Dean Fujioka

Tatsuo Fujioka (藤岡 竜雄, Fujioka Tatsuo; born August 19, 1980), better known as Dean Fujioka (ディーン・フジオカ, Dīn Fujioka; stylized as DEAN FUJIOKA) is a Japanese actor, voice actor, singer, songwriter, musician, model and film director/producer.

Dean Fujioka was born in Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Moving with his family, he grew up in Kamagaya, Chiba Prefecture. Although Fujioka is multilingual (fluent in Japanese, English, Cantonese, Standard Mandarin, Indonesian) and made his debut in a Chinese fashion show, he has clarified in some interviews and variety shows that his parents and grandparents are all Japanese, who used to work or live in foreign countries. Raised in such a family, he grew determined to explore the world himself. After graduating from Chiba Prefectural Funabashi High School, Fujioka majored in IT at a community college in Seattle, USA. After graduating from college, he traveled to different countries in Asia and came into contact with various ethnicities, cultures and languages.

Fujioka has a wide range of hobbies such as Chinese martial arts, kickboxing, chess, basketball, skiing and taking pictures, and also likes composition and lyrics. Although he is allergic to gluten, he enjoys eating and is particular about food.

Since his childhood, Fujioka had been influenced by musical theory and instruments. He produced music, first in Indonesia, but now mainly in Tokyo. Besides writing, composing, and producing, he also works as a rap singer. He can play a number of instruments, such as the guitar, the drums, and the piano. Fujioka also often shows off his beatboxing skills on TV shows. He likes music such as songs by Yutaka Ozaki and the song "Sweet Memories" by Seiko Matsuda. The song "Kessen wa Kinyōbi" of Japanese band Dreams Come True is the first single CD he bought by himself.

Dean Fujioka started his career as a model in Hong Kong's fashion scene in 2004 for both local and international designer brands. He continued to appear in Hong Kong's leading fashion and lifestyle magazines. Simultaneously with his career in fashion, he also embarked on various advertising campaigns, appearing in TV and print commercials for both local and multinational clients in the Asia pacific region.

In 2006, Fujioka started to pursue a career in acting. He moved his base from Hong Kong to Taipei and appeared in his first TV series Goku Dō High School with Bao Weimin, Bao Xiaobo, and Kingone Wang. His very first film August Story, starring Tian Yuan, Dean Fujioka, and Jan Cheung, caught public attention in the film festivals held in Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan.

In 2007, Fujioka appeared as a talented pianist in the TV series Corner with Love with Barbie Shu and Show Lo. He also appeared in Summer's Tail, his first film in Taiwan, with Bryant Chang, Enno Cheng, and Hannah Lin. A year later, Fujioka appeared in the TV series Miss No Good with Rainie Yang and Will Pan, produced by Angie Chai. Afterwards, he suspended his career in acting and went to Jakarta, where he met DJ Sumo (Sumantri) and collaborated on his songs.

In 2011, Fujioka appeared in the feature film Seediq Bale, about the history of Taiwan under Japanese rule, and in the film The Road Less Traveled with Vanness Wu, Jimmy Hung, Eric Tu, and Chris Lung. He also joined Amuse, Inc. in that year. In 2012, Fujioka appeared in the film Black & White Episode I: The Dawn of Assault, which was based on the popular Taiwanese TV series directed by Tsai Yueh-Hsun.