Tamiyo Kusakari (草刈 民代, Kusakari Tamiyo, born 10 May 1965) is a Japanese actress and former ballet dancer. In 1997 her portrayal of Mai Kishikawa in Shall We Dance? won a Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
Biography
From Toshima, Tokyo, Kusakari started dancing professionally at the age of eight and won the first prize at the Japan Ballet Competition of 1987. In 1987, she made her debut as Odette in Swan Lake. She received the Muramatsu Award in 1988, and the Tachibana Akiko Award in 1990. At 27, she suffered a hernia that nearly ended her career, leaving her a temporary wheelchair user.[1] She retired from ballet in 2009 at the age of 43.[2]
Kusakari is also known for her starring role in Shall We Dance? During the production of the movie she met and later married the director, Masayuki Suo.[3]
^"第20回日本アカデミー賞優秀作品" [20th Japan Academy Prize Outstanding Works]. Japan Academy Film Prize (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
^"ゆきてかへらぬ". eiga.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.