柴咲コウ

j-pop

Yukie Yamamura (山村幸恵, born August 5, 1981), known by her stage name Kou Shibasaki (柴咲コウ) is a Japanese actress and singer. Born in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan, she began her career at the age of fourteen after being scouted by an agent. Shibasaki made her singing debut in 2002 with the song Trust My Feelings. Her song 月のしずく (released under the pseudonym RUI) was one of the most successful hits of 2003. She has attained fifteen Oricon top ten hits and has had six albums debut in the top five. Shibasaki is also known for her acting career, which took off after her performance in the controversial 2000 film, Battle Royale, where she portrayed the cold-hearted and ruthless Mitsuko Souma. Shibasaki also garnered critical acclaim for her role in 2001 film, Go, which earned her several awards, including a Japanese Academy Award, a Hōchi Movie Award, and a Kinema Junpō Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2002, Shibasaki took a supporting role as Yuki Mazashita in the television mystery drama, Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi, where she co-starred with Takuya Kimura earning her an award as Best Supporting Actress while the show was named Best Drama at the 33rd Television Drama Academy Awards (Japan). She also starred in both seasons of Fuji TV drama, Dr. Koto Shinryojo, which aired in 2003 and 2006 respectively. The show was awarded Best Drama at the 38th Television Drama Academy Awards for its first season. In 2003, she re-unites with her former co-star Taku...