Miyavi

Miyavi was a Japanese guitar virtuoso who made his international acting debut in 2014's "Unbroken," directed by Angelina Jolie. Born and raised in Osaka, Japan, Miyavi, whose birth name was Takamasa Ishihara, never set his sights on a career in music. In fact, it wasn't until the age of 15, after a sports injury squelched his dreams of playing professional soccer, that Miyavi first picked up a guitar. He taught himself how to play the instrument and within a matter of months was mastering songs by Ray Charles, Metallica, and Nine Inch Nails. At the age of 17, Miyavi moved to Tokyo, where he soon made a name for himself as a guitarist as a member of the Japanese rock band, Dué le Quartz. After a few years of endless touring, however, Miyavi was feeling the need to go off on his own and in 2002 he left Dué le Quartz to become a solo artist. He released his debut solo album, Gagaku, on Halloween of that year, and went on to play himself in the Japanese film, "Oresama," in 2003. Miyavi continued to tour and release new music over the next few years, and started earning a reputation as a guitar virtuoso for his distinct style of playing known as finger-slapping. Feeling the need to branch out once again, in 2007 Miyavi joined the Japanese rock supergroup, S.K.I.N. The group made its American debut by performing at the 2007 Anime Expo in Long Beach, California. Never one to slow down, Miyavi continued touring the world as a solo act, performing to sold out crowds in the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden, while simultaneously building his international fanbase. Then in October of 2013 he announced that he would be shifting gears once again by starring in an upcoming war drama directed by Angelina Jolie. In the film, called "Unbroken" (2014), Miyavi played a Japanese Army Sergeant with a mean streak, garnering solid reviews for his naturalistic work.