The talented Mr Kimura

There are a few celebrities who start off their career in one area, like acting and after a while they become Miss or Mister everything and everywhere. You see them doing tv shows, hosting sport events, doing community work, their face is on commercials everywhere. They are hyper public, living their life in the brightest spotlight and eventually you become a little tired of seeing them. Heidi Klum is an example, formerly a model, now presenting shows on tv, a face for all sorts of products, and companies even such unlikely ones as Mc Donalds. Or David Beckham, soccer star turned model, advertising champ and gay icon.
Japan`s interpretation of the multi-functional star is Takuya Kimura or "Kimutaku" as his fans obiously like to call him. He started off as a member of a boy group named S.M.A.P. The principle is the same as with all boy groups, a couple of cute boys casted at a very teenage age, each given a fake "character" (the "rebel", "mama`s boy", etc.) are chased around the country to woo teenage girls. The bands usually disappear quickly with a few exceptions (Backstreet Boys) and their member equally disappear from the public stage, again with a few exceptions (Justin Timberlake). S.M.A.P. was the one of the very first group of this type in Japan and has known success for many years. They still occasionally appear in concert, most recently this spring again. The members are in their mid-30s now and Kimura is by far the most successful.
Walking around the city you virtually see him everywhere. Currently he is on posters for Levis jeans, Toshiba laptops, some chewing gum Xyli-something, Gatsby hairgel and Samantha Thavasa handbags (hmmm, but metro is cool here...). He appears in tv commercials for these companies as well. He has been a long term model for Levis for example and was the first Asian male model to star in their campaign. He has been voted "Sexiest Man" in Asia for the past 11 or so years. He stars in various tv dramas, the best known is "Hero" where he plays an prosecutor. I have actually seen an episode of it on my flight back to Europe in December, so although it`s a few years old it still seems to be in demand. He also starred in some "serious" movies and was nominated as best actor at the Japan Academy Awards for his role as a blind samurai in "Buchi no Ichibun".
So maybe not just another pretty face, but some real talent? Well, I`ll keep watching, it`s hard not to notice him on posters and screen these days anyway and it`s sure a pleasant sight.Takuya, Takuya, whereever I venture, your pretty face catches my attention... Here one of his Levis commercials:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRZ54hAB42w