Sota Fukushi

is a Japanese actor. He first rose to prominence portraying Gentaro Kisaragi in ''Kamen Rider Fourze'' (2011–2012). He has since had notable roles in television series '' Koinaka'' (2015) and ''My Lover's Secret'' (2017), as well as films '' Say "I Love You"'' (2014), '' As the Gods Will'' (2014), '' Strobe Edge'' (2015), '' My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'' (2016), ''Bleach'' (2018), and '' Kaiji: Final Game'' (2020).

Early life and education

Sota Fukushi was born on May 30, 1993 in Tokyo, Japan. During his school days, he was a member of the basketball club until middle school and the Double Dutch club in high school.
His prominent early influences were actors Teruyuki Kagawa and Junichi Okada. It was the influence of Okada that Fukushi decided to learn Jeet Kune Do and Arnis and Kagawa that he had goals of acting in period dramas to become a versatile actor. He has expressed a keen interest in learning English since middle school after receiving praise and encouragement from his middle school English teacher. His interest was further fuelled by his aspirations to be an international actor. He holds a Grade 2 Eiken certificate.

Career

2010–2012: Beginnings and ''Kamen Rider Fourze''

After entering high school, Fukushi was shopping in Shibuya with a friend when he was approached to be photographed. He agreed, and his pictures were subsequently featured in a magazine. Fukushi was scouted by Ken-On after a person at the agency saw his photos in the magazine. He joined the agency on September 21, 2010. In January 2011, he made his official acting debut in the NTV drama, ''Misaki Number One!!''.

Three months after his debut, he auditioned for the lead role in ''Kamen Rider Fourze'' and was selected from approximately 3,000 applicants for the role of Gentaro Kisaragi. Among the selected candidates was Ryuki Takahashi, who was chosen to co-star as Kengo Utahoshi. During the final interview to select a partner, Fukushi selected Takahashi, and the two actors engaged in a dialogue exchange on a subject provided to them. The show aired from September 4, 2011 to August 26, 2012 on TV Asahi. However, prior to the broadcast of ''Kamen Rider Fourze'', Fukushi made his first appearance as Gentaro Kisaragi in '' Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful: The Shogun and the 21 Core Medals'', marking his film debut. The film was released on August 6, 2011. He would then go on to appear in the film '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Mega Max'' later that year, where he assumed the leading role in a film for the first time. The film was released on December 10, 2011. He would go on to dedicate most of 2012 appearing in ''Kamen Rider'' related media.

2013–2022: Breakthrough and leading roles

Coming out of the ''Kamen Rider'' series, Fukushi then appeared in the NHK television drama '' Amachan'' in 2013. He played the role of Koichi Taneichi, a high school senior who the heroine falls in love with at first sight. The show was broadcast from April 1 to September 28, 2013. The drama achieved high viewership ratings, which increased Fukushi's popularity and public recognition. That same year, he appeared in the films '' Library Wars'' and '' Enoshima Prism''. His success would continue to be recognised with him ranking first in both the "Breakthrough Actor Ranking for the First Half of 2013" and "Breakthrough Actor Ranking for 2014", according to Oricon.

In 2014, Fukushi led the romance film '' Say "I Love You"'' alongside Haruna Kawaguchi. The film premiered on July 12, 2014. It was considered a success, garnering almost 500,000 viewers within the first two weeks of its release. He then starred in the Japanese supernatural horror film '' As the Gods Will'', directed by Takashi Miike. It is based on the first arc of the eponymous manga series by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Akeji Fujimura. For the film's international release, Fukushi made his international film festival debut at the 9th Rome International Film Festival held in October, 2014. At the official press conference, he greeted the audience in fluent Italian, followed by a speech in English.

In 2015, he starred in the romance film '' Strobe Edge'' alongside Kasumi Arimura. The film was released on March 14, 2015. In July, he played the lead role in Fuji TV's '' Koinaka.'' That same year, he was awarded the Best New Actor Award at the 38th Japan Academy Awards for his roles in the films ''Say "I Love You"'', ''In the Hero'', and ''As the Gods Will''.

In 2016, he appeared in the romance film '' My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'' alongside Nana Komatsu, a live-action adaptation of the novel of the same name. He played Takatoshi Minamiyama, an arts school student who falls in love at first sight on the train to school. The film was released on December 17, 2016.

In 2017, he appeared in the films '' To Each His Own'' and ''Blade of the Immortal.'' He also reprised his role as Gentaro Kisaragi for the first time in five years in '' Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Rider'', which was released on December 9, 2017. That same year, he starred in the NTV mystery drama, ''My Lover's Secret''. He also made his stage debut playing the leading role of Sutenosuke in ''Gekidan Shinkansen "Seven Souls in the Skull Castle" Season Moon Waxing Crescent Moon''. The play ran from November 23, 2017 to February 21, 2018.

In 2018, Fukushi worked with director Takashi Miike for a third time in the film '' Laplace's Witch''. The film was released on May 4, 2018. He also played Ichigo Kurosaki in ''Bleach'', a live-action film adaptation of the manga series of the same name. The film was released on July 20, 2018. He then starred in the film ''The Travelling Cat Chronicles'', which was released on October 26, 2018.

In 2019, he starred in the TBS dramas ''Heaven?: My Restaurant, My Life'' and ''Marigold in 4 Minutes'' and the film '' The Fable''.

In 2020, he portrayed Kōsuke Takakura in the film '' Kaiji: Final Game''. He then starred in the historical suspense drama ''Meiji Kaika: Shinjuro Tanteicho'' as Shinjuro Yuki, a detective who is considered the Meiji Sherlock Holmes. The show's original broadcast was postponed due to COVID-19. The first episode premiered on December 11, 2020. He also appeared in the show ''Diver: Special Investigation Unit'' as the main hero, Kurosawa Hyougo.

In February 2021, Fukushi took on his first role as a doctor in the TV Tokyo