Takeshi Kaneshiro

Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城 武, Kaneshiro Takeshi, born October 11, 1973) is a consummate Japanese actor and singer based in Taiwan. He launched his career as a pop idol, and later transitioned from music to film and gained acclaim working with renowned directors across East Asia. A collaboration with visionary directors such as Wong Kar-wai, Peter Chan, Zhang Yimou and John Woo led to commercial success and critical acclaim. In the gaming industry, Kaneshiro is known as the model and voice of samurai character Samanosuke Akechi in Capcom's Onimusha video game series.

His early life reveals a unique cultural blend; born in Taipei to a Taiwanese mother and Okinawan father, Kaneshiro also has Japanese citizenship. His early engagements with television commercials segued into full-time pursuits in a musical and acting career after his secondary school. Fluent in Mandarin, Hokkien, Japanese, and somewhat in Cantonese and English, Kaneshiro's multilingual ability has been instrumental in his successful career. One of his significant trademarks in acting is his ability to introduce quirks and character-driven performances. During 2000 and 2010, his acting repertoire expanded as he starred in Red Cliff, House of Flying Daggers, and The Warlords. Beyond movies, he made his mark in the gaming industry with his role in Onimusha.

Kaneshiro's legacy in the cinematic world has not gone unnoticed; in 2003, he was featured in Time magazine, labeled as the 'Johnny Depp' of East Asia. His journey into the 2010s saw him win the Best Leading Actor award in 2017 for the romantic comedy 'This Is Not What I Expected.' The revered actor and game character even found a place in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2018. A practicing Buddhist, Kaneshiro is admired for his humility and attempts to evade media attention. He touts familial responsibility if he ever had a family.