Kenichi Matsuyama

Kenichi Matsuyama
松山 ケンイチ
Matsuyama at the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival
Born
Kenichi Matsuyama (松山 研一)

(1985-03-05) March 5, 1985
Mutsu, Aomori, Japan
OccupationActor
Years active2001–present
AgentHoripro
Spouse
​
(m. 2011)​
Children3

Kenichi Matsuyama (松山 ケンイチ, Matsuyama Ken'ichi; born March 5, 1985) is a Japanese actor. He is known for his affinity for strange character roles, and he is best known internationally for playing L in the 2006 films Death Note, Death Note 2: The Last Name and L: Change the World in 2008. He was cast to play lead character Toru Watanabe in the film adaptation of Haruki Murakami's novel Norwegian Wood, which was released in December 2010.

His stage name uses the katakana spelling of his first name (ケンイチ) instead of the usual kanji (研一).[1]

Early career

In 2000 he entered Aomori Prefectural Ominato High School. While there, he debuted as a model, in 2001, for PARCO, after winning the Grand Prix "New Style Audition", an event in colaboration with the agency Horipro.[2] from among 16,572 applicants. He graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Toyama High School.[1][3]

Matsuyama made his acting debut in the television series Gokusen in 2002.[1]

He made his first film appearance in Bright Future in 2003.[4]

He starred in the film Winning Pass in 2004, a movie with its main character modeled after real–life wheelchair basketball player Kohei Kamimura.[4][5]

Matsuyama starred in Ultra Miracle Love Story in 2009,[4] using the Tsugaru dialect of Japanese in the film.[6]

He played a police detective in the 2023 drama Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times?[7]

He voiced the role of Balthazar Bratt in the Japanese dub of Despicable Me 3 in 2017.[8][9]

He was in the stage play Seven Souls in the Skull Castle in 2017.[10]

Personal life

On April 1, 2011, he married Koyuki Katō, who co-starred with him in Kamui Gaiden.[11] The couple's first child was born in January 2012,[12] and their second child was born in January 2013 in South Korea.[13] In July 2015, the couple had their third child.[14]

He speaks in the Shimokita dialect.[15][16] He also presumably speaks English, judging from a scene in L: Change The World where he plays L, who is talking to Near in English.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2003 Bright Future Jun [4]
Worst by Chance Korean high school student [17]
2004 Winning Pass Kenta Kobayashi Lead role [4][5]
The Locker 2 Yosuke Shinohara
Kamachi
The Taste of Tea Matsuken
2005 Linda Linda Linda Makihara
Nana Shinichi "Shin" Okazaki
Furyo Shonen no Yume Hiroyuki Yoshiie Lead role
Custom Made 10.30 Tamotsu/Shin-Getsu
Otoko-tachi no Yamato Katsumi Kamio (15 years old)
2006 Oyayubi Sagashi Tomohiko Igarashi
Death Note L
Death Note 2: The Last Name L
2007 Ten Nights of Dreams Shōtarō Anthology film
Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea Juchi
Shindo Wao
Southbound Officer Niigaki
Tsubaki Sanjuro Iori Isaka
Dolphin Blue: Fuji, mo Ichido Sora e Kazuya Uemura Lead role
2008 L: Change the World L Lead role
Sex Is No Laughing Matter Mirume Lead role [18]
Detroit Metal City Souichi Negishi/Johannes Krauser II Lead role
2009 Kamui Gaiden Kamui Lead role
Kaiji Makoto Sahara
Ultra Miracle Love Story Yojin Lead role [4]
2010 Norwegian Wood Toru Watanabe Lead role
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac Yuji Miwa Lead role
2011 Gantz Masaru Kato Lead role
Gantz: Perfect Answer Masaru Kato Lead role
My Back Page Umeyama Lead role
Usagi Drop Daikichi Kawachi Lead role
2012 Train Brain Express Kei Komachi Lead role
2013 The Kiyosu Conference Hidemasa Hori
2014 Homeland Jirō Sawada Lead role
Climbing to Spring Tōru Nagamine Lead role
2015 Chasuke's Journey Chasuke Lead role
The Emperor in August Takeo Sasaki Special appearance
2016 Rage Tetsuya Tashiro
Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow Satoshi Murayama Lead role
Chin-yu-ki: The Journey to the West with Farts Tarō Yamada Lead role
Something Like, Something Like It Defunetei Shinden Lead role
Death Note: Light Up the New World L Cameo
2017 Sekigahara Naoe Kanetsugu
Yurigokoro Yōsuke
Despicable Me 3 Balthazar Bratt Voice; Japanese dub
2019 Miyamoto Kazuo Jinbo
Promare Galo Thymos Voice; Lead role
2020 Mio's Cookbook [19]
Hotel Royal Miyagawa [20]
2021 Brave: Gunjō Senki Oda Nobunaga [21]
Blue Urita Lead role [22]
2022 Noise Jun Tanabe Lead role [23]
Dreaming of the Meridian Arc Kinoshita / Matakichi [24]
Riverside Mukolitta Yamada Lead role [25]
2023 Do Unto Others Munenori Shiba Lead role [26]
We're Broke, My Lord! Matsudaira Shinjirō [27]
2024 Saint Young Men: The Movie Jesus Lead role [28]
2025 Hey, Dazai: The Movie Osamu Dazai [29]
Seaside Serendipity Voice [30]
New Interpretation of the End of Edo Period Hijikata Toshizō [31]
2026 Nagi Diary Yoshihiro Iguchi [32]

