Kento Yamazaki (山﨑 賢人, Yamazaki Kento) is a Japanese actor and model who played the role of Josuke Higashikata in the live-action film adaptation of Diamond is Unbreakable.
Yamazaki is also known for his roles as the lead character in several live-action adaptation films and TV series, including Arima Kousei in Your Lie in April, Shin in Kingdom, Kusuo Saiki in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Hirotaka Nifuji in Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Ryohei Arisu in Alice in Borderland, and Saichi Sugimoto in Golden Kamuy. His breakthrough roles were Shusei Kugayama and L in the adaptations of L♥DK and Death Note respectively.
Biography
Kento Yamazaki was born on September 7, 1994 in Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan.[1] He is a big fan of soccer, having played it since he was a kid with his friends.[3] In his third year of junior high, he was scouted in front of a Daiso store on Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Tokyo, and joined the agency Stardust Promotion. He passed the audition for the magazine Pichi Lemon and began working as a men's model in the February 2010 issue, which released on December 26, 2009. He won first place in the poll for a cross-dressing contest in the magazine.[2]
In July 2010, he made his acting debut as the character Shinya Shijima in the television drama series Atami no Sousakan, which aired on TV Asahi.
In April 2011, he made his first movie appearance and debut as a lead actor in the film Control Tower. He also made his first appearance in a prime time series in Runaway ~Aisuru Kimi no Tame ni~ on TBS in October of that year. He ended his exclusive modeling contract with Pichi Lemon in the November 2011 issue of the magazine, which released on October 1, 2011.
In the drama Breakfast and Dinner aired on January 28, 2013, Yamazaki starred in his first lead role on television. In 2014, he gained even more recognition by being cast alongside Ayame Goriki in her first starring film, L♥DK, where his kabedon scene became so popular that it was awarded at the 2014 New Words/Buzzwords Awards.[4] After L♥DK, he was cast in many live-action adaptations of shojo manga. His first stage appearance, also as a lead, was in an adaptation of Legend of the Eight Samurai that same year.[5]
He became the first-ever winner of the ViVi National Treasure-Class Ikemen Ranking, which began in 2015, and achieved consecutive victories in the first half of 2016, becoming the first to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.[3]
In 2019, he made his voice acting debut in the film NiNoKuni.[6]
In 2021, he received the Best Actor award at the WEIBO Account Festival in Japan 2020, hosted by Weibo, the largest social media platform in China.[7] In June 2024, he became the first Japanese actor to win "The Best from the East Award" at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival.[8]
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Kento Yamazaki believes that acting as Josuke allowed him to gain the adaptability to act within a unique world like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, along with the fighting spirit to face each of his scenes wholeheartedly. He felt a lot of pressure before shooting due to how popular and large the series is worldwide, but his excitement of being able to create the film with the director and cast overpowered his pressure. The director Takashi Miike told him that he wants Josuke to "have the eyes of a boy who's lived through a war," which Yamazaki interpreted as being about strength, loneliness, and surviving in a harsh environment. Getting Josuke's hairstyle right took a lot of trial and error, and Yamazaki initially had trouble looking down and then back up due to Josuke's bangs, but he naturally adjusted his gaze to make it work and got used to it.[9]
