Current index status
#56 in the live index.
The rating reflects current verified work and prestige weighting. It is an editorial assessment, not a judgement of personal worth.
Index Rating · Medium confidence · evidence reviewed
84.5
- Runway · 40%
- 81
- Campaigns · 30%
- 87
- Editorial · 20%
- 86
- Cultural aura · 10%
- 88
01 / Why they matter
What Tao is known for.
Max Mara and major international fashion work
02 / Career record
Early life
Tao Okamoto, who modelled under the mononym "Tao," was born on 22 May 1985 in Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan, and began modelling as a teenager, scouted in Tokyo at 14. She relocated to Paris in 2006 to build an international career, making her European runway debut around that time, before moving to New York in 2009.
03 / Career record
A modelling career and a pivot to film, 2009–2013
In New York, Okamoto became a face associated with Ralph Lauren and was featured on the cover of Vogue Nippon in November 2009. In 2010 she was named Model of the Year by the Japan Fashion Editor’s Club and one of Vogue Nippon’s "Women of the Year," with campaign work for Dolce & Gabbana, Emporio Armani and Kenzo alongside runway and editorial ties to Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Her pivot into acting came in 2013, with a film debut as Mariko Yashida in The Wolverine, opposite Hugh Jackman.
04 / Career record
Building a screen career, 2014–2020
Okamoto was cast as Chiyoh in NBC’s Hannibal in 2014, and the following year played Betty Kasoura in Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle and starred in the film Crossroads. In 2016 she played Mercy Graves in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and from 2018 to 2020 held a recurring role as Hanaryo in HBO’s Westworld.
05 / Career record
Recent record, 2026
In May 2026, Okamoto won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, shared with Belgian actress Virginie Efira, for her performance as terminally ill theatre director Mari Morisaki in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s film All of a Sudden — reportedly the first time a Japanese woman has won the award. She continues to be represented for modelling by Elite Model Management in Paris and The Society Management.
06 / At a glance
Quick facts.
- —Born 22 May 1985 in Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan; began modelling in Japan at 14
- —Moved to Paris in 2006 to build an international career, then to New York in 2009
- —Named Model of the Year by the Japan Fashion Editor’s Club in 2010
- —Made her film acting debut as Mariko Yashida in The Wolverine (2013), opposite Hugh Jackman
- —Played Chiyoh in NBC’s Hannibal (2014) and Hanaryo in HBO’s Westworld (2018–2020)
- —Won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026, shared with Virginie Efira, for Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s film All of a Sudden — reportedly the first Japanese woman to win the award
07 / Current index evidence
Why is Tao Okamoto ranked #56?
- Max Mara and major international fashion work.
- Eligibility reviewed against work and public visibility in the 2021–2026 window; booking-level citations are maintained in the linked industry and biographical records.
Confidence: Medium confidence · evidence reviewed. Scores may change when a source is corrected or new work enters the current window.
Facts on this page are drawn from public work records and industry press, and summarised in our own words. This is an independent editorial profile — it is not endorsed by the subject, their agencies, or the brands named. Last reviewed 2026-07-14. Corrections: desk@thecastindex.com.