Rinko Kikuchi
Rinko Kikuchi
Rinko Kikuchi; January 6, 1981) is a Japanese film actress. She is the first Japanese actress to be nominated for an Academy Award in 50 years, for her work in Babel. Kikuchi's other notable films include Norwegian Wood, which screened in competition at the 67th Venice Film Festival and Guillermo del Toro's science fiction action film Pacific Rim. For her role in the drama film Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, Kikuchi received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead...
NationalityJapanese
ProfessionMovie Actress
Date of Birth6 January 1981
CityHadano, Japan
CountryJapan
When watching movies, I was always inspired by the performances of the cast. Of course, the story and the direction and all that intrigued me. But what actors would propel themselves to do, and be, was awesome. It was like, how could these people give so much?
When I was a little girl, I used to watch a lot of monster movies, like 'Godzilla.' All those monster movies.
We don't put our emotions out there in Japan. I'm Japanese, but I love to be honest.
Fashion is really interesting to me, but I'm not a professional model, so I'm focusing my career on acting.
There's something very... spiritual about fighting. It's physically very challenging. It's for killing people, after all, so it's taught me how to look at something head on. It's like living - confronting something. Everything for me came from films.
I've been working with Spanish, French, some more American, and Japanese directors. And then I realized I have to study English, and that's why I moved to New York two years ago.
I've seen 'Babel' four times. And each time I realize anew what a monumental project that had been for me.
Not all actresses know how to express their looks, I think. For me, it's an on-again, off-again thing. I'm still struggling.
I like challenges. That's why if I read a script, and I feel, 'Oh, I can't do this,' I'll take that role, because if I feel like, 'Oh, I can do this,' I don't want to take that because I can't learn from that film.
I love New York. I'm taking English lessons there for the first time. I used to live in Tokyo, but I needed something new. I'm really close to my family. I miss them all the time, but we Skype a lot.
I don't want to limit myself. I want to keep doing all sorts of roles. I guess what lies behind this urge is the conviction that movies have changed my life. And certain performances have inspired me to try to be someone different.
On the red carpet, I need to be protected. When I wear a Chanel dress, I feel like I've earned the right to be there. And Karl Lagerfeld is so poetic, such an intelligent man. I like the way he has the power to draw attention.