In 2001, Luc Besson introduced world to the world to a thrilling action drama with a dash of comedy – Wasabi. The film is remembered for its juicy scenes, deep drama, and sharp jokes…
And also the appearance of a new, atypical character – a young, bright and emotional Japanese girl.
What happened to the Japanese actress, how her life and marriage turned out, how she lives and looks now – you will find out below.
The path to the big cinema
The actress who played Yumi has an unpronounceable name in life – Ryoko Hirosue. As you might guess, she was born and raised in Japan. And if for us her appearance in Wasabi was the appearance of a fresh face, then in her homeland the girl was already a rising star.
At the age of 14, Ryoko participated in a modeling contest, and from the age of 15, she starred in popular TV series and films in Japan. Pictures with her participation, like the actress herself, one after another were awarded all kinds of awards. “New Talent”, “Best Newcomer Actress”, “Discovery of the Year” – the girl’s career was rapidly going up, which led to the fact that Luc Besson himself noticed her.
Wasabi
The filming of the film was not easy. The problem was that the Japanese actress did not know French. And so she had to diligently memorize the role by ear, with which she did an excellent job.
Critics and viewers noted the excellent acting work of Ryoko. She managed to combine the expressiveness of a teenager with adult depth and expressiveness. Many viewers, by the way, believe that Ryoko played better than Jean Reno. Although, in my opinion, their roles cannot be compared. What do you think? Write in the comments.
Unhappy marriage
Wasabi failed at the box office. With a budget of 15 million euros, the masterpiece collected only 10 million. dollars. Ryoko continued acting, but the new roles were nowhere near as prominent. And in 2004, the actress got married and gave birth to a son.
However, family happiness did not last long – already in 2008, the couple divorced. The consolation for the actress was a new big role in the film “Gone”, which won the “Oscar”.
How she lives and looks now
In 2010, Ryoko traveled to Haiti, where she helped victims of the earthquake. There, the actress met a Korean singer and actor, whom she soon married and gave birth to her second child. Now the actress practically does not act in the film, but she has become a popular singer in her homeland.
She has two children and lives in a happy marriage. It remains only to say “Thank you” to her for the wonderful role of Yumi and wish her further success!
