Photo:AP/Aflo

Sanada Hiroyuki, aged 63, won the Emmy Award for the Best Leading Actor, becoming the first Japanese person to achieve this honor.  
Who is Sanada? As a Japanese media, we would like to shortly look back on Sanada's achievements that have made him a prominent figure not only in Japan but globally. 
Sanada joined Japan Action club which was established by Chiba Shinichi. He starred in numerous films and dramas since then, but is well-known for his role in the TV drama "High School Teacher," which explored the forbidden theme of "love between a teacher and a student." Broadcasted in 1993, Sanada's performance as the teacher garnered much attention. 

Since then, Sanada has appeared in a wide range of works, not limited to period dramas and romance but also including the horror film "Ring" (1998). His ability to perform across various genres, from action to serious roles, has been highly praised in Japan.
Photo Aflo

Sanada Hiroyuki: From Japan to the Global Stage 

Sanada gained international recognition as an actor with the release of the film "The Twilight Samurai" known as “Tasogare Seibei”, a movie about a samurai in 2002. His performance was highly acclaimed, earning him the Best Actor Award at the 26th Japan Academy Awards. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, highlighting Sanada's acting on a global stage. 

Since then, Sanada has expanded his career internationally. In 2003, he appeared in "The Last Samurai" alongside Tom Cruise, and in 2013, he starred in "The Wolverine" with Hugh Jackman. In 2022, he appeared in "Bullet Train" with Brad Pitt, among many other hit films. He has worked with renowned actors and continued to make waves in international cinema. 

On September 16th, not only did Sanada become the first Japanese actor to win the Emmy Award for Best Actor, but the show "SHOGUN," which he produced and starred in, also won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series. Sanada has achieved success not only as an actor but also as a producer.