David Sakurai

David Sakurai
David Sakurai on Jesper Skoubølling's photo
Born (1979-07-19) 19 July 1979 (age 45)
Copenhagen, Denmark
NationalityJapanese Danish
Occupation(s)Actor, director, scriptwriter, martial artist
Years active2006–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.[1]

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.[2][3]

Sakurai returned to Denmark in 2008,[4] mainly because he wanted to work with Jack Hansen and other talented new directors and in his native tongue.[5] Here he continued training under the Danish Actors' Association. He played one of his first leading roles in Eastern Army.[4] He worked with Stellan Skarsgård, Steven Van Zandt and Hans Petter Moland, among others.[6]

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.[7][8]

Sakurai has trained in Wing Chun and Muay Thai, among other martial art styles.[2]

Sakurai lives in Los Angeles with his wife.[9]

Filmography

Awards

References

  1. ^ "David Sakurai" (in Danish). danskefilm.dk. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  2. ^ a b "David Sakurai". os-productions.jp. 24 September 2008. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Interview med skuespiller David Sakurai" (in Danish). Kulturkapellet. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  4. ^ a b "David Sakurai Interview (Part 1): Through Darkness, Last Demon Slayer, Eastern Army & Dark Samurai". Asians on Film. 6 September 2012. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  5. ^ "David Sakurai Interview (Part 2): Liza, the Fox-Fairy". Asians on Film. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  6. ^ David Sakurai's email at OTRS, 2015-03-15
  7. ^ "Nemzetközi fődíjat nyert a Liza, a rókatündér" (in Hungarian). HVG. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  8. ^ "Fantasporto crowns Liza, the Fox-Fairy". Cineuropa. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  9. ^ "Interjú: David Sakurai (Liza, a rókatündér) + VIDEÓ" (in Hungarian and English). homemadeasia.hu. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  10. ^ "Wasteland Tales". Danish Film Institute. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Festivalens prisvindere". Nordisk Film Festival. 6 November 2011. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  12. ^ "Through Darkness / Ud af mørket". Danish Film Institute. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  13. ^ "Detektiverne" (in Danish). sjovforborn.dk. 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  14. ^ Christopher Webster (6 January 2010). "Trailer for post apocalyptic actioner EASTERN ARMY". quietearth.us. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  15. ^ Catherine Lee (3 August 2010). "David Sakurai tildelt "Breakout Action Star" pris ved AOF Film Festival" (in English and Danish). get2press.dk. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2015.