Star to meet audiences in Hong Kong
Hong Kong/Tokyo (March 4, 2024) The Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA) proudly announces that this year’s Excellence in Asian Cinema Award will be presented to renowned Japanese actor SUZUKI Ryohei, who has made an indelible mark on Asian cinema over nearly two decades on screen and over 30 film credits as an actor. As previously announced, AFAA also revealed the other awardee to be acclaimed Korean actress Lee Young-ae. Both awardees will accept the honor at the awards ceremony to be held at the West Kowloon Cultural District’s Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong on March 10, 2024.
The Excellence in Asian Cinema Award aims to recognize actors for their remarkable achievements and their versatility in a wide range of roles and genres. Suzuki will be the fourth Japanese recipient to receive the award, following NAKATANI Miki at the 9th AFA (2015), YAKUSHO Koji at the 13th AFA (2019) and ABE Hiroshi at the 16th AFA (2023).
Suzuki Ryohei began acting at 18 in a student theater and took courses at the Actors’ Clinic Tokyo. After his film debut in MORITA Yoshimitsu’s Tsubaki Sanjuro (2007), he had his first leading role on the silver screen in Swing Me Again (2009), before making a significant breakthrough with the comedy feature HK: Hentai Kamen (2013). In 2022, he won five Best Supporting Actor awards, including the Japan Academy Prize, for his terrifying performance as a sadistic yakuza in The Blood of Wolves II (2021). In 2023, Suzuki played the lead in two films, Tokyo MER and Egoist. The latter was selected for the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival’s Competition, and both brought him tremendous success. The former became an enormous box office hit, and Egoist brought him four domestic Best Actor awards, a Rising Star Asia award at the 22nd New York Asian Film Festival, and a 16th Asian Film Awards Best Actor nomination last year. His nuanced and emotionally profound portrayal of a gay man in Egoist, and his statements regarding same-sex marriage and society’s prejudice against sexual minorities, earned him tremendous support from the LGBTQ+ community in Japan.
Suzuki is well known for his dedication to his roles. He often makes lifestyle adjustments and even transforms his physical appearance to fully immerse himself. The casts and crews who have worked with him have praised his commitment, and his professionalism has inspired the production teams and fellow actors to be even more dedicated in their work and performance. Suzuki’s highly anticipated new project is the Netflix action comedy City Hunter, a live-action version of a legendary manga from the 1980s, which will be streamed from April.
Upon receiving the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, Suzuki said, “I am deeply honored by this recognition bestowed upon me by the Asian Film Awards. It will fuel my motivation to strive for greater heights and contribute more to the industry. I am also eagerly looking forward to attending the 17th Asian Film Awards ceremony in Hong Kong, where I can connect with audiences and fellow film professionals from across Asia.”
ANDO Hiroyasu, Chairman of TIFF, remarked about the actor: “Mr. Suzuki Ryohei has made remarkable achievements in a range of fields, including film, theater, and television. I have long followed his work and been impressed by his remarkable ability to portray diverse characters convincingly. So I am delighted that he is being recognized overseas with this award. I hope this will be an opportunity for him to further enhance his skills and make even greater strides internationally.”