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Anna Sawai

Anna Sawai
Portrait of Anna Sawai.
Sawai in 2024
Born (1992-06-11) June 11, 1992 (age 32)
Wellington, New Zealand
Alma materSophia University
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active2004–present

Anna Sawai[a] (アンナ・サワイ, born June 11, 1992) is a Japanese actress and singer.[3][4] Born in New Zealand, she moved to Japan with her family at age 10. She landed her first acting role at age 11 as the title character in the 2004 Nippon TV production of Annie. Sawai later made her film debut in James McTeigue's 2009 martial arts film Ninja Assassin.

Sawai rose to fame in Japan as one of the lead vocalists of the girl group Faky from 2013 to 2018. She made a return to acting with a supporting role in the British crime thriller series Giri/Haji (2019). Her international breakthrough came with roles in the action film F9 (2021) and in the Apple TV+ drama series Pachinko (2022–present). She gained further recognition for starring in the MonsterVerse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023–present) and in the historical drama series Shōgun (2024). For the latter, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, becoming the first Japanese actress to win any Primetime Emmy Award, and the first actress of Asian descent to win in that category. In 2024, Time magazine included her on its Time 100 Next list.[5]

Early and personal life

Anna Sawai was born on June 11, 1992, in Wellington, New Zealand, to parents of Japanese descent.[6] Her mother worked as a piano teacher,[7] while her father worked for an electronics company.[8] From age 3, her mother taught her to play the piano and sing.[6] Her family moved frequently while growing up due to her father's job, living in Hong Kong and the Philippines, before settling in Yokohama, Japan, at age 10.[9][10][6]

Sawai is fluent in English and Japanese.[11] She resides in Tokyo.[6][12]

Career

Early acting roles and Faky (2004–2018)

See also: Faky

Sawai made her acting debut at age 11 in 2004 in a Tokyo stage production of Annie as the titular character, which was simulcast on Nippon TV.[12][13] Sawai successfully auditioned for the entertainment conglomerate Avex Inc. in 2006, earning her a management contract and training at their in-house music and dance bootcamp.[14][15][6] Following this, Sawai continued her acting career with a minor role in the television drama Our Love Song (2007),[16] and made her Hollywood feature film debut in a supporting role in James McTeigue's martial arts film Ninja Assassin (2009), in which she played Kiriko, a rebellious young ninja.[17][18]

Sawai continued to receive vocal and dancing lessons throughout high school, and later enrolled at Sophia University.[6][9][12] While attending university, Sawai was signed by the Avex Trax record label and in March 2012, she performed the United States national anthem at the Tokyo Dome to begin the 2012 Major League Baseball season.[19] A month later, Sawai was announced as one of the members of the girl group ARA, an acronym for Avex Rising Angels, and that November they released the music video for their first and only single "Make My Dreams Come True".[20] The group disbanded in early 2013 after less than a year of promotions, but in July that year, Avex announced that Sawai would be re-debuting as one of the lead vocalists for the girl group Faky under the Rhythm Zone record label.[21][22][9] They debuted with the single "Better Without You" on July 29, 2013.[23]

While performing as a member of Faky, Sawai participated in a number of solo projects. In October 2015, she appeared as the lead actress in Elliott Yamin's music video for his song "Katy".[24] Sawai was a featured artist alongside fellow bandmate Akina on Yamato's debut single "Shining", which was released on April 26, 2017.[25] Later that year, Sawai had a voice role as Angélique Noir in the 2017 fashion simulation video game Style Savvy: Styling Star[26] and performed the main theme song for the game "Girls Be Ambitious".[27] In 2018, she made a return to acting with a supporting role in the coming-of-age mystery series Colors, appearing in two episodes.[28] In May 2018, she appeared as a dancer in a limited run stage production of The Book, directed by Fuko Takenaka, as part of the Think Tank Bang dance art collective.[29]

On November 16, 2018, Faky announced Sawai's departure from the group, citing her desire to focus on her acting career.[30] She performed with the group for the last time on December 20 as part of their Four headline tour.[31]

Breakthrough in Hollywood (2019–2023)

In 2019, Sawai portrayed Eiko, the daughter of a Yakuza boss, in the British crime thriller series Giri/Haji.[32] The series premiered on BBC Two in October to critical acclaim.[33] That same year, Sawai was cast as martial arts warrior Elle in F9, the ninth film in the Fast & Furious franchise, directed by Justin Lin.[34][17] Following her casting announcement, Sawai signed with WME.[35] Filming for F9 took place between June and November 2019, and the film was released on May 19, 2021, to mixed reviews.[36] F9 set several pandemic box office records with worldwide earnings of $726 million.[37][38][39][40]

Since 2022, Sawai has portrayed the main role of Naomi in the Apple TV+ adaptation of Pachinko, based on the novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee.[41] Naomi is an original character created for the series.[42][8] The show debuted on March 25, 2022, to critical acclaim; the following month it was renewed for a second season.[43][44][45] The ensemble cast of the series won an Independent Spirit Award.[46][47] In June 2022, Sawai was cast as Cate Randa, the lead role in Legendary's MonsterVerse television series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.[48] The show is a spin-off of the 2014 film Godzilla, and premiered on Apple TV+ on November 17, 2023, to positive critical reception.[49][50]

Shōgun (2024–present)

