# Sota Fukushi

Sota Fukushi (福士 蒼汰, Fukushi Sōta, born May 30, 1993) is a Japanese actor. He first rose to prominence portraying Gentaro Kisaragi in Kamen Rider Fourze (2011–2012). He has since had notable roles in television series Koinaka (2015) and My Lover's Secret (2017), as well as films Say "I Love You" (2014), As the Gods Will (2014), Strobe Edge (2015), My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday (2016), Bleach (2018), and Kaiji: Final Game (2020).

## Early life and education

Sota Fukushi was born on May 30, 1993 in Tokyo, Japan. During his school days, he was a member of the basketball club until middle school and the Double Dutch club in high school. His prominent early influences were actors Teruyuki Kagawa and Junichi Okada. It was the influence of Okada that Fukushi decided to learn Jeet Kune Do and Arnis and Kagawa that he had goals of acting in period dramas to become a versatile actor. He has expressed a keen interest in learning English since middle school after receiving praise and encouragement from his middle school English teacher. His interest was further fuelled by his aspirations to be an international actor. He holds a Grade 2 Eiken certificate.

## Career
### 2010–2012: Beginnings and Kamen Rider Fourze

After entering high school, Fukushi was shopping in Shibuya with a friend when he was approached to be photographed. He agreed, and his pictures were subsequently featured in a magazine. Fukushi was scouted by Ken-On after a person at the agency saw his photos in the magazine. He joined the agency on September 21, 2010. In January 2011, he made his official acting debut in the NTV drama, Misaki Number One!!.
Three months after his debut, he auditioned for the lead role in Kamen Rider Fourze and was selected from approximately 3,000 applicants for the role of Gentaro Kisaragi. Among the selected candidates was Ryuki Takahashi, who was chosen to co-star as Kengo Utahoshi. During the final interview to select a partner, Fukushi selected Takahashi, and the two actors engaged in a dialogue exchange on a subject provided to them. The show aired from September 4, 2011 to August 26, 2012 on TV Asahi. However, prior to the broadcast of Kamen Rider Fourze, Fukushi made his first appearance as Gentaro Kisaragi in Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful: The Shogun and the 21 Core Medals, marking his film debut. The film was released on August 6, 2011. He would then go on to appear in the film Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Mega Max later that year, where he assumed the leading role in a film for the first time. The film was released on December 10, 2011. He would go on to dedicate most of 2012 appearing in Kamen Rider related media.

### 2013–2022: Breakthrough and leading roles

Coming out of the Kamen Rider series, Fukushi then appeared in the NHK television drama Amachan in 2013. He played the role of Koichi Taneichi, a high school senior who the heroine falls in love with at first sight. The show was broadcast from April 1 to September 28, 2013. The drama achieved high viewership ratings, which increased Fukushi's popularity and public recognition. That same year, he appeared in the films Library Wars and Enoshima Prism. His success would continue to be recognised with him ranking first in both the "Breakthrough Actor Ranking for the First Half of 2013" and "Breakthrough Actor Ranking for 2014", according to Oricon.
In 2014, Fukushi led the romance film Say "I Love You" alongside Haruna Kawaguchi. The film premiered on July 12, 2014. It was considered a success, garnering almost 500,000 viewers within the first two weeks of its release. He then starred in the Japanese supernatural horror film As the Gods Will, directed by Takashi Miike. It is based on the first arc of the eponymous manga series by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Akeji Fujimura. For the film's international release, Fukushi made his international film festival debut at the 9th Rome International Film Festival held in October, 2014. At the official press conference, he greeted the audience in fluent Italian, followed by a speech in English.
In 2015, he starred in the romance film Strobe Edge alongside Kasumi Arimura. The film was released on March 14, 2015. In July, he played the lead role in Fuji TV's Koinaka. That same year, he was awarded the Best New Actor Award at the 38th Japan Academy Awards for his roles in the films Say "I Love You", In the Hero, and As the Gods Will.
In 2016, he appeared in the romance film My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday alongside Nana Komatsu, a live-action adaptation of the novel of the same name. He played Takatoshi Minamiyama, an arts school student who falls in love at first sight on the train to school. The film was released on December 17, 2016.
In 2017, he appeared in the films To Each His Own and Blade of the Immortal. He also reprised his role as Gentaro Kisaragi for the first time in five years in Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Rider, which was released on December 9, 2017. That same year, he starred in the NTV mystery drama, My Lover's Secret. He also made his stage debut playing the leading role of Sutenosuke in Gekidan Shinkansen "Seven Souls in the Skull Castle" Season Moon Waxing Crescent Moon. The play ran from November 23, 2017 to February 21, 2018.
In 2018, Fukushi worked with director Takashi Miike for a third time in the film Laplace's Witch. The film was released on May 4, 2018. He also played Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach, a live-action film adaptation of the manga series of the same name. The film was released on July 20, 2018. He then starred in the film The Travelling Cat Chronicles, which was released on October 26, 2018.
In 2019, he starred in the TBS dramas Heaven?: My Restaurant, My Life and Marigold in 4 Minutes and the film The Fable.
In 2020, he portrayed Kōsuke Takakura in the film Kaiji: Final Game. He then starred in the historical suspense drama Meiji Kaika: Shinjuro Tanteicho as Shinjuro Yuki, a detective who is considered the Meiji Sherlock Holmes. The show's original broadcast was postponed due to COVID-19. The first episode premiered on December 11, 2020. He also appeared in the show Diver: Special Investigation Unit as the main hero, Kurosawa Hyougo.
In February 2021, Fukushi took on his first role as a doctor in the TV Tokyo production In His Chart. He portrayed the main character, Ichito Kurihara. He then played Eisuke Saijo in the drama Avalanche.
In 2022, he starred in Hoshi Kara Kita Anata, the Japanese remake of the popular South Korean drama My Love from the Star. He portrayed Mitsuru Higashiyama, an alien secretly living on Earth. The show was released as an Amazon Original drama available exclusively on Prime Video from February 23, 2022.

