Kaneshiro Takeshi

With a mother from Taiwan and a father from Okinawa, Kaneshiro was born and raised in Taipei, and is a Japanese citizen (nationality).

He has two elder brothers who are 7 years and 1 year his senior. After graduating from Taipei Japanese Junior High School, he enrolled at English-based Taipei American School, which enabled him to converse in English, making him effectively multi-lingual considering his fluency in Chinese (Mandarin & Taiwanese) and Japanese. As a result of his varied background, Kaneshiro can speak with varying degrees of fluency in English, Cantonese, and Japanese. It was while he was studying there that he began doing TV commercials, and he decided to quit school in order to pursue a singing and acting career.

Kaneshiro started his career in the early 1990s, appearing in a series of Taiwanese comedies and releasing several albums (six between 1992 and 1993). He rose to stardom in 1994 and 1995 playing leading roles in Wong Kar-wai’s international hits: “Chungking Express” and “Fallen Angels”. He subsequently starred in several Hong Kong box-office hits including “Downtown Torpedoes”, “Anna Magdalena” and “Lavender”. In 1998, the popularity of “Sleepless Town” and the TV drama “God! Please Give Me More Time” established Kaneshiro as one of the most sought-after actors in Japan. Takeshi Kaneshiro speaks Japanese fluently – and has appeared in other Japanese films (like Space Travelers), television series and TV commercials. In 2002, Kaneshiro plays the lead in the Japanese sci-fi actioner “Returner”. In 2003, after the ’99 hit “Tempting Heart”, Kaneshiro is reunited with Gigi Leung in “Turn Left Turn Right”. The following year, Kaneshiro made a genre-debut in Zhang Yimou’s epic swordsplay blockbuster “House of Flying Daggers”. Kaneshiro joined forces with director Peter Chan in the musical blockbuster “Perhaps Love” which garnered many awards throughout Asia. In 2006, Kaneshiro starred opposite Tony Leung in the thriller “Confession of Pain”.

Spokesmodel of Ericsson handsets.Spokesmodel of Onimusha: Warlords (video game). The character Samanosuke is modeled after him.Spokesmodel of PRADA.Is 1/2 Chinese and 1/2 Japanese. Father is Japanese, mother is Chinese (of Taiwanese nationality).Capable of speaking Mandarin, Japanese, Cantonese, English, Taiwanese.Attended Taipei American School during grades 10-12, but did not graduate.Spokesmodel for Mitsubishi Galant model (car).Resides in TokyoHas 2 brothersConsidered by Time Magazine to be the "Asian film industry's Johnny Depp."Enrolled in a film class at New York University but never completed it.Chinese name is Jincheng Wu. His surname means Gold City in both Chinese and Japanese.Is Chinese of Japanese descent.Nominated the 8th Changchun Film Festival Best Actor for his performance in "Perhaps Love".His Japanese family name Kaneshiro is read as Jincheng in Mandarin (Chin-cheng in Taiwan, Gam-sing in Cantonese). His Japanese first name Takeshi is read as Wu in Mandarin (Mo in Cantonese).He is referred to as Jincheng Wu in Mandarin, Chin-cheng Wu in Taiwan and Gam-sing Mo in Cantonese.

As an actor:

• 2009 Chi bi xia: Jue zhan tian xia as Zhuge Liang
• 2008 K-20: Kaijin niju menso den as Heikichi Endo
• 2008 Chi bi as Zhuge Liang
• 2008 Suwîto rein: Shinigami no seido as Chiba
• 2007 Tau ming chong as Zhang Wen-Xiang
• 2006 Seung sing as Detective Yau Kin Bong
• 2005 Ru guo · Ai as Lin Jian-dong/Zhang Yang
• 2004 Shi mian mai fu as Jin
• 2004 Onimusha 3 as Hidemitsu Samanosuke Akechi
• 2003 Heung joh chow heung yau chow as John Liu
• 2002 Ritana as Miyamoto
• 2002 "Gôruden bouru" as Shu Akutagawa (unknown episodes)
• 2001 Onimusha as Samanosuke Akechi
• 2000 Supêsutoraberâzu as Nishiyama ("Hayabusa Jetter")
• 2000 "2000-nen no koi" as The Assassin / ... (unknown episodes)
• 2000 Fan yi cho as Angel
• 1999 Sam dung as Ho-jun
• 1998 Fuyajo as Kenichi Ryuu
• 1998 Ngon na ma dak lin na as Chan Kar-fu
• 1998 Too Tired to Die as Kenji
• 1998 "Kamisama mousukoshi dake" as Keigo Ishikawa
• 1997 San tau dip ying as Jackal
• 1997 Ma Wing Jing as Ma Wing Jing
• 1997 Choh chin luen hau dik yi yan sai gaai
• 1997 Huo shao dao zhi heng hang Ba dao as Yeung Chung
• 1997 Liang ge zhi neng huo yi ge as Mo
• 1996 Misty as Takehiro
• 1996 Tin aai hoi gok as Mr. Worm
• 1996 Mo him wong as Shing
• 1996 Sei goh bat ping faan dik siu nin
• 1996 Zhong qing ai qing gan jue as Hing
• 1995 Seiya no kiseki as Mr.Bell
• 1995 Duo luo tian shi as He Zhiwu
• 1995 Mou mian bei as Tang Chuen-Shek
• 1995 Xin za shi xiong zhu nu zi
• 1995 La bi xiao xiao sheng as A Miu
• 1995 Xue xiao ba wang
• 1995 Zhong Guo long
• 1994 Bao gao ban zhang 3
• 1994 Chung Hing sam lam as He Zhiwu, Cop 223
• 1994 Chen mo de gu niang as Dr. Patrick Ko
• 1994 Ren yu chuan shuo as Kenji
• 1993 Xian dai hao xia zhuan as Chong Hon/Coda
• 1988 "Tian xia"

(misc crew):

• 2001 Onimusha

Self:

• "Bokura no jidai"
• 2008 John Woo, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung
• "Smap×Smap"
• 2002 Episode dated 2 September 2002
• 2002 Episode dated 26 August 2002