Gen Hoshino, born on January 28, 1981, in Saitama Prefecture, is a Japanese entertainer known for his work as a singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and voice actor. His career in the entertainment industry began in live-action roles, with his film debut in 2004's 69, followed by appearances in various television dramas and stage plays. He also led the instrumental band Sakerock from 2000 until its disbandment in 2015, establishing himself as a versatile musician.

Hoshino made his voice acting debut in 2012, taking on the prominent role of Buddha in the original video animation adaptation of the manga Saint Young Men. He reprised this role for the 2013 theatrical version of Saint Young Men, for which he also performed the theme song Gag, demonstrating an early link between his voice acting and music careers. In the live-action television drama realm, his performance in the 2016 series The Full-Time Wife Escapist earned him several Best Supporting Actor awards and widespread recognition.

His voice acting career expanded significantly with roles in several acclaimed animated films. In 2017, he voiced the lead character, known as Senpai, in Masaaki Yuasa's award-winning film Night is Short, Walk On Girl. The following year, he was the voice of the Father in Mamoru Hosoda's Mirai, which was released in Japan in July 2018. These roles in major anime films solidified his presence in the animation industry.

Hoshino has also taken on voice roles in other projects, such as the character Hoshi Sensei in the series Onna no Sono no Hoshi. His contributions to anime extend beyond acting, as he has also performed theme music for notable series; for instance, his song Comedy served as an ending theme for the first season of the popular anime Spy x Family in 2022. His career is marked by this recurring intersection of his talents, often providing both the voice for a character and musical contributions to the same project.