is a Japanese
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...
. He is known for his affinity for strange character roles, and he is best known internationally for playing
L in the 2006 films ''
Death Note
''Death Note'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from December 2003 to M ...
'', ''
Death Note 2: The Last Name'' and ''
L: Change the World'' in 2008, as well as voicing
Gelus in the ''
Death Note
''Death Note'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from December 2003 to M ...
'' animated adaptation. He was cast to play lead character Toru Watanabe in
the film adaptation of
Haruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...
's novel ''
Norwegian Wood'', which was released in December 2010.
Personal life
On April 1, 2011, he married
Koyuki Katō, who co-starred with him in ''
Kamui Gaiden
is a 2009 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Sai, based on Sanpei Shirato's manga series of the same title. The film is written by Sai and Kankurō Kudō, starring Kenichi Matsuyama in the titular role. It premiered at Toronto International Fil ...
''. The couple's first child was born in January 2012, and their second child was born in January 2013 in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. In July 2015, the couple had their third child.
Filmography
Film
Television
Animation
Awards
References
External links
Horipro agency profile*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsuyama, Kenichi
1985 births
Living people
People from Mutsu, Aomori
Japanese male film actors
Japanese male television actors
Japanese male voice actors
Actors from Aomori Prefecture
Taiga drama lead actors
21st-century Japanese male actors