Name: Rinko Kikuchi

Birth Name: Yukiko Kikuchi

Birthdate: Jan. 6, 1981

Birthplace: Kanagawa, Japan

Before her groundbreaking role as a troubled deaf mute in the 2006's Babel, Kikuchi was fairly recognizable in her native Japan for commercials and small parts in movies. Babel director Alejandro González Iñárritu originally wanted a real deaf actress to play the character of Chieko, but Kikuchi's professional ability at sign language was a huge plus.


1. She was still learning English during the making of Babel.
2. She can sword-fight, ride a horse, drive a motorcycle and speak in sign language.
3. Before she landed her role in Babel, she spent a significant amount of time at a school for deaf mute girls to study for the part.
4. Variety labeled her one of 10 young actors to watch.
5. She won the Gotham Award for Best Breakthrough and the National Board of Review's for Best Breakthrough Female (tying with Jennifer Hudson).


On her famous nude scenes in Babel, "As far as being nude, I think being nude is like a sacred state of human nature, and I consider it very, very beautiful to be nude. I actually thought it was going to be a beautiful scene, so there was no reluctance or anything like that on my end."
— Comingsoon.net, Jan. 12, 2007

2007: Academy Award nomination: Best Supporting Actress, Babel; Golden Globe nomination: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, Babel

FILMS

Babel - (2006) - Actor