Japanese dub

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2025 Elio Lord Grigon [33]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2002 Gokusen Kenichi Mouri
2003 Kids War 5 Yūta Kuroda
2005 1 Litre of Tears Yuji Kawamoto
2006 Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi Tarō / Shingo
Sono 5 fun mae Yuka Takashi Lead role
Death Note Gelus Voice; Episode: "Koigokoro"
2007 Sexy Voice and Robo Iichiro Sudo/Robo Lead role
2008 Matsuda Spinoff L
Detroit Metal City Makoto Hokazono Voice; Cameo
2009 Zeni Geba Gamagori Futaro Lead role
2010 Japanese Americans Hiramatsu Jiro
2012 Taira no Kiyomori Taira no Kiyomori Lead role; Taiga drama [34]
2015 Dokonjo Gaeru Hiroshi Lead role
Futagashira Benzō Lead role
2016 Death Note: New Generation L Cameo
2017 A Life Sōta Igawa
2018 Residential Complex Daiki Igarashi
Miyamoto kara Kimi e Kazuo Jinbo [35]
2019 Shiroi Kyotō Shuji Satomi Miniseries [36]
Yuganda Hamon Mitazono [37]
2020 Komoribito Masao Lead role; Television film [38]
2021 Japan Sinks: People of Hope Koichi Tokiwa [39][40]
2023 What Will You Do, Ieyasu? Honda Masanobu Taiga drama [41]
Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times? Yuzuru Uozumi [7]
2024 The Tiger and Her Wings Tōichirō Katsuraba Asadora [42]
2025 Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle? Yoshiteru Matsukaze [43]
Hey, Dazai Osamu Dazai Television film [29]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work(s) Result Ref.
2006 31st Hochi Film Awards Best New Actor Death Note Won [44]
2007 28th Yokohama Film Festival Best New Talent Won [45]
30th Japan Academy Film Prize Best Supporting Actor Nominated [46]
Best New Actor Won [46]
31st Elan d'or Awards Newcomer of the Year Himself Won [47]
2008 2nd Asia Pacific Producer's Network Award Best Actor Death Note Won
2009 32nd Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actor Detroit Metal City Nominated [48]
Most Popular Actor Won [48]
2010 64th Mainichi Film Awards Best Actor Ultra Miracle Love story Won
24th Takasaki Film Festival Best Actor Won
2011 24th Nikkan Sports Film Awards Best Actor My Back Page, Norwegian Wood, Gantz, Usagi Drop Won [49]
2017 71st Mainichi Film Awards Best Actor Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow Nominated
12th Osaka Cinema Festival Best Actor Won
40th Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actor Nominated [50]
59th Blue Ribbon Awards Best Actor Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow, Chinyūki Won
2022 76th Mainichi Film Awards Best Actor Blue Nominated [51]
35th Nikkan Sports Film Awards Best Actor Riverside Mukolitta and Noise Nominated [52]
2023 36th Nikkan Sports Film Awards Best Actor Do Unto Others Nominated [53]
2024 66th Blue Ribbon Awards Best Actor Nominated [54]

References

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