Ryo Kase was born on November 9, 1974, in Kanagawa, Japan.
Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Washington, United States, where he spent most of his childhood.
Kase began his acting career in 2000 and gained his first starring role in
Kazuyoshi Kumakiri's
Antena (2003). He then went on to work with several internationally-renowned Japanese film directors, including
Takeshi Kitano,
Kore-eda Hirokazu, and
Kiyoshi Kurosawa. His first appearance in an international film was
Clint Eastwood's
Letters from Iwo Jima (2006). He continued to appear in several high-profile international films including
Gus Van Sant's
Restless (2011),
Abbas Kiarostami's
Like Someone in Love (2012),
Hong Sang-soo's
Hill of Freedom (2014), and
Martin Scorsese's
Silence (2016).
He is a recipient of multiple awards, including a nomination for Japan Academy Award, Blue Ribbon Award, and Hochi Film Award.