Anna Sawai

Biography

Anna Sawai (アンナ・サワイ, born June 11, 1992) is a Japanese actress and singer. Born in New Zealand, she moved to Japan with her family at age 10. She landed her first acting role at age 11 as the title character in the 2004 Nippon Television production of Annie. Sawai later debuted in James McTeigue's 2009 martial arts film Ninja Assassin. Sawai rose to fame in Japan as one of the lead vocalists of the girl group Faky from 2013 to 2018. She made a return to acting with a supporting role in the British crime thriller series Giri/Haji (2019). Her international breakthrough came with her role in the Apple TV+ drama series Pachinko (2022–present). She gained further recognition for starring in the MonsterVerse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023–present) and the historical drama Shōgun (2024). She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the latter. She became the first Japanese actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2024, Time magazine included her on its 100 Next list.