家庭成员：次子前田淳，也是一名是演员；
前田吟于一九四四年二月二十一日出生于日本山口县防府市。他的生父在当时同盟通讯社（即现今的共同通信社）山口分局担任记者，生母则是一位打字教师。由于原生家庭经济状况较为拮据，前田吟在出生后不久便被过继给前田家抚养。然而命运多舛，他在五岁时失去了养母，至十四岁时养父亦离世。求学之路同样坎坷，前田吟在初中阶段曾被迫辍学一年，几经周折后才进入山口县立防府高级中学继续学业。一九六零年，尚在读高中的前田吟选择中途退学，前往大阪的一家家具店务工谋生。正是在这段时期，他观看了黑泽明执导的经典影片《野狗》与《七个武士》，深受震撼与启发，由此立下了投身演艺事业的志向。为此，他进入高中函授教育学校学习，并于一九六二年通过函授教育取得高中学历资格。此后，他毅然前往东京追寻演员梦想，成为东京艺术座位研究所的首届学员；次年，又进入剧团俳优座演员培养所，成为第十五期学员。与他同期的学员中不乏日后成名的演员，如地井武男、原田芳雄、夏八木勋、村井国夫、栗原小卷、太地喜和子等。在等待演出机会的日子里，前田吟为了维持生计，曾从事送报员、印刷工、三明治店员以及建筑工程等多种零工。一九六五年，他终于在朝日放送制作的剧集《纯洁的爱情故事》中获得了首次担任主角的机会。一九六七年，他作为主唱加入了小型乐队“magumakkusu・five”。一九六八年，因在电影《奴隶工厂》中成功塑造了一位淳朴的工人形象，其表演给著名导演山田洋次留下了深刻印象。次年，山田洋次执导的系列电影《男人之苦》（《寅次郎的故事》）开拍，前田吟获邀首次出演剧中角色——樱花（即主角寅次郎的妹妹）的丈夫、印刷工人阿博。自此，他参与了该系列全部四十八集作品的演出，这一过程持续了长达二十六年之久。回顾这段漫长的拍摄生涯，前田吟曾感慨道：“每次拍摄暂告一段落，我们常会聚在一起喝酒，饰演章鱼社长的太宰先生、饰演大叔的下条正巳先生有时也会加入。那时我常觉得自己只是个微不足道的配角，这样演下去，恐怕永远也成不了明星，确实有过这样消沉沮丧的时刻。但是，大约十年之后，我终于逐渐领悟到，像阿博这样认真生活的普通人，其实是非常重要的。真正支撑并推动着这个世界运转的，正是我们这些平凡的普通人啊！”
2024年5月5日，参演的电视剧《老害之人》播出。
全力失踪（第2集）ブラックボード～时代と戦った教师たち～ =黑板~与时代战斗的教师们~/TBS/野上悦男2009前田吟参演电影微笑 Smile (演员)名在侦探浅见光颜·（饰籐波绍子伯夫）冷暖人间第九部 (演员)功名十字路Komyo ga tsuji (演员)天国的来信Nirai kanai kara no tegami (演员)韭菜乌贼鱼纳伊的来信 /故乡的来信/尼拉伊卡纳伊的来信ニライカナイからの手纸时雨之记Diary of Early Winter Shower (演员)青鸟L'oiseau bleu (演员)抓住彩虹的男人Niji wo tsukamu otoko (演员)宫泽贤治——那样的爱 Miyazawa Kenji sono ai (演员)男人之苦48 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kurenai no hana (演员)Tora-san 48 the final男はつらいよ寅次郎红の花1994前田吟参演电影男人之苦47 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Haikei, Kuruma Torajiro sama (演员)Tora-san 47男はつらいよ 拝启 车寅次郎様男人之苦46 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no endan (演员)Tora-san 46Tora-san's Matchmaker男人之苦45 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no seishun (演员)Tora-san 45Tora-San Makes Excuses男人之苦44 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no kokuhaku (演员)Tora-san 44Tora-san Confesses职场沉默 All Quiet On The Employment Front (演员)男人之苦43 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no kyuujitsu (演员)Tora-san 43Tora-san Takes a Vacation洁白的手 Shiroi te (演员)The Pale Hand冷暖人间第一部 (演员)男人之苦42 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Boku no ojisan (演员)Tora-san 42Tora-san, My Uncle前田吟参演电影男人之苦41 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kokoro no tabiji (演员)Tora-San Goes to ViennaTora-san 41男人之苦40 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro sarada kinenbi (演员)Tora-san 40Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial男人之苦39 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro monogatari (演员)Tora-san 39Tora-san Plays Daddy男人之苦38 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shiretoko bojo (演员)Tora-san 38It's Tough to Be a Man: Shiretako Longing电影天地Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies (演员)Kinema no tenchi男人之苦37 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shiawase no aoi tori (演员)Tora-san 37Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy男人之苦36 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shibamata yori ai wo komete (演员)Tora-san 36Tora-san's Island Encounter梦千代日记Yumechiyo nikki (演员)前田吟男人之苦35 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro renaijuku (演员)Tora-san 35Tora-san, the Go-between男人之苦34 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro shinjitsu ichiro (演员)Tora-san 34Tora-san's Forbidden Love男人之苦33 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Yogiri ni musebu torajiro (演员)Tora-san 33Marriage Counselor Tora-san故乡 Hometown (演员)男人之苦32 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Kuchibue wo fuku Torajiro (演员)Tora-san 32Tora-san Goes Religious?