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is a Japanese actor and model. He is best known for his roles in the films ''
L DK ''L DK'', stylized as ''L♥DK'', is a shōjo manga by Ayu Watanabe, serialized in the Japanese manga magazine ''Bessatsu Friend'' since 2009; it has been adapted into a live-action film that was released in 2014. The story tells about the ...
'' (2014), '' Heroine Shikkaku'' (2015), '' Orange'' (2015), and '' Kingdom'' (2019), as well as the TV shows ''
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 ...
'' (2015), '' Kiss That Kills'' (2018), '' Good Doctor'' (2018), and the Netflix series '' Alice in Borderland'' (2020–present). He is under the Japanese talent agency
Stardust Promotion is a leading Japanese talent agency, headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. It was founded in 1979 and invests in entertainment forms including music, cinema, and modelling. The agency has a dominant share in the management of actresses. For example ...
.


Early life

Kento Yamazaki was born in Tokyo to a middle-class family. He lives with his father, mother and older brother. As an avid fan of football, he played the sport from 2nd grade until his 3rd year in middle school. He also had dreams of becoming a soccer player or a coach of the national team. His first modelling offer came during his third year of junior high school when he was scouted by his current agency at Takeshita Dori (
Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme. In popular refere ...
) while on his way home after a soccer match. He worked as a model for the magazine ''
Pichi Lemon was a Japanese fashion magazine published by Gakken. The magazine targets girls from early- to mid-teens. The magazine was known for its models (called "Pichimo" as an abbreviation for "Pichi Lemon model"), as well as its abundance of fashion and ...
'' from 2009 to 2011, before making his debut in acting.


