Mackenyu Arata is a Japanese-American actor born in Los Angeles. He is the son of Japanese actor, producer, director, and martial artistSonny Chiba.
Early life
Mackenyu Maeda, known simply as Mackenyu, was born on November 16, 1996, in Los Angeles, the son of Japanese parents, Tamami and Sonny Chiba. He has two siblings, a half sister named Juri Manase and a brother named Gordon. He attended Beverly Hills High School in their Advanced Placement Program and appeared in a few films and TV shows while growing up, including the TV mini-series Team Astro , and the Japanese feature filmOyaji, as he devoted most of his time to school and graduation.
Career
In 2013, Mackenyu turned his full attention to acting—including roles in the feature film Buzz and TV movieYo nimo Kimyō na Monogatari. His acting quickly expanded to include three supporting roles in TV Mini-series including The Kindergarten Detective , Yume o Ataeru, and The Hatsumori Bemars. His fame grew dramatically in Japan after landing the role of Eiji Tomari/Kamen Rider Dark Drive in the live action movie based on the popular series created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori, Kamen Rider Drive: Surprise Future . In 2015, he also landed his first lead roles in two USA film productions, Take a Chance and Tadaima ; for the latter he won a best supporting actor award. In January 2016, he made his stage debut in the Japanese musical Boys Over Flower . He had a prominent role in the two part feature film Chihayafuru Part I & II which was released back-to-back in March and April 2016. Japan's AM magazine featured him on the front cover of their 14 March 2016 edition and included an interview with him. One of his most challenging roles in his career to date was Shōjo. Having completed his lead role as "Makise" in the feature film Night's Tightrope , Mackenyu started to expand his acting opportunities in Hollywood with a lead role in the series ZAPS, Inc. and the supporting role of Ryoichi in the science fiction film .
Brand endorsements
In 2018, Mackenyu became the brand ambassador for Japanese men's grooming brand GATSBY. He starred in the TV commercial "GATSBY Cop", together with popular Japanese actor Yuya Yagira.
