EnergaCAMERIMAGE honours Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada is one of the most esteemed Japanese actors of his generation, whose unforgettable performances have made a significant contribution to the development of cinema. During the 32nd edition of EnergaCAMERIMAGE in Toruń he will be honoured with the Award for Best Performance in TV Series.

Hiroyuki Sanada is an international star, one of Japan’s most distinguished and celebrated, award-winning actors of his generation. He has starred in over fifty films since he was five years old. He played the leading role in The Twilight Samurai (2002, dir. Yôji Yamada), which was nominated for an Academy Award.

For television, Sanada currently stars in and is producing an original adaptation of Shōgun, a series for FX where he plays the role of Lord Toranaga, for which he earned two 2024 Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama, and as a producer of Outstanding Drama Series. Sanada also earned a 2024 Television Critics Association Award nomination for Individual Achievement in Drama, and the show won the TCA Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Drama, Program of the Year, as well as Outstanding New Program.

With the huge success of Shōgun, Sanada’s star continues to rise. He was last seen in the popular action franchise, John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), opposite Keanu Reeves and Donnie Yen, directed by Chad Stahelski. Before that, Sanada appeared in the Sony Pictures’ action feature, Bullet Train (2022), opposite Brad Pitt, and Sandra Bullock. The film is directed by David Leitch. Other works include Zack Snyder’s highly anticipated Army of the Dead (2021) for Netflix, and the James Wan-produced fantasy-action film, Mortal Kombat (2021) for Warner Bros. Both films were incredibly successful and have since announced sequels, the latter of which Sanada will again star in and hits theatres next fall. Sanada also appeared in MGM’s Minamata (2020), opposite Bill Nighy and Johnny Depp, and directed by Andrew Levitas.

Sanada’s first major Hollywood appearance was in The Last Samurai (2003) opposite Tom Cruise, later appearing in such blockbuster films as The Wolverine (2013), 47 Ronin (2013), Avengers Endgame (2019), and Minions (2015). Sanada’s career is just as impressive on the small screen, having appeared in dozens of shows including the critically acclaimed series, Lost, for their final season, and Westworld season 2.

He is also an established stage actor, working in both Japanese and British theatres. His role as ‘The Fool’ in Shakespeare’s King Lear gave him notable theatrical praise and awarded him an honorary MBE for contributions to the British and Japanese cultural exchange with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

Sanada’s career in film, television and theatre has spanned more than 50 years and he has garnered the attention of both American and foreign audiences alike. With such an incredible body of work, he’s become one of Hollywood’s most respected and sought-after actors working today. He is an artist whose talent and versatility captivate audiences around the world, and whose commitment to cinema and theatre has been repeatedly recognised by critics and audiences alike. As Marek Żydowicz, Director of the EnergaCAMERIMAGE Festival, emphasised:

Hiroyuki Sanada is a true ambassador of the cinematic arts, and his impact on both Japanese and global cinema is invaluable. It is an honour for us to be able to recognise such an outstanding artist.