### 2023–present: Venture into international roles

In 2023, Fukushi starred in his first overseas project in season two of Hulu's original series The Head with an English-language role. He portrayed computer engineer Yuto Nakamura and travelled to Spain to film the show. It was released for streaming on Hulu on June 17, 2023. That same year, he played the role of a lawyer in TV Tokyo's drama Attorney Sodom as Wataru Odagiri. The show premiered on April 28, 2023.
In 2024, Fukushi made his film comeback in The Women in the Lakes playing detective Keisuke Hamanaka. The film was originally set to be released in November, 2023, but was postponed. The film was released in theatres on May 17, 2024. He then starred in the TV Asahi drama Ai no Nai Koibitotachi as 33-year-old unsuccessful scriptwriter Masakazu Kume. The first episode aired on January 21, 2024.
On June 27, 2024, Netflix confirmed Fukushi's participation in their upcoming series Can This Love Be Translated?, marking his first South Korean project.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful: The Shogun and the 21 Core Medals | Gentaro Kisaragi/Kamen Rider Fourze | Cameo |
| 2011 | Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Mega Max | Gentaro Kisaragi/Kamen Rider Fourze | Lead role |
| 2012 | Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen | Gentaro Kisaragi/Kamen Rider Fourze | |
| 2012 | Kamen Rider Fourze the Movie: Everyone, Space Is Here! | Gentaro Kisaragi/Kamen Rider Fourze | Lead role |
| 2012 | In the Future, When I Am Executed | Yukio Asao | Lead role |
| 2012 | Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze: Movie War Ultimatum | Gentaro Kisaragi/Kamen Rider Fourze | Lead role |
| 2013 | Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z | Gentaro Kisaragi/Kamen Rider Fourze | Voice only |
| 2013 | Library Wars | Hikaru Tezuka | |
| 2013 | Enoshima Prism | Shūta Jōgasaki | Lead role |
| 2014 | Detective Conan: Dimensional Sniper | Kevin Yoshino | Voice only |
| 2014 | Say "I Love You" | Yamato Kurosawa | Lead role |
| 2014 | In the Hero | Ryo Ichinose | |
| 2014 | As the Gods Will | Shun Takahata | Lead role |
| 2015 | Strobe Edge | Ren Ichinose | Lead role |
| 2015 | Library Wars: The Last Mission | Hikaru Tezuka | |
| 2016 | My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday | Takatoshi Minamiyama | Lead role |
| 2017 | To Each His Own | Yamamoto | Lead role |
| 2017 | Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Rider | Gentaro Kisaragi/Kamen Rider Fourze | |
| 2017 | Blade of the Immortal | Kagehisa Anotsu | |
| 2018 | Laughing Under the Clouds | Tenka Kumō | Lead role |
| 2018 | Bleach | Ichigo Kurosaki | Lead role |
| 2018 | The Travelling Cat Chronicles | Satoru Miyawaki | Lead role |
| 2018 | Laplace's Witch | Kento Amakasu | |
| 2019 | The Fable | Hood | |
| 2020 | Kaiji: Final Game | Kōsuke Takakura | |
| 2024 | The Women in the Lakes | Keisuke Hamanaka | Lead role |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Misaki Number One!! | Sōta Murano | |
| 2011 | Shima Shima | Shuji Makomo | |
| 2011 | Umareru | Yuya Yamanaka | |
| 2011–12 | Kamen Rider Fourze | Gentaro Kisaragi / Kamen Rider Fourze | Lead role |
| 2013 | Amachan | Kōichi Taneichi | Asadora |
| 2013 | Starman・Love in Earth | Hoshio (Tatsuya) | |
| 2013 | About First Marriage Proposal | Motorcycle courier rider | Short drama |
| 2013 | A Clinic on the Sea | Noboru Misaki | |
| 2014 | Trick New Special 3 | Akira Mizukami | |
| 2014 | Baseball Braniacs | Kimiyasu Akaiwa | |
| 2014 | I'm Taking the Day Off | Yūto Tanokura | |
| 2015 | Koinaka: Best Friends in Love | Aoi Miura | Lead role |
| 2016 | Goodbye Ghosts! | Madoka Tsutsumi | Lead role |
| 2016 | Montage | Yamato Narumi | Lead role; mini-series |
| 2017 | My Lover's Secret | Rei Okumori | Lead role |
| 2019 | Heaven?: My Restaurant, My Life | Kan Iga | |
| 2019 | Marigold in 4 Minutes | Mikoto Hanamaki | Lead role |
| 2020 | Diver: Special Investigation Unit | Kurosawa Hyougo | Lead role |
| 2020–21 | Meiji Kaika: Shinjuro Tanteicho | Shinjuro Yuki | Lead role |
| 2021 | In His Chart | Ichito Kurihara | Lead role; mini-series |
| 2021 | Avalanche | Eisuke Saijo | |
| 2022 | Hoshi Kara Kita Anata | Mitsuru Higashiyama | Lead role |
| 2023 | Ōoku: The Inner Chambers | Madenokōji Arikoto and Tenshō-in Taneatsu | |
| 2023 | NoMAD Workout | Trainer Fuku | |
| 2023 | Attorney Sodom | Wataru Odagiri | |
| 2023 | The Head | Yuto Nakamura | Season 2 |
| 2024 | Loveless Lovers | Masakazu Kume | |
| TBA | Can This Love Be Translated? | TBA | Lead role; Korean drama |

