God, Please Give Me More Time (1998), allowing him to branch into Japanese films such as Returner (2002), as well as K-20: Legend of the Mask (2009) and Accuracy of Death (also titled Sweet Rain), (2010).

2000 to 2010: Mainstream success

Kaneshiro’s work, however, is more heavily concentrated in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In 2005, he sang his way through Perhaps Love, the first modern musical to be produced in China. It was the first of many collaborations with Hong Kong-based director Peter Chan. In 2008 and 2009 he starred in Red Cliff, a high budget film by Hong Kong director John Woo. He has also played the romantic lead in Zhang Yimou's House of Flying Daggers, and starred alongside Jet Li and Andy Lau in The Warlords. He expressed excitement when he received the news that he would have an opportunity to work with Director Zhang Yimou.

Kaneshiro has become well known in the video game industry portraying the samurai warrior Samanosuke in Capcom's Onimusha. In a June 2007 article on the film site Ain't It Cool News, it was revealed that Kaneshiro was going to be in the Onimusha film, reprising his role as Samanosuke and for a 2011 release, but that project was derailed. The producer Samuel Hadida had to delay the filming of Onimusha, which has resulted in the film's Japanese cast working on other film projects during the delay, and being unavailable to start filming. These factors were enough that French director Christophe Gans will now direct an adaptation of Leo Perutz's novel The Swedish Cavalier first, taking over the reins from Gilles Mimouni. Satomi Ishihara and Tsuyoshi Ihara remain attached to the project.

In 2003, Kaneshiro was featured in Time magazine and was dubbed the Johnny Depp of the East Asian film industry.

2011 to present: Selective films In 2011, Kaneshiro appeared in the historical martial arts thriller Dragon, directed by Peter Chan. The film premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight Screenings category.

In 2017, Kaneshiro won the Best Leading Actor at the Golden Screen Awards for his role in the romantic comedy This Is Not What I Expected, directed by Derek Hui and produced by Peter Chan.

Kaneshiro became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2018. In that same year, he completed filming for Juno Mak's Sons of the Neon Night, with an ensemble cast that includes Tony Leung Ka Fai, Louis Koo, and Sean Lau. The film was shelved until its release in 2025.

Personal life Kaneshiro is a practicing Buddhist, having converted in 1997, and has said his mother is also a devout Buddhist. Throughout his career, Kaneshiro has been given titles such as "heartthrob" and "dream guy", but he has maintained a steady sense of humility. Kaneshiro is also known for trying to avoid the media spotlight. He has been quoted as saying:

Filmography Film Year English title Original title Role Notes/ 1993 Executioners 現代豪俠傳 Chong Hon 1994 Mermaid Got Married 人魚傳說 Kenji The Wrath of Silence 沉默的姑娘 Dr. Patrick Ko Chungking Express 重慶森林 Ho Chi-wu, Cop 223 No, Sir! 報告班長3 Chin Tieh-sheng 1995 Don't Give a Damn 冇面俾 / 摩登笑探 Tang Chuen-shek Young Policemen in Love 新紮師兄追女仔 / 逃學戰警 Chin Ying-chun Fallen Angels 墮落天使 He Zhiwu China Dragon 中國龍 Tom Hao School Days 學校霸王 / 校園敢死隊 Eagle Trouble Maker 蠟筆小小生 / 臭屁王 A Miu 1996 The Feeling of Love 重慶愛情感覺 / 泡妞專家 Hing Lost and Found 天涯海角 Worm Forever Friends 四個不平凡的少年 / 號角響起 Li Ta-weiDr. Wai in "The Scripture with No Words" 冒險王 ShingFirst Love: The Litter on the Breeze 初纏戀后的二人世界 Lin Chia-tung 1997 Downtown Torpedoes 神偷諜影 JackalHero 馬永貞 Ma Wing-chingThe Odd One Dies 兩個只能活一個 MoIsland of Fire 2 火燒島之橫行霸道 Yang Chung Misty Takehiro 1998 Too Tired to Die Kenji Fuyajo 不夜城 Kenichi Ryuu Also titled Sleepless Town Anna Magdalena 安娜瑪德蓮娜 Chan Kar-fu1999 Tempting Heart 心動 Lin Ho-junTarzan Tarzan Voice for Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese versions 2000 Lavender 薰衣草 AngelSpace Travelers スペーストラベラーズ Nishiyama 2002 Returner リターナー Miyamoto 2003 Turn Left, Turn Right 向左走．向右走 John Liu 2004 House of Flying Daggers 十面埋伏 JinTitled Lovers for the Japanese release 2005 Perhaps Love 如果愛 Lin Jian-dong / Zhang Yang Titled Winter Song for the Japanese release 2006 Confession of Pain 傷城 Yau Kin-bong 2007 The Warlords 投名狀 Jiang Wuyang2008 Accuracy of Death 死神の精度ChibaK-20: Legend of the Mask K-20 怪人二十面相・伝 Heikichi Endo Red Cliff Part I 赤壁 Zhuge Liang 2009 Red Cliff Part II 赤壁:決戰天下 2011 Dragon 武俠 Xu Bai-jiu 2014 The Crossing 太平輪：亂世浮生 Yan Zekun 2015 The Crossing 2 太平輪：驚濤摯愛 2016 See You Tomorrow 擺渡人 Guan Chun 2017This Is Not What I Expected 喜歡你 Lu Jin 2025 Sons of the Neon Night 風林火山 Moreton Li

