About Matsumoto Jun
About Matsumoto Jun
- * Name: 松本潤
- * Name (romaji): Matsumoto Jun
- * Nickname: MatsuJun, Jun-Sama, JunChan, King (by all of Arashi)
- * Height: 173cm (roughly 5'8)
- * Weight: 58kg (approx 128)
- * Birthdate: August 30, 1983
- * Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
- * Host of: Utawara HotHit10
- * Siblings: One older sister
- * Horoscope sign: Virgo
- * Blood type: A
- * Interests: Music, DVDs, photography, reading
- * Preferred Sport: Baseball
- * Favorite Food: Noodles, dry plums, mango
- * Favorite Colors: White, black and blue
Matsumoto entered Johnny's Entertainment in 1996, at the age of thirteen. Although the proper procedure is for the applicant to go through a round of auditions before being admitted into the talent agency, Matsumoto bypassed it by receiving a direct phone call from Johnny Kitagawa, telling him to report for work. In September 1999, on board a cruise ship off the shores of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, he debuted as the youngest member of ARASHI. ARASHI, the slightly hip-hop-influenced group of Johnny's Entertainment, was instantly popular with the fans. Although the members of ARASHI enjoy more or less equal popularity, a large portion of the fans were attracted to ARASHI by watching Matsumoto's dramas; a common syndrome that has been nicknamed the 'Jun-bait' by fans. As of June 2006, he became part of an unofficial group within Johnny's Entertainment called "No Border", which includes members: Yamashita Tomohisa of NEWS, Murakami Shingo of Kanjani8, Satou Atsuhiro, Ikuta Toma of Johnny's Junior's, Domoto Koichi of Kinki Kids, Yamaguchi Tatsuya of TOKIO and Takizawa Hideaki of Tackey & Tsubasa. The group was formed when the 8 members from different JE groups met up for dinner and decided to name themselves "No Border." They are known to interact freely, bypassing the sempai-kouhai relationships formed by JE. There is a 7 part round-robin on their jwebs about the formation of the group. Each member has a specific color - White, Black, Red, Pink, Purple, Gold, Blue, Grey. However, who holds which color is still unknown.
It was not until 2002 that Matsumoto truly made his mark in the acting industry by portraying Sawada Shin in the manga-turned-drama Gokusen, a role which won him the Best Supporting Actor at the 44th Television Drama Academy Awards. In 2003, Matsumoto took on the role of Momo/Goda Takeshi in the drama Kimi wa Petto, portraying a homeless young man taken in by a successful journalist as her pet. A year later, in 2004, he wrote a song called "La Familia" in honor of ARASHI's fifth anniversary, and performed it at the Iza Now! concert. In 2005, Matsumoto took on the role of Domyouji Tsukasa, the leader of F4, in the Japanese live action of the highly popular manga/anime Hana Yori Dango, which aired its first season from 2005-10-21 to 2005-12-16. Hana Yori Dango was the highest rated drama of winter 2005, and the second season recently finished airing on TBS. A lot of publicity was generated when he made an appearance at the 47th Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan in June 2006. Dressed in a gray suit, he was frequently referred to as "Prince Charming" in the Taiwanese media reports. Two hundred fans were at the airport to receive him and he recited a few Mandarin phrases while presenting the Best Director award. Aside from acting and singing, Matsumoto has taken on hosting duties by co-hosting Utawara Hot Hit 10 with Aya Matsuura and Akiko Wada. The most well-known moments in that program were Matsumoto's arguments with Akanishi Jin of KAT-TUN.
Matsumoto is myopic. Although he wears contact lenses for his work, he is frequently seen with spectacles. He also used to have buckteeth when he was younger. He is a big fan of the Harry Potter franchise, and, unless he initiates it, Jun is not comfortable with other people touching him. When he was in second grade, he ran out onto the road and was knocked over by a van. Little Jun was severely injured, but he was as chirpy and cheerful as he could be. When the ambulance arrived, he kept apologizing to the uncle, saying he was naughty for running out onto the road.