Michiko Nishiwaki (西脇 美智子, Nishiwaki Michiko, born November 21, 1957) is a Japanese actress, stuntwoman, martial artist, fight choreographer, former female bodybuilder and powerlifter. She performed the high-risk stunts as a double for Lucy Liu in the film Charlie's Angels.
Michiko Nishiwaki | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 21, 1957 (age 66) Funabashi, Chiba, Japan |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1984–present |
Early life
editMichiko Nishiwaki was born on November 21, 1957, in Funabashi, Chiba.[1] As a teenager growing up in Tokyo, she was interested in gymnastics and volleyball. She became interested in bodybuilding when she grew dissatisfied with her body image, regarding her legs as too heavy compared to her upper body.[2] Another turning point was her father's death, which motivated her to have her own say in the planning of her future.[1]
Career
editSports
editUnusual for Japanese society at the time, Nishiwaki became a powerlifter and eventually Japan's first female powerlifting champion and first female bodybuilding champion. She opened three fitness clubs co-owned by her brother.[1]
Feature films
editHer acting career began in the 1985 Hong Kong martial arts/comedy film My Lucky Stars, in which she played a Japanese fighter. Her performance caught the attention of Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. She also appeared in films such as The Line of Duty III in 1988, City Cops, Princess Madam, and God of Gamblers in 1989. She was quickly typecast, playing villains and femme fatales in most of her Hong Kong films. At times she did not use a word of dialogue, since she could not speak Cantonese well at the time. After returning to Japan, she went to Thailand to star in Whore and the Policewoman in 1993. She appeared in the 1999 film Man on the Moon, starring Jim Carrey, and did stunts for Hollywood films such as Red Corner, Blade, Charlie's Angels, and Rush Hour 2. She made a cameo appearance in the 2022 movie Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Nishiwaki married in 1996[3] and subsequently moved to Moorpark, California, where she was living with her husband and son as of the middle of October 2013.
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | My Lucky Stars | Japanese Fighter | |
| 1986 |
|
Rikkî | TV series |
| 1987 |
|
Misao Matsuda | |
| 1988 | In the Line of Duty III | Michiko Nishiwaki | |
| 1988 | Tie dan xiong feng | Lily | |
| 1989 |
|
Michiko | |
| 1989 | God of Gamblers | Ko Chun's female Yakuza opponent | |
| 1989 | Time Burst: The Final Alliance | herself | |
| 1990 |
|
Chieko | |
| 1990 | Outlaw Brothers | Miego | |
| 1990 | Magic Cop | The Sorceress | |
| 1990 |
|
||
| 1990 | The Best of the Martial Arts Films | Herself | archive footage |
| 1991 | The Real Me | herself | |
| 1991 |
|
Simol | |
| 1991 | Sing je wai wong | herself | |
| 1992 | The Mighty Gambler | Joyce Huang (Mainlander) | [citation needed] |
| 1992 |
|
Yi | |
| 1992 |
|
Miss Nishiwaki | |
| 1992 |
|
Sha Sha Lee | |
| 1992 | Pi li bao zuo | herself | |
| 1992 |
|
Kwan Show-Yun | |
| 1993 |
|
Sen | |
| 1993 | Fatal Seduction | herself | |
| 1993 |
|
Nancy Cheng | |
| 1993 | City on Fire | Chia-Chi | |
| 1996 | Top Fighter 2 | Herself (archive footage) | |
| 1998 | Lethal Weapon 4 | herself | |
| 1999 | Man on the Moon | Female Karate Fighter (uncredited) | [citation needed] |
| 2003 | Ghost Rock | Hana | |
| 2022 | Everything Everywhere All at Once | Kung Fu Competitor, Co-Star |
Stunt and stunt double appearances
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Red Corner |
| 1998 | Brave New World |
| 1998 | Blade |
| 1998 | Fantasy Island: Estrogen |
| 1998–2000 | Martial Law (TV series) |
| 1999 | Man on the Moon |
| 1999 | Play It to the Bone |
| 2000 | Chain of Command |
| 2001 | V.I.P - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Val (TV Series (November 24, 2001)) |
| 2001 | Rush Hour 2 |
| 2002 | The Practice - M. Premie Unplugged (TV series) |
| 2002 | Clockstoppers |
| 2002 | The Scorpion King |
| 2003 | Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) |
| 2004 | Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004) |
| 2004 | Collateral |
| 2005 | Memoirs of a Geisha |
| 2006 | Mission: Impossible III |
Notes and references
edit- ^ a b c "Michiko Nishiwaki". Cult Sirens. 2004. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
- ^ "From Crunch Princess to Action Diva". Hong Kong Cinema. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
- ^ "Clark County, NV Public Records". Clark County Recorder's Office. Retrieved September 3, 2009.[permanent dead link]