Television Year English title Original title Role Notes/ 1991 Grass Scholar草地狀元 Chen Nai-chien 1995 Colour Of Amour富士彩色顯人生 1995 The Miracle on a Christmas Night 聖夜の奇跡 Mr. Bell 1998 God, Please Give Me More Time 神様、もう少しだけ Keigo Ishikawa 2000 Love 2000 二千年の恋 The Assassin / Yurij Maroev 2002 Golden Bowl ゴールデンボウル Shu Akutagawa

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2001 Onimusha: Warlords Samanosuke Akechi Voice, Japanese version 2004 Onimusha 3: Demon Siege Samanosuke Akechi Voice, Japanese version 2018 Onimusha: Warlords Samanosuke Akechi Voice, Japanese version / Guest creator

Discography

Studio albums Title Album details Track listing Heartbreaking Nights (分手的夜裡)Released: September 1992 Language: Mandarin Just You And Me (只要你和我)Released: June 1993 Language: Mandarin Tender Superman (溫柔超人)Released: February 1994 Language: Mandarin Ideal Lover (標準情人)Released: December 1994 Language: Mandarin Missed Date (失約)Released: December 1994 Language: Cantonese Dear My Beloved (給我心愛的人)Released: June 1995 Language: Cantonese Secretly Drunk (偷偷的醉)Released: October 1995 Language: Mandarin No Matter How Hard (多苦都願意)Released: October 1996 Language: Mandarin

Compilation albums Title Album details Track listing Best Collection: Takeshi Kaneshiro's Best Songs(金城武的精選歌集)Released: June 1998 Language: Mandarin

Soundtrack appearances Title Year Album "Who Are You?" (忘了我是誰)(with Zhou Xun) 2005 Perhaps Love OST "A Beautiful Story" (美麗故事)(with Ji Jin-hee) "Crossroad" (十字街頭)(with Zhou Xun) "What If" (假如)

Awards and nominations Takeshi Kaneshiro is one of 10 recipients of the 2010 Green Planet Film Award for Ten Best International Actors of the Decade (Asia).

Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1995 1st Golden Bauhinia Awards Best Actor Fallen Angels 1998 18th The Television Drama Academy Award Best Actor God, Please Give Me More Time 2002 33rd The Television Drama Academy Award Best Actor Golden Bowl 2006 43rd Golden Horse Awards Best Original Film Song Perhaps Love(as performer of song "Crossroad") 7th Changchun Film Festival Best Actor Perhaps Love 2017 54th Golden Horse Awards Best Actor See You Tomorrow 2nd Golden Screen Awards Best Actor This Is Not What I Expected