CHiAKi KURiYAMA (栗山千明, Kuriyama Chiaki) (born October 10, 1984) is a Japanese actress, model, and singer. She is best-known internationally for the part of the schoolgirl-dressing bodyguard, Gogo Yubari in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill, Volume I,” and also her role in the Japanese film,”Battle Royale.” She officially debuted as a singer on February 24th, 2010, with the single, “Ryusei no Namida” (流星のナミダ). The three lowercase “i”s in her stage name represent the three sides of her self: “my true self as a woman, my self as an actress, and my self as a singer.” Kuriyama is signed under DefStar Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.
Born in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan Chiaki was one of the most popular models of the mid-1990s child model boom in Japan. In 1997, she got her break in the photobooks, “Shinwa-Shōjo (Girl of Myth),” and, “Shōjokan (Girl’s Residence).” She also posed as a model for the child fashion magazines Nicola and Puchi Lemon.
She first achieved widespread recognition as an actress in Japan for her starring roles in the horror films “Shikoku” and “Ju-on”, in 1999 and 2000 respectively. Chiaki also appeared in the controversial action film Battle Royale. Following feature appearances on several notable Japanese television programs, Chiaki made her Hollywood debut in director Quentin Tarantino’s 2004 film, “Kill Bill, Volume I,” as Gogo Yubari, the schoolgirl yakuza bodyguard of Tokyo mob mistress O-Ren Ishii.
Kuriyama has always loved music and has stated that she wanted to take on a new challenge. Although she has had a long career as an actress, she started from scratch as a singer and decided to debut under the name CHiAKi KURiYAMA.| |
