Millennium Actress
“The magic of movies, the mystery of memory.”
Documentary filmmaker Genya Tachibana has tracked down the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, who mysteriously vanished at the height of her career. When he presents her with a key she had lost and thought was gone forever, the filmmaker could not have imagined that it would not only unlock the long-held secrets of Chiyoko’s life... but also his own.
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Cast
11 people
Miyoko Shoji
Chiyoko Fujiwara (70's) (voice)
Known for
Mobile Suit Gundam F91
Chihayafuru
Hisako Kyouda
Chiyoko's Mother (voice)
Mami Koyama
Chiyoko Fujiwara (20-40's) (voice)
Known for
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball
Fumiko Orikasa
Chiyoko Fujiwara (10-20's) (voice)
Known for
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Bleach
Showko Tsuda
Eiko Shimao (voice)
Known for
Fullmetal Alchemist
SPY x FAMILY
Shozo Iizuka
Genya Tachibana (voice)
Known for
Dragon Ball Z
Paranoia Agent
Masaya Onosaka
Kyouji Ida (voice)
Known for
One-Punch Man
Fighting Spirit
Masane Tsukayama
The Man with the Scar (voice)
Known for
Kaiji
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
Koichi Yamadera
The Man of the Key (voice)
Known for
Dragon Ball Super
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Hisako Kyoda
Chiyoko's Mother (voice)
Known for
InuYasha
Yu Yu Hakusho
Tomie Kataoka
Mino (voice)
Known for
Wolf Children
Ponyo
Satoshi Kon Director · Sadayuki Murai Screenplay Susumu Hirasawa Composer
Worldwide gross $38K · Budget $1.2M · United States release September 12, 2003
Box office
Budget
$1,200,000
Worldwide gross
$37,641
Production
Madhouse
Production
Japan
Produced in
Languages
Original title
千年女優
Original language
Japanese
Spoken on screen
Japanese
Release dates
Canada · July 28, 2001
Premiere · Fantasia International Film Festival
Japan · September 14, 2002
Theatrical
United States · September 12, 2003
Limited theatrical
United States · December 15, 2022
Digital · Crunchyroll
United States
December 1, 2025 · Digital · HBO Max
American Samoa
November 30, 2025 · Digital · HBO Max
Australia
December 15, 2022 · Digital · Crunchyroll
Denmark
September 14, 2002 · Theatrical
Finland
September 14, 2002 · Limited theatrical
France
December 18, 2019 · Theatrical
March 14, 2025 · Digital · MUBI
Germany
August 7, 2006 · Physical · DVD
November 2, 2021 · Theatrical · KAZÉ Anime Nights
May 19, 2022 · Physical · 4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray
December 16, 2022 · Digital · Crunchyroll
April 28, 2023 · TV · ProSieben MAXX
Guam
December 1, 2025 · Digital · HBO Max
Hong Kong SAR China
November 26, 2022 · Physical · 4K restored Blu-ray
Italy
August 25, 2008 · Physical · DVD
December 25, 2009 · TV · Rai 4
May 11, 2026 · Limited theatrical · 25th Anniversary
Mexico
March 7, 2017 · TV
October 17, 2017 · Physical
Northern Mariana Islands
December 1, 2025 · Digital · HBO Max
Puerto Rico
December 1, 2025 · Digital · HBO Max
South Korea
November 1, 2001 · Premiere · Pusan International Film Festival
July 9, 2004 · Theatrical
Spain
December 1, 2021 · Physical · Blu-ray / DVD
Thailand
May 16, 2024 · Theatrical
U.S. Virgin Islands
December 1, 2025 · Digital · HBO Max
United Kingdom
September 7, 2005 · Physical · DVD
January 25, 2021 · Physical · 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray Collector’s Edition / Blu-ray
June 6, 2022 · Physical · Standard 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray
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Some details come from TheTVDB.