Riki Takeuchi (Actor and singer)

Riki Takeuchi is a Japanese actor and singer best known for his portrayal of tough guy characters and gangsters in both original videos and theatrically-released films. Due to his prolific career in direct-to-video yakuza films, he’s considered one of the kings of V-cinema along with contemporaries like Show Aikawa and Hitoshi Ozawa.

Takeuchi is known for his intense, hot-headed persona which is fitting for most of his roles in high octane action films, but he’s also not afraid to use this image for comedic effect in television commercials and other media.

In 2007, Takeuchi re-debuted as a flamboyant singer called RIKI, claiming to be his own “twin brother”. In October 2009, he did a cover version of Morning Musume’s 1999 Jpop hit Love Machine. The subsequent for the song briefly went viral worldwide for its unabashed absurdity.

Native name: 竹内力 (TAKEUCHI Riki)
Occupation: Actor and singer
Birthplace: Saiki, Oita Prefecture
Born: January 4, 1964 (age 52)
Height: 5' 11" (180 cm)
Blood type: A
Debuted: 1985
Genres: Films, TV dramas, original videos
Office

Filmography as actor

Year	Movie	Role
2014	Tokyo Tribes	Buppa
2014	Thermae Romae II	Tateno
2014	Silver Spoon	Goushi Mikage, Aki's father
2013	Battle of Hiromi-kun! The High School Samurai Boy	Hiromi-kun
2012	Thermae Romae
2009	Gokusen: The Movie
2009	Elite Yankee Saburo
2008	ICHI	Izo, Banki gang number 2
2007	Big Man Japan	Leaping Beast
2007	The Sword of Alexander	Monk Grin
2006	LoveDeath
2006	Yo-Yo Girl Cop	Kazutoshi Kira
2003	Last Life in the Universe	Takashi
2003	Battle Royale II: Requiem	RIKI, teacher
2003	Yakuza Demon	Seiji
2002	Mafia Family Yanagawa - Part 2	Jiro Yanagawa
2002	Deadly Outlaw: Rekka	Kunisada
2002	Mafia Family Yanagawa - Part 1
2002	Dead or Alive: Final	Officer Takeshi Honda
2000	Dead or Alive 2: Birds	Shuuichi Sawada
1999	Dead or Alive	Ryuuichi
1999	Wild Criminal	Udo
1999	Blood	Takuya Nakajo / Kizaki
1996	Fudoh: The New Generation	Daigen Nohma
1996	Peanuts: Rakkasei
1995	Tokyo Mafia	Ginya Yabuki
1994	Nobody	Nanbu

Latest news

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2 years ago
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Today it was revealed that Kento Nakajima of the Johnny & Associates-managed boy band Sexy Zone will star in a live-action adaptation of the popular manga Gin no Saji (Silver Spoon).Silver Spoon was...

3 years ago
Thermae Romae 2 coming in 2014

On Wednesday it was announced that a sequel to 2012’s smash hit film Thermae Romae is in production. It’s also been revealed that the main cast of the first film will be returning; including...

3 years ago
Riki Takeuchi covers Morning Musume’s “Love Machine”

For those of you who may not have been keeping track of the enigma that is the career of V-cinema legend Riki Takeuchi over the past few years, he's recently taken to using the pseudonym RIKI...

7 years ago