Anime is reaching a wider audience than ever before, which means that there are a number of popular characters secret cartoon fan. This often comes as a pleasant surprise – a public figure is admired by fans for having similar interests outside of work. Sadly, some stereotypes about anime’s target audience still exist, but public appearances like actors are a great way to break down those impressions. Anime is more popular and culturally significant than ever, and members of the acting community emphasize that.
Some celebrities are quite outspoken in expressing their love for the medium, sharing photos from the anime on their social media platforms and cosplaying their favorite characters. Others only mentioned their love of anime fleetingly, in “blink and you’ll miss it” moments in interviews. If we’re lucky, even more actors who are anime fans will step out of the profession sooner or later.
12 John Cena
Professional wrestler and Peacemaker star John Cena looks like a protagonist straight out of a Shounen manga, so the fact that he’s an avid anime fan has brand value. His love for the genre began in the 1990s, when he first discovered Dragon Ball Z.
For those who like a good meme, there are dozens of GIFs of Cena becoming a Super Saiyan in a wrestling match to go around. Recently, Cena noted Bleach, My Hero Academia, and One Piece as some of his all-time favorite movies. He thinks anime is a great way to relieve the pressure and anxiety of a heavy career.
11 Christian Bale
After watching Spirited Away, the Batman star shared that he would play any role in 2004’s Howl’s Moving Castle based solely on that viewing experience. Not long after, Bale was cast as Howl, using his “Batman voice” for his iconic English dub performance.
For many people, it’s still hard to believe that Bale could act in a movie like American Psycho and then go on to play a classic bishounen hero in an anime like Howl, but that’s the power of good acting. In addition to being a loyal fan of Miyazaki, Bale also loves the animated political action film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade.
10 Taika Waititi
Given the huge success of Our Flag Means Death, it’s no surprise that actor and director Taika Waititi was recently spotted wearing a One Piece sweatshirt, introducing another pirate-themed series. He announced in 2017 that he planned to develop a live-action adaptation of 1988’s Akira, but unfortunately left the project in 2021.
In some ways, Waititi’s love of the genre isn’t surprising – his strangely colorful outings in the last two Thor films feel like something straight out of from a Ghibli movie, or even Dorohedoro. Besides that, there are some interesting similarities between his What We Do in the Shadows series and the underrated anime The Vampire Dies in No Time.
9 Jamie Lee Curtis
Everything Everywhere All At Once actor Jamie Lee Curtis is a huge fan of One Piece and was even offered the role of Kureha in a live-action adaptation accompanied by a fan poster. She also shares this information at the Oscars, of all places, putting anime on the radar of more than 18 million viewers.
Curtis has paid tribute to British voice actor Brina Palencia, who voices Ciel in Black Butler and Tony Tony Chopper in her aforementioned favorite pirate-themed series. Fans interested in Curtis’ animated work are encouraged to check out Miyazaki’s From Up on Poppy Hill, where she voices Ryoko.
8 Robin Williams
Although sadly passed away in 2014, Robin Williams is still as passionate about his love of anime as he is in his comedy activities. Actress Mrs. Doubtfire and Good Will Hunting are avid fans of sci-fi anime, including Neon Genesis Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell.
Williams also has an extensive collection of anime characters, so much so that his daughter, Zelda, calls him a “statue hoarder.” Williams is still sorely missed, but it’s nice to think that he used anime as a form of fun and escapism during his time here.
7 Samuel L. Jackson
Fans of Afro Samurai may already know that powerhouse Samuel L. Jackson voiced two characters in the English dub, so it’s no surprise that he’s a fan of the genre. With his usual lighthearted humor, Jackson shared in an interview with Wired that he not only likes anime but also its more “adult” versions.
Jackson’s other notable anime-adjacent role was as Zog in 2009’s Astro Boy, based on Japan’s first popular anime series. If Jackson’s stellar performance is any indication, it’s likely he’ll appear in more anime series in the coming years.
6 Zac Efron
Zac Efron of High School Musical and Dirty Grandpa is a huge fan of Death Note, and even worked to get a live-action adaptation to come to fruition in 2009. A live-action remake has already been announced. aired in 2017, but Efron was not involved in the series. project.
Despite this, the internet is rife with memes depicting young Efron’s appearance in the early 2000s – especially his hairstyle – with Light Yagami’s own hair, and the similarity is uncanny. Efron also expressed his love for the shounen series Bleach and the iconic street racing series Inception D.
5 Ariana Grande
Pop musician and Sam & Cat actress Ariana Grande sent fans wild in 2018 when she revealed her latest Chihiro tattoo from Spirited Away, one of the most popular anime films ever created . She credits Chihiro’s growth throughout the film as the inspiration for the work.
Indeed, Chihiro’s journey from a fearful child to a hardworking, independent teenager practically mirrors Grande’s own life, as she has proven herself to be more of a powerhouse than her public personality. her lord suggested. Grande also got an Eevee tattoo from Pokémon in 2019 and once spent 15 hours playing Pokémon Go during her break.
4 Megan Fox
The Transformers and Jennifer’s Body star has legions of starry-eyed fans, so revealing that she loves anime is exciting for many. Fox said in an interview that she would love to see a live-action remake of the Sailor Moon series.
Although she did not specify whether she would like to join the project or not, many believe that her looks and personality make her the perfect choice to play the role of Sailor Mars. Fox also shared that Adult Swim anime, such as Cowboy Bebop and Inuyasha, are a great starting point for her to enter the field.
3 Keanu Reeves
John Wick superstar Keanu Reeves loves anime and says he would love to play Spike Spiegel in the American adaptation of Cowboy Bebop. However, he said the project would cost “about half a billion dollars” to implement and the idea was scrapped.
2 Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan not only delivered a standout performance in Black Panther, he’s also a huge fan of anime. Fans often cite his 73 questions interview with Vogue as evidence of this. When asked where he would like to travel someday, Jordan pointed out Tokyo, Japan on the map, claiming that he is “obsessed” with it and that anime is “the best.”
It’s a huge win for the fanbase in a media that has historically been discriminated against. Jordan even shared that the anime had a huge influence on the boxing fights in Creed 3, and according to critics, it performed in the best way.
1 stallion Megan Thee
Rapper and She-Hulk actress Megan Thee Stallion is an outspoken person and loves anime. Many of her Instagram photo feeds contain at least one image of an anime character, between selfies and photos of her pets. She also cosplays anime characters for photo shoots, including Todoroki and Mirko from My Hero Academia. Megan has dropped anime references in several of her songs, including a reference to Naruto in “Girls in the Hood” and a reference to Dragon Ball Z in “Go Crazy.”
Obviously, anime is no longer the niche media it used to be. Even celebrities have caught on to this trend, proving that anime has transcended traditional nerd culture. In a way, this is not surprising, since the core of many anime is just good storytelling. It will be interesting to see what anime celebrities will be aiming for in the next few years as the medium becomes more and more popular. While there seems to be a trend towards action anime right now, perhaps one day actors will exaggerate more mundane, romantic films. Either way, there really isn’t a better spokesperson than the actors in love cartoon.
