Hiroshi Abe (actor)
Hiroshi Abe | |
|---|---|
| 阿部 寛 | |
.jpg) Abe in 2017 | |
| Born | 22 June 1964 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, model |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Height | Template:Height |
| Children | 2 |
is a Japanese actor and model, recognized for his performances in TRICK and Godzilla 2000: Millennium.
Modeling career beginnings
Abe, the youngest of three siblings, was born in Yokohama and attended Yokohama Mitsuzawa Elementary School, followed by Yokohama City Matsumoto Junior High and Kanagawa Prefectural Hakusan High School. After retaking university entrance exams, he completed his studies at Chuo University’s Department of Electrical Engineering. While still a student in 1985, he earned the "Shueisha 3rd Nonno Boyfriend Award," which launched his modeling career with publications such as Men's Non-no and Nonno. Subsequently, he transitioned into acting roles.
Challenging periods
Abe made his film debut in Haikara-San: Here Comes Miss Modern (1987), sharing the screen with idol Yoko Minamino. He also ventured into music, releasing a pop album in 1988. Despite these efforts, his modeling background confined him mostly to supporting roles in acting, and his tall stature posed difficulties for casting alongside female leads. This led to a decline in work opportunities, resulting in a three-year stretch without notable roles during which he supported himself by playing pachinko. During this time, he studied traditional martial arts, which later influenced his acting projects, and invested in real estate. However, the collapse of Japan’s bubble economy combined with waning popularity saddled him with considerable debt. He appeared on the variety program What is that person now?, which focused on former celebrities. Inspired by Ken Takakura’s role in an NHK drama in 1992, Abe resolved to accept even minor parts to revive his career.
Career revival
In 1993, Abe portrayed a bisexual detective director in Atami Murder Case Monte Carlo Illusion, written by Kohei Tsuka. The following year, he acted alongside Koji Yakusho in Shinoidare, directed by Tatsuoki Hosono, earning the Special Award at the Japanese Professional Movie Awards for this role as well as for Kyouju Luger P08. Beginning with his portrayal of the skilled Rōjū Matsudaira Norisato in the 1995 NHK Taiga drama Hachidai Shogun Yoshimune, Abe increasingly appeared in historical dramas, particularly Taiga series such as Genroku Ryoran (1999), Musashi MUSASHI (2003), Yoshitsune (2005), and Tenchijin (2009).
Further success
In 2000, Abe landed a leading part in the television drama TRICK, starring opposite Yukie Nakama, where he humorously referenced his modeling past using old photographs. He also featured in the film adaptation of Natsuhiko Kyogoku’s novel The Summer of the Ubume, subsequently contributing to post-production work on Kyogoku’s book Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro - Ame, which was inspired by the movie. His role in the TV drama The Man Who Can't Get Married garnered him the FNS Good Work Grand Prize in 2006.
Having gained prominence during Japan’s economic bubble era, Abe appeared in the 2007 film Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust. Additionally, he provided the voice for Kenshiro in the animated feature Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior (2006).
In 2009, Abe received Best Actor honors at the 63rd Mainichi Film Award for his performances in both Still Walking and Aoi Tori. That year he also starred in Hideki Takeuchi’s film Thermae Romae and took on a supporting role in Hirokazu Kore-eda's production I Wish.
Website
Hiroshi Abe's official website is widely recognized across Japan for its minimalistic, vintage aesthetic combined with rapid loading times. It is often regarded as a standard for evaluating the performance of new gaming consoles and technological devices.
Films
- Haikara-San: Here Comes Miss Modern (1987)
- YAWARA! (1989)
- Spirit Warrior (1990)
- Yamato Takeru (1994)
- Moon Over Tao (1997)
- Hissatsu! Shamisenya no Yuji (1999)
- Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999)
- Tokyo Raiders (2000)
- Crazy Lips (2000)
- Blood Sucking Space (2001)
- Rush! (2001)
- Platonic Sex (2001)
- Trick (2002)
- Hana and Alice (2004)
- Hotel Venus (2004)
- Survive Style 5+ (2004)
- My Lover is a Sniper: The Movie (2004)
- Hasami Otoko (2004)
- Ubume no Natsu (2005)
- Legend of Raoh: Chapter of Fierce Fighting (2006) – voice of Kenshiro
- Trick 2 (2006)
- The Ode to Joy (2006)
