'Minamata' Full Cast List: Meet Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy, Hiroyuki Sanada and others stars in film on Japan's mercury poisoning
‘Minamata’, the Johnny Depp starrer based on real events, is all set to hit theatres in the US on February 5, 2021. The film is adapted from the book of the same name by photographer Eugene Smith. The story centres around the horrific history of mercury poisoning in coastal areas of Minamata, Japan. It follows the journey of Eugene Smith through the town of Minamata and vividly recreates the past horrors of the ‘Minamata disease’.
The film, which is set in Japan, has a brilliant cast of famous actors from Hollywood as well as the Japanese film industry. The film also notably sees one of the career-best performances by Depp.
‘Minamata’ has been directed by producer, actor, and painter Andrew Levitas, and the screenplay has been written by popular author David Kessler. Before you book your tickets for the movie, let us have a look at the stunning star cast of the film.
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Johnny Depp
Depp plays the lead role of W Eugene Smith in the movie. Depp is a globally acclaimed actor who needs no introduction for film enthusiasts. Often considered one of the most versatile actors in modern-day Hollywood, Depp has been nominated thrice for Academy Awards for Best Actor. He won the 2008 Golden Globe Award for best actor for his brilliant performance in ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ and also has ten Golden Globe Best Actor nominations to his name.
Depp made a remarkable debut in 1984 with ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’. He has mesmerized audiences ever since with extraordinary performances in movies like ‘Edward Scissorhands’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘The Tourist’, ‘Into The Woods’, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’. He became a worldwide sensation after essaying the role of Jack Sparrow in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise.
The past couple of years has been rough for Depp both on the personal and professional front after ex-wife Amber Heard filed complaints of domestic abuse against him, following which Depp filed a defamation suit against her.
The legal battle between them turned ugly and was widely covered across media outlets of the world. Within a while, Depp’s image was tarnished both within and outside the industry. In November 2020, Depp lost the libel lawsuit against UK newspaper The Sun, which had called him a ‘wifebeater’. After this, he was removed from the Fantastic Beasts franchise where he was starring as the main antagonist Gellert Grindelwald.
Bill Nighy
Veteran English actor Bill Nighy is playing the role of Robert Hayes, who is the head of Life Magazine in the movie. Nighy is reckoned for his lifelong work in film, television as well as theatre. One might remember him as the Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part I’ or Billy Mack from the superhit 2003 film ‘Love Actually’.
He acted alongside co-star Depp in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movies as well, playing the character of Davy Jones. He is noted for his work in movies such as ‘Underworld’, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, ‘The Constant Gardener’, ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ and many more. Nighy has earned several Golden Globe nominations and a Tony award nomination for Best Actor in a Play for his Broadway performance in ‘Skylight’.
Hiroyuki Sanada
Famous Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada plays the role of Mitsuo Yamazaki in the movie ‘Minamata’. With a prominent career spanning over five decades, Sanada is recognized for his role as the ‘Immortal’ in ‘Kirito No Séngyo’, as Tasogare Seibei in ‘The Twilight Samurai’ and as ‘The Fool’ in the Shakespearean play King Lear in the UK. In fact, he has worked in multiple Japanese and British plays in the theater. He is also a popular recording artist in Japan.
In Hollywood, Sanada has acted in iconic movies such as ‘The Last Samurai’, playing the role of Ujio. He acted in ‘The Wolverine’, ‘47 Ronin’ and will portray the character Scorpion in the upcoming film ‘Mortal Kombat’.
Minami Hinase
In ‘Minamata’, Japanese actress Minami Hinase will be seen on screen as Aileen. Born in Tokyo in 1986, Hinase is actually of French-Japanese descent. She hit the international scenes after portraying Keiko Onuki, the girlfriend of Shogo Kawada in the Japanese film ‘Battle Royale’. She has also starred in movies such as ‘Tomie: Revenge’, ‘Yumeko's Nightmare’ and ‘Vision’. Since 2007, she has also been involved with Manga series like ‘Sakuran’, ‘Detroit Metal City’, ‘Afro Tanaka’ and ‘Her Granddaughter’.
Jun Kunimura
The role of Junichi Nojima in ‘Minamata’ is played by veteran Japanese actor Jun Kunimura. He has worked in films across Hollywood, Japan and Hong Kong. He can be recognized in the classic Tarantino film series ‘Kill Bill’ as Boss Tanaka. For his outstanding performance in the South Korean film ‘The Wailing’, he won the Best Supporting Actor and Popular Star Award at the 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards.
He has collaborated with famous Japanese directors like Lee Sang-il, Takashi Miike, Hideaki Anno, and Ryuhei Kitamura.
Tadanobu Asano
Japanese actor and musician Tadanobu Asano plays the role of Tatsuo Matsumura, who was the Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1887 to 1932.
Aside from Japanese movies, Asano has appeared in Hollywood hits like ‘Battleship’, ‘Mongol’, ‘47 Ronin’ and ‘Silence’ by Martin Scorcese. He has portrayed the role of Hogun in Thor movies of Marvel Cinematic Universe.
‘Minamata’ releases in US theaters and VOD on February 5, 2021.