:Naomi Watanabe
{{short description|Japanese actress and comedian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Naomi Watanabe
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|渡辺 直美}}}}
| image = Naomi Watanabe (1).jpg
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption = Naomi Watanabe in 2010
| birth_name = Naomi Watanabe
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|10|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = Banqiao City, Taipei County, Taiwan
| death_date =
| death_place =
| othername =
| height = {{height|m=1.57}}
| occupation = Actress, comedian, fashion designer
| yearsactive = {{Start date|2007}}–present
| spouse =
| domesticpartner =
| website =
| module = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed = yes
| genre = {{hlist|
}}
| instrument = Vocals
| label = {{hlist|
}}
}}
}}
{{nihongo|Naomi Watanabe|渡辺 直美|Watanabe Naomi|born 23 October 1987}} is a Japanese comedian, actress, and fashion designer. She rose to fame in 2008 for her imitation of Beyoncé, after which she was given the title "the Japanese Beyoncé".{{cite web | url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/entertainment/57523 | title=和製ビヨンセ・渡辺直美、美空ひばりさんのモノマネ初披露 | work=Oricon | date=2008-08-23 | accessdate=2010-03-12 | language=Japanese}}{{cite web | url=http://www.cinematoday.jp/page/N0013687 | title=和製ビヨンセ・渡辺直美が激白？「椎名桔平に口説かれたら芸人辞めます！」 | work=Cinema Today | date=2008-05-02 | accessdate=2010-03-12 | language= Japanese}}{{cite web |last1=Hou |first1=Kathleen |title=Make Some Room For Naomi Watanabe The unstoppable Japanese comedian is coming for America and the world. |date=August 2019 |url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/08/profile-japanese-comedian-naomi-watanabe.html |publisher=The Cut |accessdate=2 August 2019}}
Career
Watanabe does impersonations of popular artists in Japanese culture, among which her imitation of Beyoncé singing "Dreamgirls" and "Crazy in Love" quickly became popular. She has also launched her own fashion line called Punyus (loosely translated to "chubby" in English), and played the role of Mabel in the musical Fame and Tracy Turnblad in the musical Hairspray. Her Instagram account has 9.9 million followers as of 23 February 2023.{{cite news |last1=Inagaki |first1=Kana |title=Comedian Naomi Watanabe on luxury, loneliness and being plus-size in Japan |url=https://www.ft.com/content/bb0e1234-4246-11e8-93cf-67ac3a6482fd|date=18 April 2018 |publisher=Financial Times}}
=Guest appearances=
Watanabe was seen as a guest in the 2013 anime movie Crayon Shin-chan: Very Tasty! B-class Gourmet Survival!!.{{cite web |url=http://shinchan-movie.com/images/VoiceDetail.jpg |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2013-01-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122204206/http://www.shinchan-movie.com/images/VoiceDetail.jpg |archivedate=2013-01-22 }} In 2016, she voiced the character of Ashima in the Japanese language dub of the Thomas & Friends film The Great Race.{{cite web|url=http://movie2017.thomasandfriends.jp/|title=映画 きかんしゃトーマス「走れ！世界のなかまたち THE GREAT RACE」|language=Japanese|access-date=15 December 2016|archive-date=26 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126041647/https://movie2017.thomasandfriends.jp/|url-status=dead}} In 2019, she was featured in Queer Eye: We're in Japan!, Season 1, Episode 3, "The Ideal Woman".{{Cite web|url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81075744|title=Queer Eye: We're in Japan! {{!}} Netflix Official Site|website=www.netflix.com|language=en|access-date=2019-11-07}}
In March 2021 she announced her intention to move from Japan to the United States the next month.{{cite web |last1=Baseel |first1=Casey |title=Naomi Watanabe moving to U.S.; switching base of operations to outside Japan |url=https://japantoday.com/category/entertainment/naomi-watanabe-is-moving-to-u.s.-switching-base-of-operations-outside-japan |website=Japan Today |date=3 March 2021 |access-date=22 March 2021}} She has appeared in Us Weekly magazine.Us Weekly, 13 December 2021, p. 46.
