Japanese actor Kento Nakajima reveals he's half-Filipino
Japanese singer-actor Kento Nakajima confirmed that he is half-Filipino.
The Silver Spoon star talked about his heritage in a recent meet-up with Filipino American actress Liza Soberano at the Coach Spring 2025 runway fashion show in New York.
A video from FASHIONSNAP captured their interaction, which began with Liza sharing that she's from the Philippines after they waved to fans and paparazzi.
"Oh, really? So, I’m half-Filipino,” Kento revealed, surprising the Lisa Frankenstein actress.
“Oh, you are! Oh my gosh, that’s crazy. Have you ever been [to the Philippines]?” she said, with Kento answering yes before the clip got cut off.
【密着】ニューヨークでこのあと開催される「コーチ」のショー会場で #中島健人 さんとフィリピン人女優のLiza Soberanoさんがグリーティング。#CoachSpring25 pic.twitter.com/nIqdcmD2bh
— FASHIONSNAP (@fashionsnap) September 9, 2024
The confession also caused surprised reactions from Filipino fans, such as a user on X saying that it took an encounter with the actress to “finally tell the world his Filipino heritage.”
Another user said that this may have been his “first encounter with a Filipino outside of Japan in a work setting” and he was possibly “never really asked” about his heritage.
The Japanese actor was part of J-pop group Timelesz, formerly known as Sexy Zone, which debuted on November 16, 2011 under STARTO ENTERTAINMENT.
Kento, alongside his co-member Marius Yo, graduated from the group this year on March 31.
Despite being out of the J-pop group, the idol embarked on a new music project called “HITOGOTO” written and sung by himself. His song from the project, “Hitogoto feat. Kento Nakajima,” also debuted as a theme song for the drama, It’s All About Other People.
Kento has also starred in numerous films and TV series, including Bad Boys J, Teen Bride, She Was Pretty, and Netflix's Love Like the Falling Petals.