David Sakurai
{{short description|Japanese-Danish actor, director, scriptwriter, and martial artist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = David Sakurai
| image = David Sakurai.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = David Sakurai on Jesper Skoubølling's photo
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|07|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = Copenhagen, Denmark
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Japanese Danish
| occupation = Actor, director, scriptwriter, martial artist
| years_active = 2006–present
}}
David Sakurai (Copenhagen, 19 July 1979) is a Danish Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist.
Biography
David Sakurai was born in Copenhagen to a Japanese father and a Danish mother and raised in Frederiksværk, Denmark. He has a brother named Kristoffer, who is a former dancer.{{cite web |url=https://www.danskefilm.dk/kredits.php?id=17601 |title=David Sakurai |publisher=danskefilm.dk |accessdate=2015-02-06 |language=Danish}}
Sakurai was interested in filmmaking from a young age and at the age of 18 moved to Japan, where he also learned acting. He played smaller roles in theatre and in indie films, like Tokyo G.P. in 2001 and Scarlet Runaway in 2005.{{cite web |url=http://www.os-productions.jp/representation/david_sakurai/2008/09/profile.html |title=David Sakurai |publisher=os-productions.jp |date=2008-09-24 |accessdate=2015-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207003319/http://www.os-productions.jp/representation/david_sakurai/2008/09/profile.html |archive-date=2015-02-07 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.kulturkapellet.dk/filmessay.php?id=42 |title=Interview med skuespiller David Sakurai |publisher=Kulturkapellet |language=Danish |accessdate=2015-03-15 |date=2013-04-15}}
Sakurai returned to Denmark in 2008,{{cite web |url=http://www.asiansonfilm.com/2012/09/david-sakurai-interview-part-1-through-darkness-last-demon-slayer-eastern-army-dark-samurai/ |title=David Sakurai Interview (Part 1): Through Darkness, Last Demon Slayer, Eastern Army & Dark Samurai |publisher=Asians on Film |accessdate=2015-03-15 |date=2012-09-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105340/http://www.asiansonfilm.com/2012/09/david-sakurai-interview-part-1-through-darkness-last-demon-slayer-eastern-army-dark-samurai/ |archivedate=2015-04-02 }} mainly because he wanted to work with Jack Hansen and other talented new directors and in his native tongue.{{cite web |url=http://www.asiansonfilm.com/2012/09/david-sakurai-interview-part-2-liza-the-fox-fairy/ |title=David Sakurai Interview (Part 2): Liza, the Fox-Fairy |date=2012-09-10 |publisher=Asians on Film |accessdate=2015-03-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402193218/http://www.asiansonfilm.com/2012/09/david-sakurai-interview-part-2-liza-the-fox-fairy/ |archivedate=2015-04-02 }} Here he continued training under the Danish Actors' Association. He played one of his first leading roles in Eastern Army. He worked with Stellan Skarsgård, Steven Van Zandt and Hans Petter Moland, among others.{{Ticket|2015031510003168|David Sakurai's email at OTRS}}, 2015-03-15
In 2012, Sakurai starred in Hungarian dark romantic comedy Liza, the Fox-Fairy, which won the Grand Prize at Portuguese film festival Fantasporto in 2015.{{cite web |url=http://hvg.hu/kultura/20150309_Nemzetkozi_fodijat_nyert_a_Liza_a_rokatun |title=Nemzetközi fődíjat nyert a Liza, a rókatündér |publisher=HVG |accessdate=2015-03-15 |date=2015-03-09 |language=Hungarian}}{{cite web |url=http://www.cineuropa.org/nw.aspx?t=newsdetail&l=en&did=287789 |title=Fantasporto crowns Liza, the Fox-Fairy |publisher=Cineuropa |date=2015-03-09 |accessdate=2015-03-16}}
Sakurai has trained in Wing Chun and Muay Thai, among other martial art styles.
