Nina Makino-Hillman[1] (born February 27, 2005), also known professionally as Nina Makino (牧野 仁菜, Makino Nina), Nina Hillman (ヒルマン・ニナ, Hiruman Nina), and mononymously as Nina (ニナ), is an American singer and former child actress based in Japan. She is a member of the Japanese girl group NiziU.
Makino began her career as a child actress, appearing in several acting and campaign projects. After passing the first Amuse Multilingual Artists Audition held by Amuse Inc., Makino relocated to Japan and appeared in the film Blood Friends (2019). She left the company to participate in JYP Entertainment's survival reality program Nizi Project, where she, after finishing in ninth place, became a member of NiziU.
Makino was born on February 27, 2005, in Seattle, Washington, United States.[2][3][4][5] She was born to a Japanese mother and an American father.[6][7] She has an older sister.[6] After moving to Japan in 2017, Makino lived in Nagoya.[8] Makino is fluent in English[7] and Japanese.[7]
While at ACT (A Contemporary Theatre), Makino starred as Trixie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2015).[9] Makino was the understudy for the musical theatre performance The Secret Garden for the role of Mary Lennox.[10] She portrayed the young Beatrice Chance in the Book-It Repertory Theatre's production of The Brothers K, Part One: Strike Zone.[11][12] Makino was also a featured actress in the online video campaign "How Girls Will Change the World", which promoted STEM education for girls.[1] Her first acting role outside of theater was the American web series Divine Shadow (2016),[13] an independent production filmed in Burien, Washington.[14]
In 2017, Makino was one of six female finalists out of 4,000 applicants[15] who passed the first Amuse Multilingual Artists Audition held by Amuse Inc.[2][7][16] She signed with the company and moved to Japan.[7] Her audition was partially broadcast on the television program Why Did You Come to Japan? in a segment focusing on the audition finals.[7] Makino was cast in Mamoru Oshii's film Blood Friends,[17][18] which was filmed in 2018.[19] In 2019, she became a regular on NHK Educational TV show Suiensā as a member of the Suiensā Girls.[20]
Makino at KCON 2022 in Seoul, South Korea, on May 8, 2022.
In 2019, Makino left Amuse to audition for JYP Entertainment's reality survival program Nizi Project (2020) under the name Nina Hillman, where she competed to secure a spot in the label's next girl group.[21] Out of 10,231 applicants,[22] Makino came in ninth place,[23] and she went on to join the new girl group, which was later named NiziU.[24] The group debuted on December 2, 2020, with their lead single, "Step and a Step".[25] With the public release of Blood Friends in 2022 after years of postponement, several Japanese media outlets have discussed that media promotions for the film were not allowed to mention that Makino is a member of NiziU due to troubles negotiating with JYP Entertainment, who had distanced her from her previous acting career.[18][19]
^"NINAのプロフィール" [Nina's profile]. Oricon (in Japanese). July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
^"Part 1 #1-1". Nizi Project. Episode 1 (in Japanese). Japan. 2020. Event occurs at 18:38-18:41. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2022. Nina Hillman: I was born in Washington State, in the USA. (アメリカのワシントン州出身です)
^ ab"Part 1 #1-1". Nizi Project. Episode 1 (in Japanese). Japan. 2020. Event occurs at 19:28-19:36. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2022. Nina Hillman: Uh, well, my mom's Japanese as well, so even at home, instead of using English—and with my sister as well—I try to use as much Japanese as possible. (日本人の母と一緒に住みながら、姉との会話ではできるだけ日本語を使うようにしています)
^ abcdef"キラッキラ☆輝く瞳にクギづけSP" [Sparkling! You Can't Look Away from their Sparkling Eyes Special]. Why Did You Come to Japan?. Episode 180 (in Japanese). Japan. July 24, 2017. Event occurs at 15:55-16:30. TV Tokyo. Text: If I pass, I'll move to Japan! (合格したら、日本へ引っ越す！) / Makino: I'm from Seattle, Washington. My dad's American and my mom's Japanese. / Text: Makino (11 years old) / Languages spoken: English and Japanese (牧野さん（11歳）／話せる言語 英語 日本語)
^"Part 1 #1-1". Nizi Project. Episode 1 (in Japanese). Japan. 2020. Event occurs at 18:04-18:10. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2022. J.Y. Park: According to this, you live in Nagoya? (アンケートを見ると...名古屋に住んでいますか？) / Nina Hillman: Yes. (はい)
^ ab"Episode 1". Divine Shadow. Episode 1. United States. 2016. Event occurs at 8:45-8:52. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
^"キラッキラ☆輝く瞳にクギづけSP" [Sparkling! You Can't Look Away from their Sparkling Eyes Special]. Why Did You Come to Japan?. Episode 180 (in Japanese). Japan. July 24, 2017. Event occurs at 13:55. TV Tokyo. Text: The six who were chosen out of 4,000 people proceed to the finals (約4000人の中から選ばれた6名が今回の最終審査へ)
^"牧野 仁菜" [Nina Makino]. Amuse Inc. (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
