Kinuyo Tanaka
Born November 28, 1909 (Age: 116)
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Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan
Biography
Kinuyo Tanaka (田中 絹代 Tanaka Kinuyo, 29 November 1909 – 21 March 1977) was a Japanese actress and director. Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at seventeen years old, appearing in Heinosuke Gosho's An Embarrassing Dream in 1927. She proceeded to take leading parts in, among others, Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929, Gosho's Aiyoku no ki in 1930, and in 1931, Japan's first talkie, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine, directed by Gosho. She had a close working relationship with director Kenji Mizoguchi, having parts in 15 of his films, including leading roles in The Life of Oharu (1952), Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954). Their working relationship ended when Mizoguchi countered a recommendation from the Directors Guild of Japan for the Nikkatsu studio to hire her as a director. Despite this, the production of her second film as director went ahead, but Tanaka never forgave Mizoguchi, and the reasons for his behaviour are unclear. She also played Noboru Yasumoto's mother in Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard (1965). For her portrayal in Kei Kumai's Sandakan N° 8 she won the Best Actress Award at the 25th Berlin International Film Festival in 1975. Her last screen appearance was in 1976 in Kei Kumai's Kita No Misaki. Tanaka was the second Japanese woman who worked as a film director, after Sakane Tazuko (1904‐1975). Her first directing job was on the film Love Letter in 1953, and she made five further films in that role.
Kinuyo Tanaka (田中 絹代 Tanaka Kinuyo, 29 November 1909 – 21 March 1977) was a Japanese actress and director.
Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at seventeen years old, appearing in Heinosuke Gosho's An Embarrassing Dream in 1927. She proceeded to take leading parts in, among others, Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929, Gosho's Aiyoku no ki in 1930, and in 1931, Japan's first talkie, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine, directed by Gosho.
She had a close working relationship with director Kenji Mizoguchi, having parts in 15 of his films, including leading roles in The Life of Oharu (1952), Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954). Their working relationship ended when Mizoguchi countered a recommendation from the Directors Guild of Japan for the Nikkatsu studio to hire her as a director. Despite this, the production of her second film as director went ahead, but Tanaka never forgave Mizoguchi, and the reasons for his behaviour are unclear. She also played Noboru Yasumoto's mother in Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard (1965). For her portrayal in Kei Kumai's Sandakan N° 8 she won the Best Actress Award at the 25th Berlin International Film Festival in 1975. Her last screen appearance was in 1976 in Kei Kumai's Kita No Misaki.
Tanaka was the second Japanese woman who worked as a film director, after Sakane Tazuko (1904‐1975). Her first directing job was on the film Love Letter in 1953, and she made five further films in that role.
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Filmography
Let's Go, Grandma!
1975
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as Kiku Sasaki
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Age: 65
Sandakan No. 8
1974
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as Old Osaki
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Age: 64
Sanbaba
1974
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as
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Age: 64
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
1972
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as The Old Family Mistress
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Age: 63
Red Beard
1965
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as Madame Yasumoto
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Age: 55
Kono sora no aru kagiri
1964
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as
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Age: 54
The Scent of Incense
1964
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as Tsuna
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Age: 54
Bright Sea
1963
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as Nobuko Yazaki
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Age: 54
Alone Across the Pacific
1963
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as Youth's Mother
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Age: 53
A Legend or Was It?
1963
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as Shizuko Sonobe
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Age: 53
Double Wedding
1963
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as
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Age: 53
Mama, I Need You!