In September 2021, Sawai was cast as the female lead, Lady Mariko, in the FX limited series Shōgun, based on the novel by James Clavell.[51] The series premiered in February 2024,[52] and Sawai's performance received critical acclaim. The New York Times said Sawai "is thoroughly convincing and captivating as Mariko,"[53] and Rolling Stone said Sawai "speaks volumes with every pained look on Mariko’s face".[54] RogerEbert.com called her performance "revelatory",[55] and Entertainment Weekly praised Sawai for evolving the role past the 1980 version with "steely strength and spirited temper befitting a more modern audience".[56] The Hollywood Reporter identified the performance as a career achievement for the actress: "Sawai has been tip-toeing around full-fledged stardom for several years with supporting roles... but this feels like her arrival. The actress inhabits Mariko so fully as a fragile, wavering soul and a stealthy badass."[57] In 2024, she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Shōgun, making her the first Japanese actress to win any Primetime Emmy,[58] and the first actress of Asian descent to win that Primetime Emmy category.[59][60]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Film

Year Title Role Ref.
2009 Ninja Assassin Kiriko [18]
2021 F9 Elle Lue [34][17]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2007 Our Love Song Natsu 1 episode [61][16]
2018 Colors Train station accuser 2 episodes [1][2][28]
2019 Giri/Haji Eiko Fukuhara Main role, 6 episodes [32]
2022–present Pachinko Naomi Main role [42]
2023–present Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Cate Randa [51]
2024 Shōgun Toda Mariko Lead role, 10 episodes [48]

Music videos

Year Title Artist Role Ref.
2015 "Katy" Elliot Yamin Lead role [24]

Video games

Year Title Voice role Notes Ref.
2017 Style Savvy: Styling Star Angélique Noir North American and PAL versions [26]

Stage credits

Year Production Role Venue Ref.
2004 Annie Annie Aoyama Theatre [12][13]
2018 The Book Dancer Owlspot Theatre [29]

Discography

Main article: Faky § Discography

Awards and nominations

Award Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
Pena de Prata 2022 Best Ensemble in a Drama Series Pachinko Nominated [62]
Independent Spirit Awards 2023 Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series Won [47]
Gotham TV Awards 2024 Outstanding Performance in a Limited Series Shōgun Nominated [63]
Television Critics Association Awards 2024 Individual Achievement in Drama Won [64]
Astra TV Awards 2024 Best Actress in a Streaming Drama Series Won [65]
Primetime Emmy Awards 2024 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Won [66]

Notes

  1. ^ Sawai is credited in katakana for her music career, but her Japanese acting roles are credited in kanji (澤井 杏奈, Sawai Anna).[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b ログ (July 10, 2018). "[新] 青と僕 第1話 ブレイクマンデー24 井之脇海、寛一郎、池田エライザ". donutstv.site (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b ログ (July 31, 2018). "青と僕 第4話 ブレイクマンデー24 井之脇海、寛一郎、池田エライザ". donutstv.site (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  3. ^ Brown, Tracy (February 25, 2024). "Anna Sawai's 'Shogun' role felt personal: Mariko is 'every woman in Japan who has suffered'". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ Burack, Emily (March 5, 2024). "Playing Mariko on Shōgun Changed Anna Sawai's Life". Town & Country.
  5. ^ "Meet the 2024 Time 100 Next". Time. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Hawgood, Alex (April 14, 2022). "Anna Sawai Goes from J-Pop Star to Hollywood Starlet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  7. ^ Tsuchiya, Lyn (October 24, 2022). "Reina Sawai on Ballet and Women in Leadership". Tokyo Weekender. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Yaptangco, Ariana (June 23, 2021). "Anna Sawai Wants to Eliminate Stereotypes for Asian Female Characters". Elle. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
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  23. ^ FAKY / Better Without You (Music video). Avex. July 29, 2013. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ a b "Anna appears in the music video of Elliott Yamin's latest song, "Katy!"". faky.jp (in Japanese). October 29, 2015. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  25. ^ "Candy (Yamato Remix)でおなじみのYAMATOが本日よりDigital Sg「Shining feat. Anna & Akina (from FAKY)」を配信!". faky.jp (in Japanese). April 26, 2017. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Lada, Jenni (December 26, 2017). "Nintendo Releases Style Savvy: Styling Star Vocal Collection In Japan". Siliconera. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  27. ^ "今秋発売ニンテンドー3DSソフト「Girls Mode 4 スター☆スタイリスト」テーマ曲「Girls be ambitious」をAnnaが担当!! Anna sings "Girls be ambitious", the theme song of Nintendo 3DS "Girls Mode 4 スター☆スタイリスト"!!". faky.jp (in Japanese). September 14, 2017. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  28. ^ a b "Annaがフジテレビの定額制見放題動画サービスFODプレミアムにて3/30(金)より日時限定で配信されるドラマ『colors』に出演! Anna is cast in "colors", a FOD original drama, aired on FOD from Mar. 30th!". faky.jp (in Japanese). March 29, 2018. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  29. ^ a b "Annaが5月14日、15日池袋あうるすぽっとで開催される「"The Book" ~sense~」に出演決定！Anna will perform at"The Book" ~sense~ by dance art project "Think Tank Bang" on May 14th and 15th!". faky.jp (in Japanese). April 23, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  30. ^ "【重要】日ごろ応援してくださっているみなさまへ : Anna グループ卒業のご報告 【Information】Dear FAKY Mania : Anna will be departing from the group". faky.jp (in Japanese). November 16, 2018. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  31. ^ "FAKY、新メンバー2名が加入 オフィシャルサイトにて新ビジュアルも公開". Real Sound (リアルサウンド) (in Japanese). December 25, 2018. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
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