EXCLUSIVE: Hidetoshi Nishijima, one of Japan’s top stars over the past decade, has inked with Artist International Group for management.
Nishijima broke out internationally with his lead role of theater director Yusuke Kafuku in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Cannes-premiering Japanese drama Drive My Car, which was nominated for four Academy Awards, walking away with the Oscar for Best International Feature. The actor’s work in the film earned him the National Society of Film Critics’ 2022 Best Actor prize, among other accolades.
Most recently, Nishijima signed on to star alongside Austin Butler, Jeremy Allen White and Anna Sawai in A24’s crime thriller Enemies, from writer-director Henry Dunham, which shoots in Chicago this summer. Last summer, he was seen starring alongside Rashida Jones in Sunny, Apple TV+’s half-hour dark comedy series from A24 and Lucy Tcherniak. He can also be seen starring in Takeshi Kitano’s Cannes-premiering historical epic, Kubi, as well as Tetsuya Mariko’s upcoming drama, Dear Stranger, the first English-language feature from Japan’s Toei Company.
Having appeared in more than 80 productions, Nishijima’s other notable credits include Amir Naderi’s drama Cut (2011), Takeshi Kitano’s Dolls (2002), and Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s License to Live (1999), for which he won Best Actor at the Japanese Professional Movie Awards.
Founded in 2017 by CEO David Unger, Artist International Group’s roster also includes Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Julia Ormond, Anil Kapoor, Jordi Molla, Camille Razat, Tayme Thapthimthong, Gong Li, Fan Bingbing and Rossy de Palma, as well as writer-directors including Timur Bekmambetov, Vadim Perelman, Ludovic Bernard and Tony Kaye.
Nishijima will continue being represented by CAA, attorney Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig, and Elephant Inc in Japan.
