Hiro Mizushima

Hiro Mizushima (水嶋 ヒロ, Mizushima Hiro), (born Tomohiro Saitō (齋藤 智裕, Saitō Tomohiro)^[1] on 13 April 1984) is a Japanese actor, writer and model. He appeared in a number of Japanese TV dramas, including Mei-chan no Shitsuji, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e and Zettai Kareshi. Also, he was well known as the main protagonist in the tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Kabuto.

Career

Mizushima first appeared on Japanese television in 2005, where he played Hiro Misawa, a minor character in the second season of Gokusen. In the same year, he found guest starring roles in Japanese dramas such as Ame to Yume no Ato ni and a small role in the TBS drama Brother Beat.

In 2006, Mizushima became a main character in the series Kamen Rider Kabuto and acted in the lead role in the film Kamen Rider Kabuto: God Speed Love. He also appeared in two other Japanese films that year.

Beginning in 2007, Mizushima began taking on bigger roles in more high-profile productions, such as the supporting role of the girl-crazy Minami Nanba in Hanazakari no Kimitachi e and the main role of Soshi Asamoto in Zettai Kareshi. Both dramas were among the most popular dramas of Japan at the time of their airing. Mizushima also provided the voice of Bruce Banner in the Japanese dub of The Incredible Hulk.

In September 2010, Mizushima left his talent agency, Ken-On, to create an own independent agency called A stAtion.^[2] Several weeks later, on 31 October 2010, it was announced that Mizushima had won the 5th Poplar Publishing Grand Prize for Fiction and a cash prize of 20 million yen for his debut work, titled Kagerou, written under the pen name Satoshi Saitō (齋藤 智, Saitō Satoshi).^[3] Mizushima revealed that he would decline the prize money.^[4] Actor Hiro Mizushima has won a fiction prize for his debut novel but says he will not accept the 20 million yen prize money. ‘‘I feel quite honored as my precious first step has been granted such a major prize,’’ Mizushima, 26, said at a press conference after receiving the Poplar Publishing Co prize Monday at the publisher’s Tokyo head office for ‘‘KAGEROU.’‘ The publisher said Mizushima submitted the novel under the penname of Satoshi Saito but will accept the prize under his real name of Tomohiro Saito. The company said the date of publication of the novel, about a man who strives to prevent a suicide, has not been set. Mizushima, a popular ‘‘ikemen’’ (good-looking) actor, quit a talent agency in September to concentrate on writing novels. However, on 8 January 2013, it was announced that Mizushima Hiro would be making a comeback as an actor after a 3 year hiatus through the movie “Kuroshitsuji ( Black Butler).”^[5]

Personal life

Mizushima is bilingual, being fluent in English and Japanese. He married Japanese pop singer Ayaka on 22 February 2009 after several months of dating.^[6] Mizushima graduated from Keio University.^[7]

Filmography

Dramas

Films

Books

• Kagerou (2010) ISBN 978-4-591-12245-7

References

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Hiro Mizushima on Twitter
• Hiro Mizushima at the Internet Movie Database