Asami Usuda’s Enigmatic Career From Roman Porno to Relationships with Akihiro Nishino and Yojiro Noda
She gained attention for her role as Olive in the movie “Shikisoku Zenereishon”.
Asami Usuda is showing her solid acting skills as Honoka, the main character in the drama series “Husband and Wife Secrets” (BS-TBS), which is currently airing on BS-TBS, in which she plays the role of a woman in the middle of a relationship that is swirling with betrayal and revenge.
She was born on October 17, 1984, in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, and began her entertainment career as a reader model in her first year of high school. In 2003, she became an exclusive model for the magazine “CanCam” (Shogakukan), and at the same time began her career as an actress, appearing in the drama “Hitonatsu no Papa e” (TBS).
Gradually, her activities shifted from modeling to acting, and she attracted attention when she played the role of Olive in the 2009 film “Shikisoku Zenereishon,” in which she said, “For the first time in that film, I realized that I could ‘live the role'” (CREA, December 2005 issue). She was then cast as Olive in the film “Shikisoku Zenereishon” in 2010.
She then built up her career as an actress by playing her first leading role in the movie “Rambling Heart” in 2010, winning the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 39th Yokohama Film Festival for the movie “Gokouroku” in 2005, and starring in the movie “Kabocha to Mayonnaise” the same year.
A “woman who can’t put things away”…
In her private life, she was found to be in a relationship with Akihiro Nishino of the comedy duo King Kong in 2006. Although they did not live together, they lived in a neighborhood within walking distance of each other and went back and forth between their houses.
Usuda lived in an old house, owned a French bulldog, and was frequently seen taking a friendly walk with Nishino. On the other hand, “She always throws away a lot of garbage outside her house. It’s like the ‘garbage mansion’ that you often see on TV. (I once yelled at her because her dog defecated in my yard! When she reluctantly picked up the feces, she put the plastic bag containing the feces on the doorknob of her own front door without cleaning it up (neighbor resident B)” (both in the May 6, 2008 issue of Weekly Woman). (both in the May 6, 2008 issue of Shukan Josei), a so-called “woman who can’t put things away.
Their marriage was rumored to have lasted one month or zero days.
After that, she started dating Yojiro Noda, vocalist of the rock band RADWIMPS.
The relationship seemed to be going well, but again, “Mr. Usuda comes home to his apartment every day, and in late May he was bringing in a big load of stuff, so I think they almost live together (neighborhood resident)” (Josei Seven, July 21, ’11 issue). He also broke up with him, partly because of Noda’s affair with Yuriko Yoshitaka.
Then, in ’17, she married Okamoto Reiji of OKAMOTO’S, seven years younger than her, with whom she had been friends. The marriage is rumored to have lasted one month or even zero days, and they gave birth to their first daughter in 2006.
I’ve never had a big breakthrough, and I’m thinking that I don’t need one for the rest of my life (laughs).
(Laughs)” She has always loved reading the works of Kenji Otsuki and Jun Miura, and enjoys Roman Porno. “I often go to live concerts, but when I’m there, I go wildly wild by myself, and when it’s over, I quietly look down and go home (laughs)” (Saizo, January 2010 issue), (Saizo, Jan. 2010). Usuda’s subcultural and artist-oriented side is evident in her male history, and it seems that she is interested in creative people.
Perhaps stimulated by this creative orientation, she has broadened her range of activities, appearing in “Shukujo” in 2010 and “LIFE!
Perhaps her acting skills have been honed through such multiple activities, she has also appeared in TV dramas such as “Tokyo Dogs” (Fuji TV) in 2009, “Hotaruno Hikari 2” (NTV) in 2010, and “Unsung Cinderella” (NTV) in 2008. Unsung Cinderella: Prescription for a Hospital Pharmacist” (Fuji TV) in 2008.
However, his first starring role in a drama was in “Choki Tsuri Dandy” (BS TV Tokyo) in 2010, which is surprisingly recent.
He has also said, “I’ve never had a breakthrough, and I think I don’t need one for the rest of my life (laughs),” (eltha, June 27, 2010), and his natural air makes him popular. This utility is undoubtedly one of the factors that have helped her survive in the entertainment industry.
Text by: Diesuke Takahashi