Name Takashi Okamura Role Comedian | Education Ritsumeikan University | |
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Awards Japan Academy Prize for Popularity Award - Most Popular Actor Movies and TV shows Mecha‑Mecha Iketeru!, Guru guru Nainti Nain, Higashino Okamura no Tabiza, Narumi Okamura No Sugir, No Problem Similar People Hiroyuki Yabe, Koji Higashino, Masahiro Nakai, Koji Kato, Tetsuro Degawa Profiles | ||
Takashi Okamura (岡村 隆史, Okamura Takashi, born July 3, 1970 in Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese comedian and one half of the owarai duo Ninety-nine (also known as Nai Nai in Japan), playing the "comic stooge" or boke of the group. His nicknames range from "OkatakaLeader" to "Okachan". His partner is Hiroyuki Yabe, or "Yabecchi", sometimes "Yabe-kun".
Okamura has consistently been a large-audience draw on Japanese TV for his wild antics, such as breakdancing while wearing only the cowl of anime/professional wrestling hero Tiger Mask. At 156 centimetres (5 ft 1 in) (the tallest person in his family) he is a striking contrast to the lankier Yabe.
They formed Ninety-nine in 1990 (when Okamura dropped out of Ritsumeikan University) and in 1993 won a New Talent Prize. Okamura cried with joy when interviewed after receiving it. The following year, Ninety-nine hosted their first on-air show Ninety-Nine All Night Nippon, which is still aired today. Their success continued to grow with programs such as Asayan and Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!.
Okamura has appeared in the Japanese stage adaptation of The Lion King. He has displayed his dancing prowess by becoming an honorary member of Johnny's Jr., performing with SMAP and Exile.
