Biography
Who is Yuriyan Retriever?
Early life and real name
Yuriyan Retriever was born on November 1, 1990, in the town of Yoshino located within the Nara Prefecture of Japan. Her given birth name is Yuri Yoshida. During her childhood years in her hometown, she grew up alongside an older sister while her father worked for a major railway company, frequently commuting between Yoshino and Osaka.
As a young student in elementary school, she found inspiration to pursue comedy after watching performances by Japanese comedians Hanako Yamada and Tamayo Shimada. Later during her junior high school years, she began learning the English language after viewing the American science fiction film Back to the Future. Following the completion of her secondary education, she enrolled at Kansai University to study in the Faculty of Letters.
How Yuriyan became famous
During her senior year at Kansai University, she enrolled in Yoshimoto New Star Creation, which is a comedy training school operated by the entertainment conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo. She successfully graduated at the top of her class in 2013 from both Kansai University and the comedy academy, officially launching her professional career in the Kansai region that same year.
Her stage name combines her high school nickname with the phrase Golden Retriever, which was popular among her friends when she entered the training school. She gained early recognition in Japan by becoming the first female solo comedian to win the Kamigata Manzai Contest in February 2017. Later that same year, she also won the inaugural edition of The Women's Comedy Contest.
Career highlights
In June 2019, Yuriyan Retriever appeared on the international talent competition television show America's Got Talent, performing a unique dance routine that brought her renewed attention back in Japan. She later returned to the program in 2019 and 2025. She also gained significant attention for her role as Dump Matsumoto in the Netflix drama series The Queen of Villains, which became available on the streaming platform in October 2024.
In addition to her work in television and comedy, she expanded her career into filmmaking. Her debut feature film as a director, titled MAG MAG, held its world premiere at the Grauman's Egyptian Theatre during the Beyond Fest in Los Angeles. The movie received international recognition, including selections and screenings at numerous film festivals around the world, and earned several awards such as the Halekulani Vanguard Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival.
Birthday and age
Yuriyan Retriever was born on November 1, 1990, which makes Yuriyan 35 years old today. That birthday falls under the Scorpio sign. Yuriyan shares the date with 38 other famous people.
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