Actress and singer Atsuko Maeda was born on July 10, 1991, in Chiba Prefecture. She is a former member of the idol group AKB48. She passed the AKB48 opening member audition in October 2005 and made her theater debut as a member of Team A in December of the same year. She has been a central member of the group since its inception, having been selected as a member of the group's title songs for all of their singles except for their 24th single, "Kamikara Mariko." She also appeared in the center position in most music videos and music programs. She had been interested in acting even before her debut, and made her acting debut in the 2007 film "How to Make My Tomorrow." She subsequently appeared in television dramas. Her first leading role was in the 2011 film "If a High School Baseball Girl Manager Read Drucker's 'Management'." For this work, she won the Japan Academy Prize Topic Award and the Newcomer Award at the Japan Film Critics Awards.

She announced her graduation from AKB48 at a concert in March 2012, and completed her graduation at the "Maeda Atsuko Graduation Concert" held in August of the same year. Her graduation, as she was known as the "absolute ace," became a hot topic, and attention was focused on her future activities.

Recently, she has frequently appeared in films, dramas, and commercials. Her 2012 film "Kuyaku Ressha," based on a novel by Nishimura Kenta, won various awards for its cast and crew, including the Japan Academy Prize. Furthermore, the horror film "Kuroyuri Danchi," released in May, was a huge hit, topping the attendance rankings for two consecutive weeks.