Early Career
Born in Mitaka, Tokyo to a German American father and Japanese mother, Wentz became involved in the entertainment industry at a very young age. Wentz initially started as a model at age 4, and made his acting debut as the role of Chip in the Four Seasons Musical Troupe Production of Beauty and the Beast. He became famous as a child actor as a regular on the NHK television show Tensai Terebi-kun (天才テレビくん?) where he played bass guitar and piano at age 10. During live performances, he played the acoustic bass as well as the keyboard. He started learning the guitar from age 17. He is featured in popular rock band Luna Sea's music video for their 1996 single "In Silence".
He originally wanted to be a fashion model, but he was too short to become one. When he terminated his contract with Tensai Terebi-kun, he decided to get away from show-business, but after the recommendation of Hiromi Go, he entered Burning Productions and became a tarento.
He began his acting career at the age of 18, when he played a minor role in the NHK television series Toshiie To Matsu.
In 2007, he started to appear in several of Cocorico's comedy shows as Shorty Tanaka (ちっこい田中, Little Tanaka), and since Tensai Terebi Kun, he is a deshi (exclusive student) of Yoshimoto comedian Hosei Yamazaki.
Read more about this topic: Eiji Wentz
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