Shōsuke Tanihara is primarily known as a Japanese actor and television personality, but he has also performed voice work for several anime and animated film projects. Born on July 8, 1972, in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Tanihara began his career as a fashion model for the magazine MEN'S NON-NO before making his acting debut in the 1995 film Hana Yori Dango. His voice acting roles, while not the central focus of his career, include a number of notable characters across different genres.

One of his earliest anime roles was Dr. Tofu Ono in the long-running series Ranma ½. He also voiced Kuniumi Maitake in the romantic comedy film Lovely Complex, which was released in 2006. In the 2008 anime film The Sky Crawlers, he played the role of Naofumi Tokino. Currently, his most widely recognized voice role is that of the Legendary Pokémon Reshiram, which he voiced in the 2011 films Pokémon the Movie: White - Victini and Zekrom and Pokémon the Movie: Black - Victini and Reshiram.

Tanihara has also performed voice work for several other animated features. He played the character Leon in the 2007 sci-fi film Vexille - 2077 Isolation of Japan and Regalyan D'Marcall in the 2012 feature Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker. In 2013, he voiced the character Marsh in the Pretty Cure film Eiga Dokidoki! Precure Mana Kekkon!!? Mirai ni Tsunagu Kibō no Dress. In addition to his anime work, Tanihara has been involved in dubbing foreign films and providing voiceovers for Japanese video games, such as his role as Mitsuru Kuroiwa in the game Judge Eyes. While he has appeared on stage and in numerous live-action television dramas and films, including an early notable role as Riki Fudoh in Fudoh: The New Generation and its sequel, his reputation and primary body of work remain solidly within the realm of live-action performance and television hosting.