82-year-old actress Kin Sugai enters the record books

by Chris MaGee

There are actors and actresses that fall into the "Oh, that guy!" or "I think I've seen her before," categories. So if I were to say the name Kin Sugai you'd probably ask, "Who?" but Sugai has played small supporting roles in films by Akira Kurosawa, Ishiro Honda, Mikio Naruse and Shohei Imamura. I'll always remember her as Amamiya-san in Juzo Itami's wonderful 1984 bittersweet comedy "The Funeral" (above), but it looks like Sugai is finally breaking into the big leagues at the age of 82.

The veteran actress is entering the Guinness Book of World Records with her 88th film "Boku no Obaachan" directed by Hideo Sakaki (which we'd previously reported on here). With her role as the grandmother that hires a contractor, played by Kenichi Okamoto, to build her a new home Sugai has become the oldest actress to make her leading role debut. After a 56 year career... well, congratulations Sugai-san! It's about time!

Thanks to Tokyograph for this story.