LiLiCo

Ann-Sophie Lennerfors (born 16 November 1970) is a Swedish-Japanese TV personality, film critic and part-time professional wrestler who lives and works in Japan, best known under the stage name LiLiCo.

Biography

Early life

LiLiCo was born Ann-Sophie Lennerfors in Stockholm, Sweden, to a Japanese mother and a Swedish father. As a biracial child in Sweden, LiLiCo was bullied while at school. Her father left the family when LiLiCo was 9 years old.

Career in Japan

LiLiCo moved to Japan in 1988 at the age of 18, initially staying with her grandmother in Katsushika, Tokyo. In May 1989, LiLiCo embarked on a career as a singer, releasing her first single in 1992. In 2001, she was offered a job as a film critic on TBS's Saturday morning King's Brunch programme.

Professional wrestling

In 2014, LiLiCo began working for Japanese professional wrestling company DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where, over the next three years, she won the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship twice and the DDT Extreme Championship once, while also becoming part of the inaugural KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Champions.

After having fractured her patella in 2020, forcing her to give up wrestling, LiLiCo was invited back to DDT to have a retirement match on March 20, 2022, at Judgement 2022: DDT 25th Anniversary.

Filmography

Cinema

• Kiki's Delivery Service (2014), voice of radio DJ
• Smokin' on the Moon (2018)
• 108: Revenge and Adventure of Goro Kaiba (2019), Adrianne
• Niwatori Phoenix (2022)
• Let's Talk About the Old Times (2022), herself
• The Ohara Family Rhapsody (2024), Rikako
• 90 Years Old – So What? (2024)
• End-of-Life Concierge 3 (2026), Rikako

TV drama

• Woman of Maruho(マルホの女) (2014, TV Tokyo), Ryoko Azuma

Dubbing

Live-action

• Barbie (Mermaid Barbie (Dua Lipa))
• Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (Madame Truska (Salma Hayek))
• Wonka (The Countess (Sophie Winkleman))

Animation

• The Addams Family (Margaux Needler)
• The Lorax (Mrs. Wiggins)
• Mary and Max (Vera Lorraine Dinkle)
• South Park (Eric Cartman)
• A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures (Vera)

Bibliography

• LiLiCo no Eiga-teki Seikatsu(LiLiCoの映画的生活; English translation: LiLiCo's Film-like Life) (2007, Goma Books), ISBN978-4777107056
• I Love Sweden (2008, Goma Books), ISBN978-4777111213
• Zarigani to Himawari(ザリガニとひまわり; English translation: Crayfish and Sunflowers) (2010, Kodansha), ISBN978-4062165389

Championships and accomplishments

• DDT Pro-Wrestling

DDT Extreme Championship (1 time) Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (2 times) KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ken Ohka, Ladybeard, Makoto Oishi and Super Sasadango Machine

External links

• (in Japanese)
• (in Japanese)
• atIMDb