Shigeru Muroi

Shigeru Muroi (室井 滋, Muroi Shigeru; born October 22, 1958 in Namerikawa, Toyama Prefecture, Japan) is a veteran Japanese actress whose career spans more than four decades. She first appeared on screen in the late 1970s, with her debut in the cult‑punk film Burst City (1982) and quickly established herself as a versatile performer capable of moving between gritty drama, light‑hearted comedy, and animated voice work. Muroi earned critical acclaim in 1994 when she won the Best Supporting Actress award at the 19th Hochi Film Awards for her haunting portrayal of Shizuko in Izakaya Yūrei, a role that highlighted her ability to convey deep emotional nuance within a horror‑inflected narrative. Throughout the 1990s she became a familiar face on Japanese television, most notably as Reiko Onda in the popular Yappari Neko ga Suki series and as the lead in the dramas Shinryōnaikai Ryōko (1997) and Koritsuku Natsu (1998), where her performances were praised for their blend of warmth and resilience. In addition to live‑action work, Muroi contributed her distinctive voice to Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart (1995), playing Asako Tsukishima, and later became the beloved Japanese voice of Dory in both Finding Nemo (2003) and its sequel Finding Dory (2016). Her filmography continued to expand with notable appearances in Villon’s Wife (2009), No Longer Human (2010), and the ensemble comedy 7 Secretaries: The Movie (2022). Even into the 2020s she remains active, taking roles in upcoming projects such as Strangers in Kyoto (2025) and serving as narrator for Happy End (2025). Muroi’s enduring presence on screen and her contributions to both Japanese cinema and international dubbing have cemented her status as a respected and adaptable figure in the entertainment industry.