Personal life
Watanabe was born in Taipei to a Japanese father and a Taiwanese mother and raised in Ibaraki.{{cite news |last1=Inagaki |first1=Kana |title=Comedian Naomi Watanabe on luxury, loneliness and being plus-size in Japan |url=https://www.ft.com/content/bb0e1234-4246-11e8-93cf-67ac3a6482fd |website=Financial Times |date=18 April 2018 |url-access=subscription}} She is of Japanese and Taiwanese descent.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/08/profile-japanese-comedian-naomi-watanabe.html|title=Make Some Room For Naomi Watanabe|last=Hou|first=Kathleen|date=1 August 2019|website=The Cut|access-date=1 August 2019}}{{cite web | url=http://news.ameba.jp/maquia/2009/11/50926.html | title=渡辺直美は8.5kg減 「肉食ダイエット」がいいかも | work=Ameba News | date=2009-11-25 | accessdate=2010-03-10 | language=Japanese | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091230133604/http://news.ameba.jp/maquia/2009/11/50926.html | archive-date=30 December 2009 | url-status=dead }}
Awards
In December 2024, Naomi Watanabe was included on the BBC's 100 Women list.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/resources/idt-4f79d09b-655a-42f8-82b4-9b2ecebab611|title=BBC 100 Women 2024: Who is on the list this year?|publisher=BBC|date=3 December 2024|accessdate=3 December 2024 |language=}}
Discography
= Singles =
== As a featured artist ==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:12em;" |Title ! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:1em;" |Year !Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:12em;" |Album |
| style="width:3em;font-size:85%" |JPN Hot 100{{Efn-ua|Sources for chart positions: |
|---|
| scope="row" |"{{nihongo|Kira Kira|キラキラ| |
(Ai featuring Naomi Watanabe)
|2017
|19
|-
! scope="row" |"Kiss Me More"{{Cite web |title=渡辺直美がラップで全世界デビュー、ドージャ・キャット楽曲に参加 {{!}} CINRA |url=https://www.cinra.net/happening/2022-07-22/2595 |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=www.cinra.net |language=ja}}
(Doja Cat featuring Naomi Watanabe)
|2022
|—
|{{Non-album single}}
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" style="font-size:90%;" |"—" denotes items that did not chart.
|}
Filmography
=Variety shows=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Network ! Notes ! class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
| 2010–14
| | |
| 2011
|Fuji TV | | |
| 2023
| |
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
| 2012
| Tug of War! | | | |
| 2013
| R100 | | | |
| 2018
| Sunny: Our Hearts Beat Together | Ume | | |
| rowspan=2|2020
| The Untold Tale of the Three Kingdoms | Diaochan | |
| The Promised Neverland
| Krone | |{{Cite web|title=Live-Action The Promised Neverland Film Casts Keiko Kitagawa, Naomi Watanabe|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-02-25/live-action-the-promised-neverland-film-casts-keiko-kitagawa-naomi-watanabe/.156846|access-date=9 November 2021|website=Anime News Network|language=en}} |
=Television drama=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
| rowspan=2|2011
| | | |
| Yūsha Yoshihiko
| | | |
| 2014
| | | |
| 2016
| | | |
| 2019
|Guest | | |
| 2020
| | | |
| 2025
|Akipi |
=Animation=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Type ! Notes ! class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
| 2007
| | TV | | |
| 2013
| Crayon Shin-chan: Very Tasty! B-class Gourmet Survival!! | | Film | | |
| 2015
| Chibi Maruko-chan: A Boy from Italy | | Film | | |
| 2020
| Doraemon: Nobita's New Dinosaur | Natalie | Film | |
| 2021
|2-Part film, | |
| 2022
|Sachet |Film | |
=Japanese dub=
;Live-action
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Voice dub for ! Notes ! class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
| 2015
| Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb | Tilly | |
| 2015
| Pixels | colspan="2"| Serena Williams | |
| 2016
| Dr. Abigail L. "Abby" Yates | |
| 2018
| Renee Bennett | | |
| 2022
| Gozer / Mini Marshmallow Man | | |
;Animation
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Voice dub for ! Notes ! class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
| 2016
| Thomas & Friends: The Great Race | Ashima | | |
| 2017
| Coco | |
| 2022
| Master Chow | |
Notes
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://profile.yoshimoto.co.jp/talent/detail?id=2710 Naomi Watanabe's profile] at Yoshimoto Kogyo
- [http://punyus.jp/ Punyus] (fashion brand)
- {{ann|people|214858}}
{{100 Women by BBC in 2024|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watanabe, Naomi}}
Category:Actresses from New Taipei
Category:Japanese film actresses
Category:Japanese musical theatre actresses
Category:Japanese television actresses
Category:Japanese voice actresses
Category:Japanese women comedians
Category:Japanese women fashion designers
Category:Japanese people of Taiwanese descent