Chiaki Kuriyama's bio

Chiaki Kuriyama (栗山千明, Kuriyama Chiaki?) (born October 10, 1984) is a Japanese actress and model. She is best-known in the West for the part of the bloodthirsty schoolgirl-dressing bodyguard, Gogo Yubari in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Volume I, and also her role in the Japanese film Battle Royale.

Career
She was born in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki Prefecture. Chiaki was one of the most popular models of the mid-1990s child model boom in Japan. In 1997, she appeared in her break in the photobooks Shinwa-Shōjo (Girl of Myth) and Shōjokan (Girl's Residence), photographed by Kishin Shinoyama. Shinwa-Shōjo became a best-seller but, as it contained some nudity, was discontinued by the publisher in 1999 after the institution of new anti–child pornography laws. She also posed as a model for the child fashion magazines Nicola (1997-2001) and Puchi Lemon (1996-2001).

She first achieved widespread recognition as an actress in Japan for her starring roles in the horror films Shikoku (1999) and Ju-on (2000). Chiaki also appeared in the action film Battle Royale (2000) in the role of Takako Chigusa.

Following feature appearances on several notable Japanese television programs (including Rokubanme no Sayoko), Chiaki made her Hollywood debut in director Quentin Tarantino's 2004 film Kill Bill, Volume I as Gogo Yubari, the schoolgirl yakuza bodyguard of Tokyo mob mistress O-Ren Ishii. Chiaki's lines in the film were all in Japanese (except for two words, "bingo" and "hi"). She has stated that she is in the process of learning English and hopes to play more English-language roles in the future.

Chiaki's other film appearances include major roles in the samurai drama Azumi 2: Death or Love and Takashi Miike's Yōkai Daisensō.

A female vampire character was added to Gantz, made to look just like her as a tribute. This is made definite in chapter 279 where the character is referred to as "Kill Bill" by Gantz.

She was also most recently rumored to play the role of Ling Xiaoyu in the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Tekken, which is slated to be released in 2009. This was later confirmed as false during an interview with Brian Ashcraft.

Discography
[2010.02.24] Ryuusei no NAMIDA (流星のナミダ / Tears of Falling Stars) close