Takeshi was bullied at a regular Taiwanese high school, the Gaoxong Preparatory School, over his mixed heritage, so he enrolled in the Taipei American School from which he never graduated, because he left it to make a career after the tenth grade.

It is reported that he became a model at a very early age of 15. Some say it was his mother who was eager to make Takeshi a cute teen model and it was she who signed him up for the motor-bike commercial. She actually tried to sign Takeshi up for a lot of commercials, but was lucky with the one Takeshi yearned for, too.

In 1992, Takeshi Kaneshiro made his singing debut, but then he was more known as Aniki. His debut album was Heartbreaking Night (1992).

Contracted to EMI (Electric and Musical Industries Ltd), he wrote many of his own Mandarin and Cantonese songs. In 1993, his popularity gave him opportunity to become an actor. Since then he could no longer produce commercial music.

His first movie was "Executioners" (1993) and this was followed by "Chungking Express" (a Wong Kar-Wai film made in 1994) and a string of other Hong Kong movies. Later, Kaneshiro starred in the highly successful Japanese TV mini-series "God, Please Give Me More Time" (1998). That allowed him to branch into Japanese movies such as "Returner" (2002). He also became well known in the video game industry portraying the samurai warrior, Samanosuke Akechi, in the Capcom hit, "Onimusha".

No one really knows what he does outside of film commitments, and his reluctance towards being in the spotlight is legendary. So it is rather difficult to say something about his personal life.

Is a video game fan and likes to surf the Internet.

 

Likes animals.

 

Likes to stay at home, doesn't go out much.. if not at all… at least he was not spotted doing that.

 

Enjoys reading – mostly philosophy and, particularly, religious Buddhism dedicated books.

 

Smokes, (addicted to smoking actually). Favorite flavor - Marlboro Original.

 

Plays the guitar and the piano.

 

Writes songs and poetry – Takeshi is the author of some of his songs.

Spokesman and model for Ericsson and now for SonyEricsson. 

Spokesman and model for PRADA and Emporio Armani Underwear on Asian markets.

Spokesman and model for Mitsubishi Galant (automobile made by the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation since 1969 – Takeshi represented the 8^th generation of the model which was produced since 1996 for 10 years in a row. This model is known in Japan as Mitsubishi Lengum. In 1996-97 it won JCOTY (the Japan Car of the Year) Award. Not known if Takeshi represents the 9^th generation of Galant).

 

More:

-                   Sony VAIO personal computers

-         GEOS language school

-         Petronus oil company

-         Japan Asia Airways

-         NTT docomo - mobile phone operator in Japan

-         NTT Yellow Pages

-         Shiseido

-         Lycos

-         Kadokawa Shoten - a well-known Japanese publisher (Tokyo)

-         One2Free (HK)

-         Lifecard credit card company

-         Lipice lips moisturizer (sold in Ukraine and Rusisa)

-         Pocari Sweat soft drink

-         Morinaga chocolate

-         Volvic

-         UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.

-         Rice Burger

-         Roasted barley tea

-         Kiwi cold drink

 

Considered to be the "Asian film industry's Johnny Depp" by The Time Magazine.

 

Enrolled in a film class at New York University but never finished it.