## Stage
### Theatre

| Year | Title | Title | Role | Venue | Date | Ref. |
| Year | English | Japanese | Role | Venue | Date | Ref. |
| 2017–2018 | Gekidan Shinkansen "Seven Souls in the Skull Castle" Season Moon Waxing Crescent Moon | 劇団 新感線『髑髏城の七人』Season月 上弦の月 | Sutenosuke | IHI Stage Around, Tokyo | November 23, 2017–February 21, 2018 | |
| 2020 | Village Produce 2020 Series Another Style "Urashima-san" | ヴィレッヂプロデュース2020 Series Another Style『浦島さん』 | Urashima Taro | Tokyo Tatemono Brillia HALL | October 4–17 | |
| 2021 | Reading plays "I Can't Forget, I Can't Forget", "First Love That Won't Return, Ebina SA", and "Kalashnikov's Adultery Strait", written and directed by Yuji Sakamoto | 朗読劇『忘れえぬ 忘れえぬ』『不帰の初恋、海老名SA』『カラシニコフ不倫海峡』 | | Yomiuri Otemachi Hall, Tokyo | April 22 | |
| 2021 | Reading plays "I Can't Forget, I Can't Forget", "First Love That Won't Return, Ebina SA", and "Kalashnikov's Adultery Strait", written and directed by Yuji Sakamoto | 朗読劇『忘れえぬ 忘れえぬ』『不帰の初恋、海老名SA』『カラシニコフ不倫海峡』 | | Matsushita IMP Hall, Osaka | April 30–May 2 | |
| 2022 | Gekidan Shinkansen 42nd Anniversary Performance Spring Performance Inoue Kabuki "Shinshu Burai-gai" | 劇団 新感線 42周年興行 春公演 いのうえ歌舞伎『神州無頼街』 | Akitsu Nagaru | Orix Theater | March 17–29 | |
| 2022 | Gekidan Shinkansen 42nd Anniversary Performance Spring Performance Inoue Kabuki "Shinshu Burai-gai" | 劇団 新感線 42周年興行 春公演 いのうえ歌舞伎『神州無頼街』 | Akitsu Nagaru | Fuji City Cultural Center Rose Theater Large Hall | April 9–12 | |
| 2022 | Gekidan Shinkansen 42nd Anniversary Performance Spring Performance Inoue Kabuki "Shinshu Burai-gai" | 劇団 新感線 42周年興行 春公演 いのうえ歌舞伎『神州無頼街』 | Akitsu Nagaru | Tokyo Tatemono Brillia HALL | April 26–May 28 | |