Aino Shimada

The leap to the global market

Aino Shimada caught the attention of the international industry thanks to a fictional scientific expedition to the South Pole. In 2020, they played Aki in the first season of The Head, a big-budget production filmed in English for HBO Max. Their character was one of the key pieces in a puzzle of murder and extreme isolation in Antarctica.

And the gamble paid off.

The series was distributed in more than ninety countries and put their name on the radar of European casting directors. Before this project, Shimada had already worked in Spain, but this drama directed by Jorge Dorado required a very specific level of dramatic restraint. Filming took place between Tenerife and a studio in Iceland, where the cold was a constant real-life challenge.

But their training was not an overnight process. They studied acting in Madrid and Barcelona after deciding that their career would develop far from Japan. In those early years, they combined small advertising appearances with short films that barely saw the light of day.

The connection to Spanish horror

In 2021, they took part in the revival of a classic of national television. They were part of the cast of Historias para no dormir, specifically in the episode titled Freddy. Under the direction of Paco Plaza, they immersed themselves in an atmosphere of psychological horror and macabre puppets that paid tribute to Chicho Ibáñez Serrador.

Shimada brings a restraint that fits the fantasy genre well. In this episode, they shared scenes with Miki Esparbé and Adriana Torrebejano on a set that recreated 1980s television studios.

It was all a matter of time.

Because their profile fit a growing trend of productions seeking multicultural casts without falling into stereotypes. In 2022, they worked on Glow & Darkness, a historical blockbuster with a massive international cast. The series explored the life of Saint Francis of Assisi and allowed them to film on location in several European countries.

From Lanthimos to post-war fashion

The definitive turning point came in 2023 with their role in Poor Things. Working under Yorgos Lanthimos meant entering one of the most award-winning films of that decade. In this movie starring Emma Stone, the visual style was stifling and baroque, but Shimada found their place in that surreal universe.

She rarely talks about her private life in promotional interviews. She prefers to focus on the technical details of the script or on the physical preparation her roles demand. As a result, her public image is strictly tied to her on-screen work.

In 2024, they joined the cast of The New Look for Apple TV+. The series depicts the rivalry between Christian Dior and Coco Chanel in Nazi-occupied Paris. Their role in this period drama strengthens their presence on globally available streaming platforms.

Aino Shimada keeps their home base in Madrid.

In 2024, their filming schedule included two co-production projects between France and Spain with a budget of over five million euros per episode.