Nakamura Shichinosuke II
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| Nakamura Shichinosuke II 二代目中村七之助 |
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 Nakamura Shichinosuke II, Dec. 2003. |
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| Birth name | Takayuki Namino[1] |
| Born | May 18, 1983 Tokyo, Japan |
| Other name(s) | Nakamuraya |
| Notable roles | Emperor Meiji in film The Last Samurai |
Nakamura Shichinosuke II, (二代目中村七之助)(b. May 18, 1983) is a Japanese Kabuki, theatre, TV, and film actor. He was born Takayuki Namino[1], the second son of famed Kabuki performer, Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII.
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[edit] Name and Lineage
Nakamura, often represented as "Shichinosuke Nakamura" in reference to his American film career, is a member of the kabuki guild Nakamura-ya. His brother Nakamura Kantarō II and father currently perform kabuki, and his family can trace their lineage back, within the kabuki world, at least seven generations, to Onoe Kikugorō III and Ichimura Uzaemon XI, who performed in the early 19th century. As is the case with the names of all kabuki actors, "Nakamura Shichinosuke" is a yagō or stage name.
[edit] Life and Career
In September 1986 he made his first appearance on stage at the Kabuki-za. Within a few years he was described as "one of the 21st Century's most promising young Kabuki Actors". He has performed Kabuki in numerous international theaters, often alongside his father and brother. In 1994, he performed in the modern play Sukapan. He has also appeared in such NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) TV drama series as Takeda Shingen (a dramatization of Shingen's life), and Genroku Ryoran.
Nakamura graduated from high school in March 2002 and the following year he played the role of Emperor Meiji in Edward Zwick's movie The Last Samurai. The Last Samurai marks his film debut. In 2004 he appeared in the film version of Wataya Risa's novel Insutooru, and in 2005, he played an Edo period recovering drug addict in the absurdly comical film Mayonaka no Yaji-san Kita-san, based on a comic book. He is one of the most visible personalities in Japan and is something of a "teeny-bopper" heartthrob for millions of Japanese girls.
Nakamura was arrested in January 2005 in Tokyo's Bunkyō-ku for punching a police officer after a taxi driver claimed he did not pay his fare.[1] This may have been the first arrest of a kabuki actor since Ichikawa Gonjūrō was accused of being involved in a murder in 1871. As a result of this event, and the scandal surrounding it, Nakamura was not allowed to participate in the celebrations of his father's shūmei (naming ceremony) in March that same year.
[edit] Filmography
- Mayonaka no Yaji-san Kita-san, as Kitahachi (2005)
- Insutooru, as Kouichi (2004)
- The Last Samurai, as Emperor Meiji (2003)
[edit] Note
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- ^ a b While the stage names of all kabuki actors have retained traditional order (Surname-Givenname) on Wikipedia, birth names of those born after the Meiji Restoration are in Western order (Givenname-Surname).
