Ando Sakura, a talented actress born to a family deeply rooted in the show business, was destined to follow in the footsteps of her parents, actor/director Okuda Eiji and celebrity Kazu Ando. Her great grandfather, Tsuyoshi, a former prime minister, adds to her illustrious family heritage. Her older sister, director Ando Momoko, is another notable figure in the industry.
Sakura's journey into acting began at a tender age of five, when she saw her father perform on stage. By the time she was in second grade, she had made up her mind to become an actress herself. However, her childhood was marked by illness, which caused her to experience dizziness, loss of balance, and even temporary brain shutdowns. Despite these challenges, she persevered and opted to use her mother's maiden surname, Ando, for her professional career.
Sakura's breakthrough role came when renowned director Sono Sion cast her in his film Love Exposure, earning her the Best Supporting Actress award at the 31st Yokohama Film Festival. Earlier, her father had given her a role in his film Kaze No Sotogawa, alongside her mother and sister.
Since then, Sakura has appeared in numerous films and serials, winning several awards for her performances. Her personal life is just as impressive, as she married actor Emoto Tasuku in 2012, after meeting him on a train in 2008 and obtaining her father's permission to date and marry.
In 2017, Sakura gave birth to her first child, a girl, and had previously decided to retire from acting to focus on raising her child. However, she returned to the screen in 2018, starring in Shoplifters, for which she won the Best Actress award at the 42nd Japan Academy Prize. By then, she was considered one of Japan's top young actresses, alongside Yu Aoi, Miyazaki Aoi, and Aso Kumiko.
Interestingly, Sakura is a graduate of Gakushuin Women's College and has also dabbled in boxing, as seen in her role in 100 Yen Love. She had practiced boxing at the age of fourteen, which proved fortunate for her role in the film.