Sakurai lives in Los Angeles with his wife.{{cite web |url=http://homemadeasia.hu/interju-david-sakurai-liza-a-rokatunder/ |title=Interjú: David Sakurai (Liza, a rókatündér) + VIDEÓ |publisher=homemadeasia.hu |accessdate=2015-03-15 |language=Hungarian, English |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402095145/http://homemadeasia.hu/interju-david-sakurai-liza-a-rokatunder/ |archive-date=2015-04-02 |url-status=dead }}
Filmography
- 2006 Skyggen af tvivl (short film) - Lars
- 2007 Fighter - fighter
- 2009 No Right Turn - waiter
- 2010 Tour de Force - Hiru
- 2010 Wasteland Tales{{cite web |url=http://www.dfi.dk/faktaomfilm/film/en/89583.aspx?id=89583 |title=Wasteland Tales |publisher=Danish Film Institute |accessdate=2015-03-16}} - stranger
- : "Eastern Army"{{fact|date=October 2024}}
- : "I Barbari Dei Cph" (scriptwriter, producer){{fact|date=October 2024}}
- 2010 Tony Venganza - Shiba{{fact|date=October 2024}}
- 2011 Hapa (short film) - "self"; (scriptwriter, director, producer){{cite web |url=http://www.nordiskfilmfestival.dk/festivalens-prisvindere |title=Festivalens prisvindere |publisher=Nordisk Film Festival |date=2011-11-06 |access-date=2015-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206211459/http://www.nordiskfilmfestival.dk/festivalens-prisvindere |archive-date=2015-02-06 |url-status=dead }}
- 2011 Shaky González/The Last Demon Slayer - Jiro (martial arts choreography){{fact|date=October 2024}}
- 2012 Emma (short film, Supernatural Tales video) - Bastian{{fact|date=October 2024}}
- 2012 Ud af mørket - Johnny; (scriptwriter, director, producer){{cite web |url=http://www.dfi.dk/faktaomfilm/film/en/89582.aspx?id=89582 |title=Through Darkness / Ud af mørket |publisher=Danish Film Institute |accessdate=2015-03-16}}
- 2012 Hitman: Absolution (video game) - several characters{{fact|date=October 2024}}
- 2012–2014 Lilyhammer (Norwegian television series) - Tensing{{fact|date=October 2024}}
- 2013 Detektiverne (Danish youth thriller{{cite web |url=http://www.sjovforborn.dk/film/visfilm.asp?n=Detektiverne&ID=164 |title=Detektiverne |publisher=sjovforborn.dk |date=2014-04-10 |language=Danish |access-date=2015-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206212511/http://www.sjovforborn.dk/film/visfilm.asp?n=Detektiverne&ID=164 |archive-date=2015-02-06 |url-status=dead }}) - Sony Kazu
- 2014 Kraftidioten - Kinamann
- 2014 Echoes of a Ronin (short film) - Shin; (scriptwriter, producer)
- 2014 Dark Samurai - Miyamoto
- 2015 Liza, the Fox-Fairy (Hungarian dark romantic comedy) - Tomy Tani
- 2017 Iron Fist - Scythe
- 2017 Housewife - Bruce O’Hara
- 2018 Unbroken: Path to Redemption - Mutsuhiro “The Bird” Watanabe
- 2018 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - Krall
- 2018 Origin - Murakawa
- 2020 Doorman as Hammer
Awards
- 2010 Best Actor and Audience Awards (Eastern Army; Movie Battle Film Festival, Copenhagen){{cite web |author=Christopher Webster |url=http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2010/06/01/Trailer-for-post-apocalyptic-actioner-EASTERN-ARMY |title=Trailer for post apocalyptic actioner EASTERN ARMY |publisher=quietearth.us |date=2010-01-06 |accessdate=2015-03-16 |archive-date=2020-08-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809054421/http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2010/06/01/Trailer-for-post-apocalyptic-actioner-EASTERN-ARMY |url-status=dead }}
- 2010 Breakout Action Star (Action On Film International Film Festival, Los Angeles){{cite web |author=Catherine Lee |url=http://www.get2press.dk/default.asp?show=showpm&pmid=3648 |title=David Sakurai tildelt "Breakout Action Star" pris ved AOF Film Festival |publisher=get2press.dk |date=2010-08-03 |language=English, Danish |accessdate=2015-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000109/http://www.get2press.dk/default.asp?show=showpm&pmid=3648 |archive-date=2017-12-28 |url-status=dead }}
- 2011 GoVisual Award (Hapa, shared with I Am Your Ecstacy; Nordisk Film Festival)
References
{{reflist}}
- {{cite web |url=http://www.dfi.dk/faktaomfilm/person/en/183409.aspx?id=183409 |title=David Sakurai |accessdate=2015-03-16 |publisher=Danish Film Institute}}
External links
- {{IMDb name}}
- {{PORT.hu person}}
- {{Twitter}}
- {{Facebook}}
- Albert Valentin: [https://web.archive.org/web/20150206212731/http://www.kungfucinema.com/reviews/review-echoes-of-a-ronin-short-2014 REVIEW: Echoes of a Ronin (Short) (2014)]
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Category:Danish male film actors
Category:Japanese male film actors
Category:Danish film directors
Category:Danish male screenwriters
Category:21st-century Danish male actors
Category:Danish people of Japanese descent
Category:People from Frederiksværk