Takako Fuji

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Takako Fuji
Takako Fuji (2006)
Born	July 27, 1972 (1972-07-27) (age 35) Tokyo

Takako Fuji (藤貴子, Fuji Takako^?) (born July 27, 1972) is a Japanese actress and seiyū with strong ties to theatre.

[edit] Biography

Fuji was born in Tokyo. She is a member of the Ein Theatrical Company, and studied acting at the Aoyama Gakuin University. Fuji is usually working on-stage or doing voice-overs, but occasionally also appears in films. Her most memorable role to this date is that of Kayako Saeki the vengeful ghost in the Ju-on series. She first played Kayako in the 1998 short movie Katasumi, part of the Gakkô no kaidan G collection. She then reprised her role in the straight-to-video film Ju-on and its sequel Ju-on 2. When director Takashi Shimizu decided to remake the original two films for a broader theatrical release (as Ju-on: The Grudge and Ju-on: The Grudge 2), Fuji played the character of Kayako twice more. When the films were subsequently remade for an American audience as The Grudge and The Grudge 2 Fuji played the role yet again. It has been confirmed that she will not play Kayako in The Grudge 3, the final Grudge film for America.

Fuji has since stated in interviews that she is a bit tired of the role and that sometimes it's hard for her to keep herself motivated, since she has played the role 7 times by now. Fuji has however admitted that she will continue playing the role of Kayako as long as director Takashi Shimizu desires to hire her again for the role. Fuji has also stated in other interviews that sometimes she pretends to be Kayako Saeki in front of her friends at parties. She has also confessed that she fully understands where Kayako's anger derives from.

Her specialty is dancing, modern ballet, and speaking English. She is also a well-trained contortionist , which helped her to play Kayako. She has been married once, to co-member of the Ein Theatrical Group Watanabe Joji, from January of 2000 until October of 2005.

She last appeared in the in 2006 movie The iDol. She has also appeared in the 2005 horror film Reincarnation, directed by Takashi Shimizu, who also directed the Ju-on/The Grudge series. She has also provided a voice for the Hayao Miyazaki animated film Princess Mononoke.