Character Analysis

The book "Memoirs of a Geisha" has already been made into a movie with actors and actresses such as Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh and many more amazing actors and actresses.

Here are some of the actors/actresses I chose, as I did not want to use the same people as the ones in the actual film.

Starring as Chiyo (Nitta Sayuri) would be Jamie Chung

Sayuri is a very innocent and shy girl, sold to a okiya when she was young and forced onto the path of being a geisha. As she grows up, enduring many hardships inside the okiya she turned into more of a secretively fearless girl as she just wanted to be able to survive and be successful.

The 30 years old actress still looks beautiful as ever, and she would be the perfect person to play the character of Nitta Sayuri. As seen in the pictures, Jamie has played a role quite similar to the one of Nitta Sayuri (Lady Silk in The Man with the Iron Fists) , except she was in a traditional Chinese setting compared to Memoirs of a Geisha's traditional Japanese setting. She would be able to fit well in the traditional Japanese attire (kimono and such). Despite her being 30 years old, she still looks quite young with a nice complexion; she would fit the role of Sayuri quite well.


Starring as Mameha would be Lucy Liu

Mameha is a character that is intelligent, beautiful and kind. She is a geisha who understands that beauty may be the ladder to becoming a successful geisha. But she also understands that if the geisha does not have a firm base built on character and kindness, they would never be able to keep their geisha status.

Playing Sayuri's mentor also known as her "older sister" would be the marvelous Lucy Liu. Starting her acting career at age 19, Lucy Liu is quite experienced and would be perfect to play the role of one of the most famous geisha of Japan. Not only is the actress beautiful and flawless even as age 45, she is also intelligent. Lucy played the role of Alex Munday in Charlie's Angels and if she was able to do such a role, Lucy would be able to bring the character Mameha justice.


Starring as The Chairman would be Hiroyuki Sanada

The Chairman aka Iwamura Ken, is the head of a huge company in Japan called "Iwamura Electronics". A kind and gentle man, which encounters Chiyo quite early in the book, disappears then appears back into Chiyo's (Sayuri's) life.

To play the man who was Chiyo/Sayuri's love interest since she was a little girl, I chose Hiroyuki Sanada. With his tough looking features, to well-groomed face he would fit the role of Iwamura Ken (The Chairman) quite well. Though the actor is more well-known for his action roles, I believe he has the appearence and experience to play the warm, and gentle chairman.