As Chieko, the angry, deaf-mute teenager in director Alejandro González Iñárritu's revelatory motion picture "Babel" (2006), Rinko Kikuchi wowed critics and earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her first American film. Her bold personality and leaning towards independent cinema initially limited Kikuchi's acting options in her homeland, though younger, hipper Japanese filmmakers like Katsuhito Ishii and Akiko Oku were captivated by her quirkiness. Following her breakout in "Babel," the remarkable young Kikuchi was wooed by Hollywood as well as European filmmakers and proved she was ready to make a significant impact on international cinema with her rapid casting in film productions around the world.