Tomokazu Miura

Tomokazu Miura
Born  Minoru Miura
January 28, 1952
Enzan, Yamanashi, Japan
Occupation Actor
Spouse(s) Momoe Yamaguchi

Tomokazu Miura (三浦 友和 Miura Tomokazu) is a Japanese actor. Born January 28, 1952 in Enzan, Yamanashi, his real name is Miura Minoru (三浦 稔). He attended Hino high school in Tokyo. He was originally a member of rock group RC Succession, but was asked to leave the group by their management when they signed a record contract.[1][2] However, impressed by his looks, the management company asked him to try out acting.[1] In 1974 he appeared in an advertisement for Glico with young singer Momoe Yamaguchi. When casting the male lead for her film Izu no Odoriko, they thought of Miura, and he was chosen as the male lead. The popularity of the Miura/Yamaguchi combination led to them starring together in a series of films and television series. They became known as the "Golden Combi". Although Yamaguchi had a separate career as a singer, this was Miura's main form of employment through the 1970s.

In 1980 Miura and Yamaguchi married, and the twenty-one-year-old Yamaguchi retired from show business. Initially Miura struggled with his acting career, which had consisted of playing Yamaguchi's romantic partner.[3] However, after a few years of struggle, he was able to establish himself as an actor, changing his type from the "clean cut youth" roles he had played with Yamaguchi to "bad boy" roles. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 10th Hochi Film Award[4] and at the 7th Yokohama Film Festival[5] for Typhoon Club.[6]

He is a keen pachinko player and was a smoker until he gave it up at the age of fifty. Because of his appearance in cigarette advertisements, it was debated in the Japanese diet whether Miura was an "idol" who could be considered to have a strong influence on underage smoking. Due to his wife's relatively greater fame and popularity, he is sometimes referred to as just "Momoe's husband" (Momoe-chan no Danna-san), a name which he dislikes.[1] The couple have two sons, Yutaro and Takahiro, and have repeatedly been chosen as "the ideal celebrity couple".[7] According to Miura, they have never had a marital quarrel.[3]

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1974 Izu no Odoriko with Momoe Yamaguchi.
(After Kawabata Yasunari's The Dancing Girl of Izu)
1975 Aoi sanmyaku
1975-1980 Akai series (TV series) Various With Momoe Yamaguchi
1976 Shunkinshō Sasuke with Momoe Yamaguchi.
1977 House Auntie's Fiancé
1978 Furimukeba Ai Tetsuo With Momoe Yamaguchi
1979 White Love
1980 Koto with Momoe Yamaguchi.
(After Kawabata Yasunari's The Old Capital)
1982-1983 Seibu Keisatsu Part II (TV series) First appeared in Episode 1 of Part II, left after several episodes of Part III
1984 Sayonara Jupiter Dr. Eiji Honda
Tengoku no eki: Heaven Station Kouichi Hashimoto
1985 Typhoon Club Teacher Umemiya
1986 His Motorbike, Her Island Hidemasa Sawada
1994 Rampo (film) Producer Tagawa
Chonouryoku-sha Michi Eno Tabibito Hikaru Takatsuka
2004 The Taste of Tea Nobuo Haruno
The Incredibles Mr. Incredible/Robert "Bob" Parr Japanese dub - his first job as a voice actor
2005 Always Sanchōme no Yūhi Shiro "Akuma" Takuma
2007 Adrift in Tokyo Aiichiro Fukuhara
2007 Always Zoku Sanchōme no Yūhi Dr. Takuma
2008 Ryusei no Kizuna (TV series)
2009 Heaven's Door Hasegawa
Shizumanu Taiyō Shiro Gyoten
Tokyo Dogs (TV series) Otomo Kozo
2010 Outrage Kato
The Borrower Arrietty Pod
2012 Outrage Beyond Kato

Commercials

Books

Honours

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hishatai.
  2. Schilling, Mark (1995). Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Aisho.
  4. 報知映画賞ヒストリー (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
  5. 第7回ヨコハマ映画祭 1985年日本映画個人賞 (in Japanese). Yokohama Film Festival. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
  6. Brasor, Philip, "Mr. Momoe Yamaguchi finally decides to speak", Japan Times, 11 December 2011, p. 9.
  7. "理想の夫婦」 友和・百恵さん、7年連続1位". Nihon Keizai Shinbun. 2012-11-22. Retrieved 28 December 2012.

External links