- Forbidden Siren (2006)
- Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust (2007)
- Legend of Yuria (2007) – voice role as Kenshiro
- Hero (2007)
- Taitei no Ken (2007)
- Legend of Raoh: Chapter of Fierce Fight (2007) – Kenshiro’s voice
- Happy Ever After (2007)
- Team Batista no Eikō (2008)
- Chocolate (2008)
- Legend of Toki (2008) – voice actor for Kenshiro
- Mōryō no Hako (2008)
- Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess (2008)
- Still Walking (2008)
- The Blue Bird (2008)
- Zero: Legend of Kenshiro (2008) – voice role as Kenshiro
- Elevator to the Gallows (2010)
- I Wish (2011)
- A Ghost of a Chance (2011)
- A Yell from Heaven (2011)
- Isoroku(2011) – portrayed Tamon Yamaguchi
- The Wings of the Kirin (2012) – role as Kyōichirō Kaga
- Thermæ Romæ(2012)
- Crow's Thumb, also known as Karasu no Oyayubi,(2013)
- Before the Vigil(2013)
- Trick The Movie: Last Stage(2014)
- Thermae Romae II(2014)
- Zakurozaka no Adauchi(2014)
- Cape Nostalgia(2014)
- Everest: Kamigami no Itadaki(2016) – portrayed Jōji Habu
- After the Storm(2016) – character Ryōta
- A loving husband(2017) – role as Yōhei Miyamoto
- Shippu Rondo(2017) – portrayed Kazuyuki Kuribayashi
- Umibe No Ria(2017)
- Legend of the Demon Cat(2017) – played Nakamaro
- Sakura Guardian in the North(2018)
- The Crimes That Bind(2018) – role Kyōichirō Kaga
- Flea-picking Samurai(2018) – character Kobayashi Hironoshin
- The Garden of Evening Mists(2019) – portrayed Nakamura Aritomo
- In the Wake(2021) – played Seiichirō Tomashino
- Hokusai(2021) – role as Tsutaya Jūzaburō
- Tombi: Father and Son(2022) – character Yasuo Ichikawa
- Offbeat Cops(2022)
- Showtime 7(2025)
- Candle Stick(2025) – portrayed Nohara
- Not Me That Went Viral(2025) – role as Taisuke Yamagata
TV Dramas
- Unmeitōge (1993) – portrayed Yagyu Jubei
- Glorious Yorujuro (1996–1997) – role of Yorujūrō
- Honeymoon Divorce (1997) – character Takuya Kitamura
- Yasha (2000) – played Ken Kurosaki
- Trick (2000–2003) – as Jirō Ueda
- Hero (2001) – Mitsugu Shibayama
- Antique (2001) – Chikage Kobayakawa
- Midnight Rain (2002) – Shunsuke Izumida
- My Little Chef (2002) – Kensaku Tachibana
- The Last Lawyer (2003)
- Rika (2003) – Takao Homma
- Musashi (2003) – Gion Tōji
- Wedding Planner (2003) – Jun Okonogi
- Smile (2003) – Reijirō Sakurai
- Fugitive: Runaway (2004) – Ryūji Mineshima
- At Home Dad (2004) – Kazuyuki Yamamura
- Yoshitsune (2005) – portrayed Taira no Tomomori
- Dragon Sakura (2005) – Kenji Sakuragi
- Kekkon Dekinai Otoko (2006) – Shinsuke Kuwano
- Change (2008) – Katsutoshi Nirasawa
- Tenchijin (2009) – role of Uesugi Kenshin
- Clouds Over the Hill (2009–2011) – played Akiyama Yoshifuru
- Shiroi Haru (2009) – Haruo Sakura
- Shinzanmono (2010) – Kyōichirō Kaga
- Going My Home (2012) – Tsuboi Ryota
- Downtown Rocket (2015) – Kōhei Tsukuda
- The Sniffer (2016) – Hanaoka
- Downtown Rocket Season 2 (2018) – reprised Kōhei Tsukuda
- Mada Kekkon Dekinai Otoko (2019) – Shinsuke Kuwano
- Dragon Sakura 2 (2021) – Kenji Sakuragi
- DCU: Deep Crime Unit (2022) – Masayoshi Niina
- Because We Forget Everything (2022) – character M
- What Will You Do, Ieyasu? (2023) – portrayed Takeda Shingen
- Vivant (2023–2026) – Mamoru Nozaki
- News Anchor (2025) – Soichi Shindo
- Last Samurai Standing (2025) – Gentosai Okabe
Awards and Honors
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Japanese Professional Movie Awards | N/A | Kyouju Luger P08 | Won |
| 2009 | Mainichi Film Awards | Best Actor | Aruitemo Aruitemo & Aoi Tori | Won |
| 2012 | 55th Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Actor | Thermæ Romæ, Karasu no oyayubi, and The Wings of the Kirin | Won |
| 2013 | 36th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actor | Thermæ Romæ | Won |
| 2015 | 38th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Actor | Cape Nostalgia | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actor | Snow on the Blades | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | 3rd Kyoto International Art and Film Festival | Toshiro Mifune Award | Himself | Won |
| 9th Tokyo Drama Awards | Best Actor | Downtown Rocket | Won | |
| 2022 | 45th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Supporting Actor | In the Wake | Nominated |
| 21st New York Asian Film Festival | Star Asia Award | Himself | Won | |
| 35th Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Actor | ‘’Tombi: Father and Son’’ and ‘’Offbeat Cops’’ | Won | |
| 47th Hochi Film Awards | Best Actor | Nominated |
|- | 2023 | 16th Asian Film Awards | Asian Film Excellence Award | Himself | |}