Actress Masami Nagasawa was born on June 3, 1987, in Shizuoka Prefecture. She entered the entertainment industry after winning the grand prize at the 5th Toho Cinderella Audition at the age of 12, the youngest ever. She made her film debut in 2000 in "Crossfire," followed by her TV drama debut in "Secret: The Will of Lawyer Mariko Sako." Around this time, she also worked as an exclusive model for the teen magazine "Pichi Lemon." In 2003, she won the Newcomer of the Year Award at the 27th Japan Academy Awards for her first starring role in "Robocon." In 2004, she played the heroine with leukemia in "Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World," for which she won numerous film awards, including the Best Supporting Actress award at the 28th Japan Academy Awards. She continued to appear in popular films, winning the Best Actress award at the 30th Japan Academy Awards for her role in "Nada Sou Sou" in 2006.

Last month, at the Cannes Film Festival, she traveled to France to promote director John Woo's latest film, "The Pacific." She attracted attention by wearing a sexy dress by Stella McCartney. Her film, "WOOD JOB! ~Kamisari no Naaa Everyday Life~," in which she stars, is currently in theaters.