Yuko Takeuchi, star of 1998’s Ringu and Hulu series Miss Sherlock, has died aged 40.
The Urawa-born actor and mother of two was discovered by her husband in their Tokyo home early this morning (September 27). She was sent to a hospital where she was confirmed dead, according to local media reports. Her death is being reported as a suspected suicide.
“It came all of a sudden, and we are all stunned and saddened by the news,” her talent agency, Stardust Promotion Inc., said in a statement, adding that it is examining the details of the incident.
Known for starring in the hit NHK drama Asuka in 1999, and the 2001 TBS drama Love And Life In The White, one of Takeuchi’s earliest film roles came in 1998 J-horror Ringu, which was famously adapted into Hollywood horror film The Ring in 2001.
A rising star, Takeuchi recently appeared in the 2018 Hulu and HBO Asia co-production Miss Sherlock, a gender-reversed adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective.
She also recently starred in The Confidenceman JP: Princess, the second movie based on the popular Fuji Television drama.
Takeuchi received a number of film awards and was nominated for the Japanese Academy Award for best actress in a leading role three years in a row from 2004.
A number of tributes have started to pour in for Takeuchi.
“Waking up to the news of Yûko Takeuchi’s death by presumed suicide has really saddened me,” one person wrote on social media. “She was iconic as Tomoko in the opening scene of RINGU back in ‘98 but was so damn good just a few years ago in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s CREEPY as well. She was so talented & will be missed.”
Waking up to the news of Yûko Takeuchi’s death by presumed suicide has really saddened me. She was iconic as Tomoko in the opening scene of RINGU back in ‘98 but was so damn good just a few years ago in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s CREEPY as well. She was so talented & will be missed x pic.twitter.com/gp5JnG56aI
— ベンジボックス (@BenjyBox) September 27, 2020
Another wrote: “My heart is breaking at the news of Yūko Takeuchi’s passing. We were just talking about how amazing she was in Miss Sherlock during the TPP Enola Holmes watchalong today. Going to log off and cry for a bit.”
My heart is breaking at the news of Yūko Takeuchi’s passing 💔 We were just talking about how amazing she was in Miss Sherlock during the TPP Enola Holmes watchalong today. Going to log off and cry for a bit pic.twitter.com/NIUfzdVupx
— JL 🖤 BLM & trans rights (@imjohnlock4life) September 27, 2020
See more tributes to the star below:
Rest in Peace, Yuko Takeuchi.
😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/uIBRgFyfBc— cocomi_mg (@CocomiSam) September 27, 2020
(TW suicide) Very sorry to hear that Japanese actress Yūko Takeuchi, who played the lead in Miss Sherlock, has apparently been found dead in her home in a suspected suicide. pic.twitter.com/oQg9Z8dTbz
— Ashley D. Polasek (@SherlockPhD) September 27, 2020
May you rest in peace now, Yuko Takeuchi. You will be missed. 😭💔 pic.twitter.com/VBKQ6qs7gP
— Stephanne Diane (@_steffannn) September 27, 2020
Rest in peace. #YukoTakeuchi #harumamiura 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/KxfeNG8cUu
— TN (@kung_iamtira) September 27, 2020
Yuko takeuchi just had a baby in January….. That poor poor woman and her poor family…
— 📎 朗恋（ローレン）📎 (@llamatsuri) September 26, 2020
I was still asking for Miss Sherlock S2. 😔 Ms. Yuko Takeuchi, thank you for giving us the most beautiful Sherlock we’ll ever know. https://t.co/xbWo5SdIiz
— water リリ (@lj_dayo) September 27, 2020
R.I.P.
Yuko Takeuchi (竹内結子)
and
Haruma Miura (三浦春馬)まだ若い二人がもういないなんて信じられない。
I can’t believe in that two of them are not in this world now… pic.twitter.com/6D0dO4TmSj— 泰知(Taichi/타이치) from Kyoto🍀 (@t1mzd) September 27, 2020
Rest In Peace. Yuko Takeuchi
….
ช็อคมากนะที่นักแสดงที่เราชอบผลงานเค้ามากคนนึงมาจากไปแบบนี้
แบบที่เราไม่เคยรู้สักนิดเลยว่าเค้าเผชิญกับอะไรอยู่ T_T pic.twitter.com/9HUFlw24OL— 𝙵𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙱𝙴𝙰𝙼 (@fastbeam) September 27, 2020
Takeuchi is survived by her husband and two children.
