Takahiro Fujimoto scores first lead movie role

Actor and former Olympic swimmer Takahiro Fujimoto (39) is taking on his first starring movie role in “Playin' for Money,” co-directed by Jiro Enomoto and Kevin Glover. The movie is planned to get a U.S. release this fall, though a Japanese release has not yet been decided.

“Playin’ for Money” tells the story of a small-time basketball team in Kagoshima. Fujimoto plays the team’s enthusiastic head coach, who rallies his players to aim for the championship in a Tokyo tournament.

Fujimoto’s own athletic experience may help him in the role. He competed in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, but he retired in 1996 and moved into acting. He has mainly been active in theater, but he also appeared on screen in the movie “YAMATO” and the drama series “Saka no Ue no Kumo.”

Source:
Sports Hochi