1962
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as
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Age: 52
The Fencing Master
1962
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as Oharu
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Age: 52
A Wanderer's Notebook
1962
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as Kishi, Fumiko's mother
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Age: 52
Eternity of Love
1961
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as Michi's Mother
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Age: 51
Her Brother
1960
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as Mother
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Age: 50
The Three Treasures
1959
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as Princess Yamato
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Age: 49
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
1959
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as Myokan
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Age: 49
Hahakogusa
1959
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as Shige Ozawa
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Age: 49
The Eternal Rainbow
1958
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as Fumi
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Age: 48
Equinox Flower
1958
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as Kiyoko Hirayama
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Age: 48
The Ballad of Narayama
1958
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as Orin
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Age: 48
Sorrow Is Only for Women
1958
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as
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Age: 48
Flowing
1956
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as Rika Yamanaka / Oharu
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Age: 46
The Storm
1956
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as
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Age: 46
Women in Prison
1956
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as Prison Warden
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Age: 46
No Image
How Sorrowful
1956
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as
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Age: 46
Confession
1956
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as
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Age: 46
Forever a Woman
1955
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as Neighbor's Wife
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Age: 45
Tsukiyo no kasa
1955
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as
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Age: 45
Shōnen shikeishū
1955
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as
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Age: 45
House of Many Pleasures
1955
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as Oshige
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Age: 45
The Moon Has Risen
1955
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as Yoneya
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Age: 45
The Woman in the Rumor
1954
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as Hatsuko Mabuchi
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Age: 44
Five Sisters
1954
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as
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Age: 44
Sansho the Bailiff
1954
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as Tamaki
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Age: 44
Love Letter
1953
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as Landlady
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Age: 44
An Heir's Place
1953
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as Hisa Hosho
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Age: 43
Ugetsu
1953
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as Miyagi
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Age: 43
Where Chimneys Are Seen
1953
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as Hiroko Ogata
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Age: 43
Sincere Heart
1953
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as Kuniko
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Age: 43
The Munekata Sisters
1950
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as Setsuko Munekata
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Age: 40
Wedding Ring
1950
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as Noriko Kuki
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Age: 40
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
1945
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as Okinu
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Age: 35
Victory Song
1945
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as Woman who sings lullaby
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Age: 35
A Certain Woman
1942
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as
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Age: 32
Record of a Woman Doctor
1941
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as
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Age: 31
Ornamental Hairpin
1941
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as Emi
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Age: 31
Flower
1941
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as
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Age: 31
Let's Go in Good Spirits
1941
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as
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Age: 31
No Image
Storm Zone
1932
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as
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Age: 23
The Loyal 47 Ronin
1932
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as Yae
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Age: 23
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
1932
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as Oshige
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Age: 22
No Image
Love in Tokyo
1932
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as
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Age: 22
Shine, Japanese Women
1932
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as Shigeko
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Age: 22
Studio Romance: A Guide to Love
1932
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as
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Age: 22
No Image
The Sun Rises from the East
1932
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as Miyoko
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Age: 22
No Image
The Willows of Ginza
1932
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as
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Age: 22
No Image
My Brother's a Fool
1932
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as
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Age: 22
Victory or Defeat
1932
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as
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Age: 22
No Image
The Golden Demon
1932
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as Omiya
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Age: 22
No Image
Woman of Suffering
1931
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as
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Age: 22
ABC Lifeline
1931
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as
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Age: 22
ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter
1931
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as
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Age: 21
No Image
The Tramp and His Daughter
1931
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as
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Age: 21
The Neighbour's Wife and Mine
1931
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as Wife of the Playwright
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Age: 21
No Image
Sisters: Part 1
1931
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as
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Age: 21
No Image
Sisters: Part 2
1931
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as
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Age: 21
No Image
Cry Cheerfully!
1931
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as
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Age: 21
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
1931
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as Mayumi
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Age: 21
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
1931
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as Mayumi
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Age: 21
Young Lady
1930
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as Kinuko
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Age: 21
Youth, Why Do You Cry?
1930
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as Kozue Uesugi
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Age: 20
Record of Love and Desire
1930
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as
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Age: 20
The Tale of Kinuyo
1930
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as Kinuyo
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Age: 20
Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name
1930
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as
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Age: 20
No Image
The Great Ship
1930
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as
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Age: 20
No Image
The Big City: Explosion
1930
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as
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Age: 20
Where Do Women Go?
1930
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as Omitsu
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Age: 20
No Image
A Smiling Life
1930
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as
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Age: 20
I Flunked, But...
1930
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as Cafe's Waitress
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Age: 20
No Image
Song of Youth
1930
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as Kinuko Yamada
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Age: 20
Marching On
1930
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as Toshiko Yamamoto
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Age: 20
No Image
The Beating
1930
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as
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Age: 20