Ueno Juri (上野樹里)

Juri Ueno (上野 樹里; born 25 May 1986) is a Japanese actress from Kakogawa, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. She won the ‘Best Newcomer’ prize at the Japanese Academy Awards in 2005 for her role in Swing Girls and was awarded 'Best Actress' at the 51st Television Academy Awards for her 2006 portrayal of the title character of Japanese drama-comedy series, Nodame Cantabile

Ueno made her television debut in 2002 at the age of 16 in NHK series, Seizon, before making her first film major appearance in 2003 in Chirosoku no Natsu which won her the Sponichi Grand Prize New Talent Award at the Mainichi Film Awards along with her performance in the 2004 film, Swing Girls. Swing Girls proved to be a breakthrough when she received critical acclaim and awards for Best Newcomer at the Yokohama Film Festival (she was also honored for her performance in Joze to Tora to Sakana Tachi) and the Japanese Academy Awards.

In 2004, Ueno took on a supporting role in TBS's romance drama, Orange Days, and co-starred in 2005 with Takuya Kimura in Fuji TV's romantic comedy, Engine, as Misae Hoshino. She also appeared with Kazuya Kamenashi in the special television movie of Kinda'ichi Shōnen no Jikenbo the same year taking over the role of Miyuki Nanase from Anne Suzuki who last portrayed it in the series' third season which aired in 2001.

Ueno's popularity rose further when she was cast as Megumi Noda ("Nodame") in the 2006 live-action television adaptation of the popular manga, Nodame Cantabile. Co-starring opposite Hiroshi Tamaki, the series' 11-episode run was a success with an average viewership rating of 18.79% with the season finalé garnering 21.7% of the viewership share for its timeslot. Ueno's portrayal as the eccentric and disorganized but yet extremely affable and talented pianist won her "Best Lead Actress" at the 51st Television Drama Academy Awards while the show won "Best Drama". The show was also recognized overseas at the 2nd Seoul Drama Festival where it was awarded "Best Miniseries". Ueno and Tamaki reprised their roles in 2007 in the two-part special, Nodame Cantabile Shinshun Special in Europe, which chronicles their individual struggles to achieve success on Europe's storied classical music stage whilst being away from each other.

In 2008, Ueno reunited with Nodame co-stars, Eita and Asami Mizukawa, in Fuji TV's drama, Last Friends, as Ruka Kishimoto, a talented motocross racer with a hidden secret she cannot discuss with friends or family. Taeko Asano, the scriptwriter of Last Friends praised Ueno's acting of Ruka, stating that Ueno is a "natural genius" and that she became "the character itself". Ueno won "Best Supporting Actress" at the 12th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix for her role.

Awards won

2008

• 12th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Award (Spring 2008) - Best Supporting Actress for Last Friends

2007

• 51st Television Drama Academy Awards - Best Lead Actress for Nodame Cantabile

2005

• 28th Japanese Academy Awards - Newcomer of the Year for Swing Girls
• 59th Mainichi Film Awards: Sponichi Grand Prize New Talent Award - Best Newcomer for Swing Girls and Chirusoku no Natsu
• 25th Yokohama Film Festival - Best New Talent for Swing Girls, Joze to tora to sakana tachi and Chirusoku no Natsu