Maki Horikita
Description
Maki Horikita is a Japanese former actress and voice actress who was active in the entertainment industry from 2003 until her retirement in 2017. While she was primarily known for her extensive work in live-action television dramas and films, she also took on several notable roles in anime voice acting.
Her career in voice acting began in 2008 when she lent her voice to the character Rire in the animated film Doraemon: Nobita and the Green Giant Legend. This was followed by her most prominent and frequently cited voice role, Luke Triton, the young apprentice to the titular protagonist in the Professor Layton franchise. She voiced the character in the 2009 anime film Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, which is based on the popular puzzle video game series. Her involvement in the Professor Layton franchise also extended to providing the character's voice in the Japanese versions of the video games. In early 2009, she also participated in dubbing work for the Belgian 3D animated film Nat's Space Adventure 3D, where she voiced the protagonist, a young male fly.
Throughout her career, Horikita was affiliated with the talent agency Sweet Power. Her primary recognition came from starring roles in numerous successful television series such as Nobuta wo Produce, Hana-Kimi, and the NHK morning drama Umechan Sensei, as well as films like the Always: Sunset on Third Street series. Her work earned her several accolades, including Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress awards from the Television Academy Awards in Japan and a Newcomer Award from the Japan Academy Prize. In February 2017, Horikita announced her retirement from the entertainment industry to focus on her family.
Her career in voice acting began in 2008 when she lent her voice to the character Rire in the animated film Doraemon: Nobita and the Green Giant Legend. This was followed by her most prominent and frequently cited voice role, Luke Triton, the young apprentice to the titular protagonist in the Professor Layton franchise. She voiced the character in the 2009 anime film Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, which is based on the popular puzzle video game series. Her involvement in the Professor Layton franchise also extended to providing the character's voice in the Japanese versions of the video games. In early 2009, she also participated in dubbing work for the Belgian 3D animated film Nat's Space Adventure 3D, where she voiced the protagonist, a young male fly.
Throughout her career, Horikita was affiliated with the talent agency Sweet Power. Her primary recognition came from starring roles in numerous successful television series such as Nobuta wo Produce, Hana-Kimi, and the NHK morning drama Umechan Sensei, as well as films like the Always: Sunset on Third Street series. Her work earned her several accolades, including Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress awards from the Television Academy Awards in Japan and a Newcomer Award from the Japan Academy Prize. In February 2017, Horikita announced her retirement from the entertainment industry to focus on her family.
All Characters
- JapaneseAnime overview: Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva
- JapaneseAnime overview: Always: Sunset on Third Street 3
- JapaneseAnime overview: Always: Sunset on Third Street 2
- JapaneseAnime overview: Always: Sunset on Third Street
- JapaneseAnime overview: Kurosagi
- JapaneseAnime overview: Densha Otoko