Rie Miyazawa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born: | April 6, 1973 Tokyo, Japan |
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Occupation: | actress, model, singer |
Website: | http://www.geocities.jp/miyazawasite/, http://www.geocities.com/riemiyazawa0406/ |
Rie Miyazawa (Miyazawa Rie, 宮沢りえ, born April 6, 1973) is a Japanese actress and singer.
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[edit] Life and career
Rie Miyazawa was born in Tokyo, Japan and raised by her mother, as her Dutch father left when she was an infant. Since her debut at age eleven in an advertisement for Kit Kat, she has many films, television shows, commercials, stage appearances and photo books to her credit. She starred in the children's comedy Bokura no Nanokakan Senso (AKA Seven Days' War) and Tokyo Elevator Girl. Rie made her J-pop debut on 15 September 1989.
She gained notoriety in 1991 with the publication of a nude photo book, Santa Fe, and even more publicity in 1992 by her engagement to sumo star Takanohana. The engagement was called off in 1993. Following the split, Rie seemed to be on a downward spiral to self-destruction. In September of 1994 she cut her wrists with a broken glass in what was described as an "accident". The tabloids focused on Rie's drinking session, fights with her mother and her escape to a nearby hotel as signs of a failed suicide attempt. Rie, however, seemed to pull herself back from the brink, putting in a commendable performance in Ichikawa Kon's movie Chushingura that year. But the following February she pulled out of the drama Kura and in November backed out of the musical Kyote. Pictures of her looking decidedly gaunt began to circulate and there was speculation about whether she had developed an eating disorder.
In early 1996 Rie fled to Los Angeles to begin her recovery from anorexia. But by May she was back on TV reporting from the Cannes Film Festival and later that year she appeared in two TV dramas, Hanayome Kaizoebito and Kyosokyoku. Kyosokyoku turned out to be a great success and it seemed as if Rie's magic touch was back. In 1997 she made Mikeneko Homes (tasogare) Hoteru, and also appeared on stage. Now with a major role in 1999's NHK taiga drama, Rie has forced all those who wrote her off a couple of years back to amend the ends of their commentaries. Having proven everyone wrong, Rie definitely does not seem ready to give up the limelight—not just yet.
In 2001, Rie won the Best Actress Award at the Moscow International Film Festival by portraying a Chinese Kunqu performer in the Hong Kong movie Peony Pavilion, directed by Yonfan.
Then in 2002, she starred alongside Sanada Hiroyuki in Tasogare Seibei (The Twilight Samurai), the year's hit movie that took a raft of awards at home, including ones for the lead actors, and was even nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film. It was the first samurai movie by director Yamada Yoji, better known for his Tora-san series. 2004's Tony Takitani—a rare adaptation of a short story by bestselling author Murakami Haruki—received critical acclaim, with Rie playing two roles alongside Ogata Issey. The film, which was entered at the Sundance Film Festival, has been described as a "a perfectly controlled minimalist film masterpiece."
She seems to be over her anorexia, though she is still a slight figure, and she seems to wear the trials and tribulations of her topsy-turvy life on her mature but beautiful face. Perhaps it is these experiences that have elevated her above the often trivial nature of the Japanese entertainment world to become an actress with real soul.
[edit] Filmography
- Seven Days' War (1988)
- Docchini suruno (1989)
- Basara - The Princess Goh (1992)
- Erotic Liaisons (1992)
- Kin chan no Cinema Jack II : Light of Firefly (1994)
- 47 Ronin (1994)
- Tenshu monogatari (1995)
- The Cabbie (2000)
- Peony Pavilion (2001)
- Free and Easy 12: Big Holiday Bonus Project (2001)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002) - Voice
- Utsutsu (2002)
- The Twilight Samurai (2002)
- The Face of Jizo (2004)
- Tony Takitani (2004)
- Ashurajo no hitomi (2005)
- The Book of the Dead (2005) - Voice
- Hana (2006)
- Invitation from the theatre "Orion" (2007)
[edit] Stage
- Gypsy (1991)
- Kaijin Bessou (1994)
- Tenshu monogatari (1994, 1996)
- Furu-amerika ni Sode wa Nurasaji (1994)
- Tezuka's Ancestor Dr. Ryoan (1998)
- Rainbow Parakeet (2000)
- The Tale of Genji (2000)
- The Kiss of an Invisible Man (2004)
- Rope (2006-07)
[edit] Awards
- Rope
- The 41st Kinokuniya Stage Award - Individual Award
- Art Encouragement Prize for 2004 - from Agency for Cultural Affairs
- The Face of Jizo
- Blue Ribbon Award - Best Actress
- Kinema Junpo Awards - Best Actress
- Yamaji Fumiko Award - Best Actress
- The Kiss of an Invisible Man
- Yomiuri Theater Award - Best Actress
- Twilight Samurai
- Japan Academy Award - Best Actress
- Blue Ribbon Award - Best Supporting Actress
- Nikkan Sports Movie Award - Best Actress
- Kinema Junpo Awards - Best Actress
- Mainichi Film Concours - Best Supporting Actress
- Hochi Film Award - Best Actress
- Utsutsu
- Kinema Junpo Awards - Best Actress
- Blue Ribbon Award - Best Supporting Actress
- Peony Pavilion
- Moscow International Film Festival - Best Actress
- Seven Days' War
- Japan Academy Award - Best New Actor
- Nikkan Sports Movie Award - Best New Talent
[edit] External links
- Profile at Japan Zone
- Miyazawa Rie at the Internet Movie Database
- Metropolis - Big in Japan
- Drama Wiki - Rie's TV Dramas
- Idol*80 Discography (in Japanese)
- Miyazawa Rie Fans! (in Japanese)