Anna Sawai is a Japanese singer and actress who was born on June 11, 1992. At the age of ten, she and her family relocated to Japan from New Zealand. At 11, she was cast as the lead in the 2004 Nippon TV adaptation of Annie, which was her first acting job. Later, Sawai featured in her first motion picture, Ninja Assassin, a martial arts movie directed by James McTeigue.
As one of the lead vocalists for the female group Faky from 2013 to 2018, Sawai gained popularity in Japan. In the British crime thriller series Giri/Haji (2019), she returned to acting in a supporting role.
Her performance in the drama series Pachinko (2022–present) on Apple TV+ earned her international breakthrough. Her roles in the historical drama series Shōgun (2024) and the MonsterVerse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023–present) brought her even more recognition.
She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for her role as Lady Mariko in FX's Shōgun. She became the first actress of Asian descent to have won in both categories. She was listed as one of Time magazine's Time 100 Next in 2024.
Anna Sawai's movies and TV shows
Following is the list of movies and TV shows Anna Sawai has featured in:
| Movies | ||
| Serial no. | Title | Release Date |
| 1 | Ninja Assassin | 2009 |
| 2 | F9 | 2021 |
| Television | ||
| Serial no. | Title | Release Date |
| 1 | Our Love Song | 2007 |
| 2 | Colors | 2018 |
| 3 | Giri/Haji | 2019 |
| 4 | Pachinko | 2022 - present |
| 5 | Monarch: Legacy of Monsters | 2023 - present |
| 6 | Shōgun | 2024 |
Anna Sawai’s Shōgun success
Anna Sawai’s latest role was as Lady Mariko in the American historical drama television series Shōgun.
Sawai received praise from critics for her acting after the series debuted in February 2024. Sawai "is thoroughly convincing and captivating as Mariko," according to the New York Times, and "speaks volumes with every pained look on Mariko’s face," according to Rolling Stone. Entertainment Weekly commended Sawai for bringing the role up to date with "steely strength and spirited temper befitting a more modern audience," while RogerEbert.com referred to her portrayal as "revelatory."
The actress's performance was hailed as a career triumph by the Hollywood Reporter: "Sawai has been tip-toeing around full-fledged stardom for several years with supporting roles... but this feels like her arrival. The actress inhabits Mariko so fully as a fragile, wavering soul and a stealthy badass."
Her performance in Shōgun earned her the 2024 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, making her the first Asian actress to win that category and the first Japanese actress to win any Primetime Emmy. Additionally, she took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Dramatic Television Series.
FAQs about Anna Sawai
Yes, Anna Sawai is in the American drama television series Pachinko. The show is still running.
Anna Sawai is of Japanese descent.
Yes, Anna Sawai won an Emmy for her role as Lady Mariko in Shogun.
