Sho Hirano

Sho Hirano (平野 紫耀) is a Japanese singer and actor. He is a member of the boy band Number_i. Previously, Hirano was part of Johnny & Associates as a trainee (known as Johnny's Jr.) and was a member of Mr. King, later debuting as King & Prince in 2018. He left the group and the agency on May 22, 2023.

Early life
Sho Hirano was born in Nagoya, Japan. He started learning dance when he was in the second grade of elementary school and started doing acrobatics when he was in the second grade of junior high school. He used to belong to Central Japan, a Nagoya-based entertainment agency. In April 2010, he joined the predecessor project of Boys and Men and became an early member who performed on stages and appeared at events. In the early days, BOYS AND MEN did not disclose information about members leaving the group but in September 2011, Tenki Shimizu mentioned that Sho left the group.

Career in Johnny and Associates
When he went to Tokyo for a dance school training camp, he took lessons from Bobby Yoshino, who had choreographed Hikaru Genji and Shonentai, and was introduced to Johnny Kitagawa on the spot, so he joined Johnny & Associates in February 2012 without auditioning.

He started his activities as a member of Kansai Johnny's Jr. At that time, he was living in Nagoya and was asked by the agency whether he would join Tokyo-based Johnny's Jr. or Kansai-based Johnny's Jr. He chose Kansai Johnny's Jr. because he wanted to improve his dance skills before he appear in public. His first performance after joining the agency was at a Sexy Zone concert. Shortly after joining the agency, he joined Kin Kan (King of Kansai), a unit of Koji Mukai and Toma Kaneuchi, and became an active member of that unit. After commuting from Nagoya to Kansai for work and lessons, he moved his residence to Tokyo.

In 2014, he played the leading role in his first TV drama, Shark. In June 2015, he became an official supporter of TV Asahi's event "TV Asahi Roppongi Hills Summer Festival SUMMER STATION" and was selected as a member of Mr. King from the limited time unit, Mr. King vs Mr. Prince. It was later announced that the unit will continue and from 2016 onwards he continued as a member of Mr. King. In 2016, at the age of 19, he became the youngest chairperson of the Hakataza Theater in Fukuoka by starring in “Johnny’s Future World from Teigeki to Hakata."

In 2018, he starred in the films “Honey” and "You, I Love”. In April of the same year, he also made his first appearance in a serial drama as Haruto Kaguragi in the TBS drama “Boys Over Flowers Season 2”. He made his CD debut on May 23 under Universal Music Japan as King & Prince with the theme song "Cinderella Girl.”

In October 2022, he played the lead role, Koshiro Kurosaki in "Kurosagi" and in December he won the 26th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Autumn Drama Best Actor Award.

In January 2023, he won the 2022 TV station Drama Awards Best Actor Award and in February, he won the 114th The Television Drama Academy Awards Best Actor Award.

In November 4, 2022, it was announced that he, along with Yuta Kishi and Yuta Jinguji, would leave King & Prince and Johnny & Associates in 22 May 2023 (Kishi would leave the agency later).

Career in TOBE
Hirano was announced together with Jinguji as the new members of Hideaki Takizawa's new talent agency TOBE on 7 July 2023. On 15 October, Yuta Kishi was announced as the newest member of TOBE. He, Hirano and Jinguji were chosen as the members of the new group "Number_i"