At the Japan premiere of the film on July 26, 2017, a video message from Hirohiko Araki played where the manga creator praised the film and Yamazaki, saying, "I think some may feel both hope and anxiety, but this will exceed those expectations. The cast's character portrayals were truly incredible. Yamazaki's presence truly drove the movie forward." Receiving this message, Yamazaki commented, "I also really love JoJo, so it means a lot to hear this from JoJo's creator, Araki-sensei. I gave it everything, so I'm really happy. For me, this is a work that brought about big changes. The world of JoJo is truly unpredictable, and the Stand battles are so well-thought-out that they may be difficult to comprehend right away. The film portrays so many forms of love, like family love and parental love, so please enjoy it right to the end."[10] Since there were no Stands on set, Yamazaki couldn't imagine what the visuals would look like while filming. However, seeing how everything came together to form the unique world of JoJo in the final film was really moving for him.[11]
On August 11, 2017, Yamazaki visited Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture, the inspiration for Morioh, for the first time as part of the film's promotion. During his stage greeting in front of a large crowd of fans, he revealed that he had eaten Sendai's famous beef tongue. He also visited the Koyo Grand Hotel, the model for the Morioh Grand Hotel where Jotaro Kujo stays in the film. Yamazaki remarked that it felt surreal to visit places that served as inspiration for JoJo. As the stage greeting took place after a screening, Yamazaki reflected on filming the scene where his Stand first appears in the movie. "The director asked me to 'give it a try,' so I approached the delinquent in anger, but it's my Stand that does the punch and not me. So I just had to sharply drop my shoulder (laughs). Since there was no precedent, the director told him that it's fine.[12]
On the day after, August 12, the Hirohiko Araki JoJo Exhibition in Morioh, S City 2017, celebrating the 30th anniversary of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, was held at the Sendai Mediatheque. At a special preview on the eve of the exhibition, Yamazaki and Araki toured the venue together, discussing JoJo. Yamazaki stated that he was incredibly happy and nervous to speak with Araki. Araki commented that he's genuinely glad Yamazaki could come to the event and that recently he had even been drawing Josuke while thinking of Yamazaki as a model. Yamazaki shared that his favorite piece from the exhibition is the cover of Volume 31. "I love the strength that comes through Josuke's profile and the silhouette of his pompadour. A truly strong man doesn't lose his temper. There's a kind of gentleness that I sense in him." He also expressed his thoughts on the exhibit, saying, "This has been one of my happiest experiences. What really stood out to me was seeing how much more vibrant and deep the colors are in person. Getting to see the colors and poses in Araki-sensei's artwork up close was truly exciting."[12]
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Roles
| Title | Media | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond is Unbreakable | Film | 2017 |
Gallery
Diamond is Unbreakable (Film)
Movie Poster
With Josuke Higashikata's TV Anime voice actor, Yuki Ono
Film cast reveal at Warner Brothers Japan Press Conference 2016
Opening Night of Diamond is Unbreakable - Chapter 1
Other
With Hirohiko Araki
Soen Magazine Cover with Nana Komatsu who played Yukako Yamagishi
Interview with WEGO Monthly Magazine
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://official.stardust.co.jp/yamazakikento/information.html
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "A Man's Resume: Kento Yamazaki Edition", InLife, January 15, 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "ViVi国宝級イケメン1位の山﨑賢人くんにネホハホ聞いちゃいました♡", ViVi, October 19, 2016.
- ↑ "“壁ドン”が流行語トップ10に! 胸キュン王子・山崎賢人が受賞", WEB The Television, December 9, 2014.
- ↑ "『里見八犬伝』で山崎賢人が主演＆舞台初挑戦、演出は初演に続き深作健太", Cinra, June 11, 2014.
- ↑ "人気RPG「二ノ国」ジブリ出身・百瀬義行監督で長編アニメ化!主演は山崎賢人", Eiga, February 9, 2019.
- ↑ "山崎賢人、アジア規模の飛躍誓う「語学も頑張れたら」", Oricon News, February 4, 2021.
- ↑ "「キングダム」山崎賢人、第23回ニューヨーク・アジアン映画祭で受賞", Natalie, June 6, 2024.
- ↑ "【ジョジョ連載】山崎賢人「いつの間にかワクワク感がプレッシャーを飛び越えていました」", WEB The Television, July 23, 2017.
- ↑ "Japan Premiere Report for the Movie JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable Chapter 1", Cinema Art Online, July 26, 2017.
- ↑ "東方仗助を演じた山﨑賢人のファッションへの拘りは？", FAST, January 19, 2019.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "「ジョジョ」山崎賢人が杜王町のモデル仙台へ、荒木飛呂彦とのトークも", Natalie, August 12, 2017.
