Profile of Chiaki Kuriyama on Famous Like Me

Chiaki Kuriyama (birth name Kuriyama Chiaki 栗山　千明, born October 10, 1984 in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki Prefecture) is a Japanese actress.

Following a career as a child model and minor roles on TV and movie from age 11, including Toire no Hanako-san (1995), Kuriyama first achieved widespread recognition in Japan for her starring roles in the horror movies Shikoku (1999) and Ju-on (2000). Later in 2000, she appeared in the action picture Battle Royale; although this movie featured an ensemble cast and allowed Kuriyama relatively little screen time, many viewers felt that her scenes were particularly memorable.

After notable appearances in Japanese TV series including Rokubanme no Sayoko, she made her Hollywood debut in director Quentin Tarantino's 2003 Kill Bill, Volume I. In Kill Bill, Kuriyama played the part of 'Go Go Yubari'—a cartoonish, manriki weilding, teenaged schoolgirl yakuza bodyguard of 'O-Ren Ishii'. Despite the movie's primarily English script, Kuriyama's dialogue was all in Japanese.

Despite her dimunitive size — fan sources indicate that she stands 1.62 m (5 ft., 3.7 in.) tall and weighs 39.9 kg (87.9 lbs) () — Kuriyama creates a distinctive onscreen presence through her ability to appear alternately, or in some cases simultaneously, winsome and menacing. Thus, her career, especially her Battle Royale and Kill Bill roles, can be seen as a variation on the violent yet feminine action-hero-cum-sex-symbol type popularized in the West by examples such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Tomb Raider.

Kuriyama's upcoming appearances include a major roles in Azumi 2: Death or Love, a samurai drama, and Yōkai Daisensō, a monster movie from Takashi Miike, along with a cameo in the Steven Seagal vehicle Into the Sun. She is also reportedly learning to speak English.

Quotes

Complex Magazine (February/March 2004)

• "I've been playing these schoolgirl roles in all my movies. Every time I went to the set, it felt like I was going to school."

• "I loved playing Go Go [her role in Kill Bill], because the character's so extreme. And she's pretty close to my real character. Especially the fact that she liked her sword with a lot of accessories." (this quote is apparently in reference to accessorizing items such as cellphones)

Singapore Press' New Paper (Oct. 29, 2003)

• "Japan is very much a TV-centred entertainment industry. So when you talk about big stars in Japan, generally they are people who are on television. I work mostly in movies."

Filmography

Scrap Heaven (2005)

Yôkai daisensô (2005) ... aka Hobgoblins & the Great Wall (literal English title) ... aka The Big Spook War (USA)

Into the Sun (2005) .... Ayako

Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005) .... Kozue ... aka Azumi 2 (Japan: short title)

Kagen no tsuki (2004) .... Mizuki ... aka Last Quarter

Itsuka 'A' torein ni notte (2003) .... Noguchi, Yuki ... aka Take the 'A' Train, Someday (International: English title)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) .... Gogo Yubari

"R-17" (2001) TV Series

Batoru rowaiaru (2000) .... Takako Chigusa - Girls #13 ... aka Battle Royale (International: English title)

"Tajuu jinkaku tantei saiko - Amamiya Kazuhiko no kikan" (2000) (mini) TV Series ... aka MPD Psycho ... aka Multiple Personality Detective Psycho - Kazuhiko Amamiya Returns (Japan: English title)

Ju-on (2000) (V) .... Mizuho Tamura ... aka Curse Grudge (USA) ... aka Ju-on: The Curse (informal English title)

Kamen gakuen (2000) .... Reika Dojima ... aka Persona (poster title)

Shikoku (1999) .... Sayori Hiura

Gonin (1995) .... Ogiwara's daughter ... aka The Five (USA)

Toire no Hanako-san (1995) ... aka School Mystery (USA)

Endorsing/ Advertising (in no specific order):

Maquillage Shiseido (fashion make-up)

Ecko Unlimited (branded clothes)

Jai Bank (Japanese Company)

Panasonic P901iS Cellphone

Aroe Yogurt(Japanese dairy products)

Clorets (mint chewing gum)

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