Yōji Matsuda, a multifaceted Japanese artist, was born on October 19, 1967, in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. As a renowned actor and voice actor, Matsuda's journey began at a tender age, with his introduction to the Himawari Theatre Group at just five years old. This marked the start of his illustrious career, which would see him make his child debut in the 1974 TV drama Mother's Suzu.
Growing up, Matsuda was surrounded by the performing arts, with his older brother Naoyuki Matsuda, a musical translator and professor at Komazawa University, serving as a significant influence. The actor's educational background is also noteworthy, having attended Aoyama Gakuin High School and dropping out of Aoyama Gakuin University's Faculty of Letters and Department of Education. Among his classmates was Renhō, a member of the Diet and the House of Councilors, whom he befriended during his high school and university years.
Matsuda's breakthrough as an actor came in 1983 with his role as Shigeyuki Numata in the TBS television drama Family Game. This performance was followed by appearances in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind in 1984 and Shuna's Journey in 1987, where he portrayed the main character Shuna.
In 1997, Matsuda's voice acting career took off with his iconic role as Ashitaka in the anime movie Princess Mononoke. He further expanded his repertoire by voicing Leonardo DiCaprio's role Jack Dawson in the American film Titanic, a move that helped raise his international profile. In 2006, Matsuda took on a new role as a lecturer at Tokyo Animation College, where he taught acting to aspiring artists.
Throughout his career, Matsuda has worked with esteemed directors such as Yukio Ninagawa and Yoji Aoi, appearing in various stage productions, including the drama From the North Country. With his extensive experience in both Japanese and international productions, Yōji Matsuda has solidified his position as a respected and accomplished actor and voice actor in the entertainment industry.
