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.

LiLiCo
LiLiCo, in 2018
Born	Ann-Sophie Lennerfors (1970-11-16) 16 November 1970 (age 54) Stockholm, Sweden
Nationality	Japanese, Swedish
Occupation(s)	TV personality, actress, professional wrestler, film critic
Years active	1989-present
Agent	Plan Chime
Spouse	Ryohei Odai ​ (m. 2018)​ [1]

Biography

Early life

LiLiCo was born Ann-Sophie Lennerfors in Stockholm, Sweden, to a Japanese mother and a Swedish father.^[2][3] As a biracial child in Sweden, LiLiCo was bullied while at school.^[3] Her father left the family when LiLiCo was 9 years old.^[3]

Career in Japan

LiLiCo at 2015 Tokyo International Film Festival

LiLiCo moved to Japan in 1988 at the age of 18, initially staying with her grandmother in Katsushika, Tokyo.^[3] In May 1989, LiLiCo embarked on a career as a singer,^[3] releasing her first single in 1992.^[4] In 2001, she was offered a job as a film critic on TBS's Saturday morning King's Brunch programme.^[3]

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.^[5][6][7][8]

After having fractured her patella in 2020, forcing her to give up wrestling,^[9] LiLiCo was invited back to DDT to have a retirement match on March 20, 2022, at Judgement 2022: DDT 25th Anniversary.^[10]

Filmography

Cinema

• Kiki's Delivery Service (2014), voice of radio DJ^[11]
• Smokin' on the Moon (2018)
• 108: Revenge and Adventure of Goro Kaiba (2019), Adrianne^[12]
• Niwatori Phoenix (2022)^[13]
• Let's Talk About the Old Times (2022), herself^[14]
• The Ohara Family Rhapsody (2024), Rikako^[15]
• 90 Years Old – So What? (2024)^[16]

TV drama

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

Dubbing

Live-action

• Barbie (Mermaid Barbie (Dua Lipa))^[17]
• Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (Madame Truska (Salma Hayek))^[18]
• Wonka (The Countess (Sophie Winkleman))^[19]

Animation

• The Addams Family (Margaux Needler)^[20]
• The Lorax (Mrs. Wiggins)^[21]
• Mary and Max (Vera Lorraine Dinkle)^[22]
• South Park (Eric Cartman)^[3]
• A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures (Vera)^[23]

Bibliography

• LiLiCo no Eiga-teki Seikatsu (LiLiCoの映画的生活; English translation: LiLiCo's Film-like Life) (2007, Goma Books), ISBN 978-4777107056
• I Love Sweden (2008, Goma Books), ISBN 978-4777111213
• Zarigani to Himawari (ザリガニとひまわり; English translation: Crayfish and Sunflowers) (2010, Kodansha), ISBN 978-4062165389

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