Kazuya Kamenashi - Acting Career

Acting Career

Kamenashi made his acting debut in October 1999 in the fifth season of 3 nen B gumi Kinpachi Sensei as Akihiko Fugakawa. Unlike most Japanese television dramas, the series ran for 23 episodes and ended in March 2000. He later reprised his role in the epilogue special episode which aired in 2001. Kamenashi also began appearing on stage in supporting roles of musicals, Show Geki Shock, Shock is Real Shock, Dream Boy and Dream Boys from 2001 to 2004. In late 2004, he took over the lead role in Dream Boys from Hideaki Takizawa and played the lead character in later seasons of the musical in January 2006, September 2007, March 2008, September 2009 and October 2009.

Kamenashi only returned to the small screen as an actor four years later in 2005 starring opposite Yukie Nakama and former bandmate Jin Akanishi in the second season of Gokusen as Ryū Odagiri, a troubled high school student. The show remained popular with viewers finishing its run with an average viewership rating of 27.8% and was awarded "Best Drama" while Kamenashi was awarded "Best Supporting Actor" at the 44th Television Drama Academy Awards. Additionally, he also won "Best Supporting Actor" for his performance at the 8th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix. He also co-starred with Juri Ueno the same year in the special television movie of Kinda'ichi Shōnen no Jikenbo taking over the role of Hajime Kinda'ichi from Jun Matsumoto who last portrayed it in 2001. Kamenashi capped the year with his lead role of Shūji Kiritani in Nobuta wo Produce which won him further acting accolades when he was named "Best Lead Actor" at the 47th Television Drama Academy Awards. The show also won "Best Drama" at the 9th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix.

In 2006, Kamenashi starred in Fuji TV's romance drama, Suppli, with Misaki Ito and was the lead character in NTV's two-part TV movie, Yuuki, based on a true story of a man who died at 23 years old after being diagnosed with an illness which began with the partial collapse of his cranial bone resulting in a subsequent battle with seven types of incurable diseases. This tanpatsu was highly rated with an average viewership rating of 22.7%. Kamenashi also starred opposite Haruka Ayase and bandmate Koki Tanaka in romance drama, Tatta Hitotsu no Koi, the same year. He only made one guest appearance in 2007 in the ninth episode of Tanaka's comedy series, Tokkyu Tanaka 3 Go, before taking on the lead role of Kōsaku Hatanaka in the live-action adaptation of manga, 1 Pound no Fukuin, in 2008.

In 2009, Kamenashi was cast in a live-action adaptation of a wine-themed manga, Kami no Shizuku, as the leading actor. Voters awarded him, his co-stars (Riisa Naka and Seiichi Tanabe) and the drama a near clean sweep of the winter edition of the Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Awards in March 2009. He made a guest appearance as a doctor on the third episode of TBS drama series, Mr. Brain, opposite senpai Takuya Kimura. Kamenashi also made his film debut on July 11, 2009, reprising his role of Ryū Odagiri, now a trainee teacher in Gokusen The Movie. The movie earned half a billion yen in its opening weekend landing at the top spot of the box office and stayed in the top ten for six consecutive weeks. It later ranked at number 16 on Japan's 2009 yearly box office results raking in 33,963,369 USD at the end of its run.

In 2010, he was cast in the leading role of Kyohei Takano for a live-action adaptation of popular manga, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, which aired on NTV. It was named Best Drama by voters of the 13th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Awards in March 2010 while Kamenashi and his co-star, Aya Omasa, were also awarded Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively.

In 2011, he is cast in the supernatural adventure drama, Yokai Ningen Bem. He plays the lead role along with Anne Watanabe and Suzuki Fuku as Bemu, Bella and Bero. The cast and drama dominated the 15th Nikkan Drama Grand Prix Awards by winning Best Drama, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. He has also won his role in Bemu as Best Actor in the 71st Drama Academy Awards along with Anne who won for Best Supporting Actress. The drama placed second just behind Kaseifu no Mita.