Career

Yamazaki made his acting debut in 2010 when he was cast in the TV series ''Atami no Sousakan'' as a mysterious high school student. That was followed by a supporting role in TV series ''Clone Baby'', where he played a hacker. Yamazaki's first movie was ''Control Tower'' which was released in April 2011. He sang and played the guitar in the movie, and his acting was well received. The next year, he appeared in ''
The Wings of the Kirin is a 2012 Japanese film directed by Nobuhiro Doi. Plot A man's body is found under the statue of a winged kirin in the Nihombashi area of Tokyo. A suspect named Yashima has a car accident and falls unconscious while he is attempting to run a ...
'' (2012) and as the lead in the horror thriller film '' Another'', working with ''Control Tower'' co-star
Ai Hashimoto is a Japanese actress, fashion model and singer. Life Hashimoto was born in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, the second of three daughters.星原克也「女優魂 橋本愛 14歳飛躍の幕開け」,『熊本日日新聞』(Kumamoto Nichinich ...
for the second time. He was later cast in the following films: ''The Chasing World 3'' and Live action of '' Love for Beginners''. In 2013, he led a film with a LGBT theme, ''Sato Family Breakfast'', which aired on TV (BS Japan). He also participated in the 2nd Taiwan International Queer Film Festival (TIQFF) in 2015. Besides that, he took on a supporting role in the film ''JINX!!!'' and the TV series '' 35-sai no Koukousei''. In 2014, he starred in a film based on the highly successful manga of the same name, ''
L DK ''L DK'', stylized as ''L♥DK'', is a shōjo manga by Ayu Watanabe, serialized in the Japanese manga magazine ''Bessatsu Friend'' since 2009; it has been adapted into a live-action film that was released in 2014. The story tells about the ...
'' alongside
Ayame Goriki is a Japanese actress, singer and model from Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Goriki has Japanese and Filipino ancestry. She was represented by the talent agency Oscar Promotion until 2020. Career As an actress Ayame Goriki liked to ...
. The film was a breakthrough in his career which garnered him greater public attention. In the same year, he acted in three drama series, including '' Baseball Brainiacs'', where he was cast with actors Sota Fukushi and Yuto Nakajima. He also made his stage debut as main lead Inuzuka Shino in ''Satomi Hakkenden''. In 2015, he was again cast in a film adaptation of a popular manga titled '' Heroine Shikkaku'' alongside Mirei Kiritani. He also played the lead role in '' Orange'' alongside Tao Tsuchiya. The film was a great success, grossing almost US$28 million and becoming the 9th-highest-grossing Japanese films of 2016. From those two films, he won the 39th Japan Academy Prize for Newcomers of the Year and was also nominated at the 2016 Hochi Film Awards. That same year, he appeared in the television adaptation of the famous manga ''
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 ...
'' as L, and the NHK Asadora ''
Mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than fo ...
'', which was led by the aforementioned Tsuchiya Tao. In 2016, Yamazaki was cast in '' Your Lie in April'' where he played the role of Kosei Arima, a gifted pianist, alongside Suzu Hirose, who portrayed Kaori Miyazono. For this role, Yamazaki had to learn the piano and practiced for six months before the filming started. Thereafter, he was cast in the live action adaptation of '' Wolf Girl and Black Prince'' and the TV series '' A Girl & Three Sweethearts''. Yamazaki was also chosen to star in a special short film to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Yasuhisa Hara's historical manga '' Kingdom'' as the main character, Shin. He reprised his role in the live action feature film that was released on April 19, 2019. In 2017, he co-starred with Haruna Kawaguchi in '' One Week Friends''. The film received positive ratings from critics, which mostly praised Yamazaki for successfully portraying the cheerful and friendly Yuki Hase. Afterwards, he appeared in a few more live action movies: '' JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Chapter I'', '' Psychic Kusuo: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.'' and '' Hyouka: Forbidden Secrets''. Towards the end of 2017, he starred in the TV series ''Rikuoh''. In January 2018, Yamazaki played the lead role of a top nightclub host for the NTV winter drama '' Kiss that Kills'', his first lead role in a drama, which also starred
Mugi Kadowaki is a Japanese actress. Biography In 2011, Kadowaki debuted in the television drama, ''Misaki Number One!!''. At the time of her debut she was signed to Blooming Agency. In 2013, Kadowaki became a hot topic because of a commercial for "Chocola ...
, Mackenyu and Masaki Suda. His film '' A Forest of Wool and Steel'' was released too, where he portrayed a piano tuner. For preparation, Yamazaki lived in Hokkaido to learn and practice piano tuning. The Emperor and Empress of Japan attended a special screening of the film and met with the cast. In the summer of 2018, Yamazaki was cast in the TV series '' Good Doctor''. Based on the 2013 Korean drama of the same name, it tells the story of a young autistic man who becomes a pediatric surgeon. The drama received a positive response from viewers, and it was the first time he acted as a doctor and took on a more unconventional role. It earned him the Television Drama Academy Award for Best Actor. In 2020, Yamazaki went on to star in the live action film of '' Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku''. The film was released in February 2020. He played the lead role of Hirotaka Nifuji, an aloof working adult who is a huge fan of video games and the love interest of Narumi Momose, who was played by Mitsuki Takahata. He is currently well known for his leading role as Ryohei Arisu in Netflix's adaptation of '' Alice in Borderland''. The series is set to run for 2 seasons.


Filmography


Television


Film


Music videos appearances


Stage performances

* 2014 ''里見八犬伝 / Satomi Hakkenden'' role: Inuzuka Shino (Lead) * 2017 ''里見八犬伝 / Satomi Hakkenden (2017)'' role: Inuzuka Shino (Lead)


Bibliography


Photobooks

* ''Yamazaki Kento "You Are Here"(Genzaichi)'' ( Wani Books, March 27, 2014) * ''The Kentos'' (Tokyo News Service, December 17, 2014) * ''Scene #20'' (KADOKAWA, September 26, 2015) * ''山﨑賢人写真集「KENTO YAMAZAKI」'' (KADOKAWA, April 24, 2019)


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yamazaki, Kento 1994 births Japanese male film actors Japanese male stage actors Japanese male television actors Living people Male actors from Tokyo People from Itabashi Stardust Promotion artists 21st-century Japanese male actors