Few actors go to the lengths that Kikuchi did to win her breakout
Babel role. Of course the character of an angry, sexually charged deaf mute wasn't just any old part, and this Japanese beauty's powerful performance in the film thrust her into the Hollywood spotlight. A teen model, Kikuchi soon graduated to feature films, appearing in a dozen movies in her homeland before
Babel gained her international acclaim. Yet while the director, Alejandro González Iñárritu, had been impressed with her talents from the outset, he was determined to cast a hearing-impaired performer. Undeterred, Kikuchi enrolled in a school for the deaf and learned sign language, and after a grueling, yearlong audition process, Iñárritu was finally convinced she was the actress for the job. Kikuchi certainly did him proud, earning rave reviews and myriad accolades, including Golden Globe, SAG and Oscar nominations.
Rinko Kikuchi Fast Facts:
- As a youth, she learned to ride horses and motorcycles, and studied Japanese sword-fighting.
- Made her film debut in 1999's Ikitai, directed by Kaneto Shindo. He cast her again in Sanmon Yakusha the next year.
- Rinko Kikuchi Awards:
- 2006 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
