Ayako Wakao (若尾 文子, Wakao Ayako, November 8, 1933 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese actress who was one of the country's biggest stars of the 20th century.[1]
Ayako Wakao | |
|---|---|
 Ayako Wakao in 1950s | |
| Born | November 8, 1933 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1952–present |
| Spouses |
|
Biography
editWakao began her career contracted to Daiei Studios in 1951 as part of the fifth "New Face" group. She has gone on to appear in over 100 feature films, plus numerous television movies and series. She was a favorite actress of director Yasuzo Masumura, starring in 20 of his films. In addition to her many collaborations with Masumura, she was a favorite of Kon Ichikawa, having starred or co-starred in seven of the director's works. She appeared in Kenji Mizoguchi's A Geisha and Street of Shame.[2] She also appeared in Yasujirō Ozu's Floating Weeds.[3] Yuzo Kawashima made three films Women Are Born Twice, The Temple of Wild Geese and The Graceful Brute with her.
Wakao married architect Kisho Kurokawa in 1983. They did not have children. In 2007, both ran unsuccessful campaigns for seats in the upper house of the Japanese Parliament, before Kurokawa died in October of that year.[4]
Selected filmography
editFilms
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Shin Heike Monogatari | Tokiwa Gozen | NHK | Taiga drama | |
| 1975 | Genroku Taiheiki | Someko | NHK | Taiga drama | |
| 1988 | Takeda Shingen | Lady Ōi, narrator | NHK | Taiga drama | [5] |
| 1998 | Tokugawa Yoshinobu | Yoshiko | NHK | Taiga drama | |
| 2003 | Musashi | Yodo-dono | NHK | Taiga drama | |
| 2011 | Sunshine | Old Yōko Maruyama, narrator | NHK | Asadora | [6] |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Blue Ribbon Award | Best Actress | A Wife Confesses, Women Are Born Twice, and The Age of Marriage | Won |
| 1962 | Kinema Junpo Award | Best Actress | A Wife Confesses and Women Are Born Twice | Won |
| 1965 | Blue Ribbon Award | Best Actress | Seisaku's Wife and Nami Kage | Won |
| 1966 | Kinema Junpo Award | Best Actress | Seisaku's Wife and Nami Kage | Won |
| 1969 | Kinema Junpo Award | Best Actress | One Day at Summer's End, The House of Wooden Blocks, and The Time of Reckoning | Won |
| 2006 | Mainichi Film Awards | Kinuyo Tanaka Award | Lifetime Achievement | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Wakao Ayako: The Career of a Classic Silver Screen Star". Nippon.com. Nippon Communications Foundation. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ Richie, Donald (November 11, 2011). "Mizoguchi's street of shame". The Japan Times.
- ^ Bett, Alan (November 30, 2012). "Floating Weeds". The Skinny.
- ^ Sokol, David (October 17, 2007). "Kisho Kurokawa Dies at 73". Architectural Record.
- ^ "武田信玄". The Television. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "若尾文子が「おひさま」でNHK朝ドラ初出演 ヒロイン・井上真央にエール". eiga.com. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
External links
edit- Ayako Wakao at IMDb
- Ayako Wakao at the Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese)
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