前田吟参演电影男人之苦31 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Tabi to onna to Torajiro (演员)Tora-san 31Tora-san's Song of Love男人之苦29 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro ajisai no koi (演员)寅次郎的故事第29部：紫阳花之恋Tora-san 29Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san男人之苦30 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Hana mo arashi mo Torajiro (演员)Tora-san 30Tora-san, the Expert日本音乐爱好者物语：炎之第五乐章 Nihon Philharmonic Orchestra: Honoo no dai gogakusho (演员)男人之苦27 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Naniwa no koino torajiro (演员)Tora-san 27Tora-san's Love in Osaka男人之苦28 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kamifusen (演员)Tora-san 28前田吟参演电影Tora-san's Promise男人之苦26 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kamome uta (演员)Foster Daddy, Tora!Tora-san 26血之死线Akai shisen (演员)男人之苦25 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haibisukasu no hana (演员)Tora-san 25Tora's Tropical Fever男人之苦23 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Tonderu torajiro (演员)Tora-san 23Tora-san, the Matchmaker男人之苦24 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haru no yume (演员)Tora-san 24Tora-san's Dream of Spring男人之苦21 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro wagamichi wo yuku (演员)Tora-san 21Stage-struck Tora-san男人之苦22 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Uwasa no torajiro (演员)Tora-san 22Talk of the Town Tora-sanAkai gekiryû男人之苦20 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro gambare! (演员)Tora-san 20Tora-san Plays Cupid八甲田山Hakkodasan (演员)Mount Hakkoda男人之苦：寅次郎与大人 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro to tonosama (演员)Tora-san 19Tora-san Meets His Lordship男人之苦17 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro yuuyake koyake (演员)Tora-san 17Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset男人之苦：寅次郎纯情诗集 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro junjoshishu (演员)Tora-san 18Tora's Pure Love男人之苦16 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Katsushika risshihen (演员)Tora-san 16Tora-san, the Intellectual男人之苦：寅次郎鸳鸯伞 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro aiaigasa (演员)Tora-san 15Tora-san's Rise and Fall男人之苦：寅次郎失恋记 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro koiyatsure (演员)Tora-san 13Tora-san's Lovesick男人之苦：寅次郎摇篮曲 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro komoriuta (演员)Tora-san 14Tora-san's Lullaby男人之苦：我的寅先生 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Watashi no tora-san (演员)Tora-san 12Tora-san Loves an Artist男人之苦：寅次郎勿忘我 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro wasurenagusa (演员)Tora-san 11Tora-san's Forget Me Not故乡 Kokyô (演员)Home from the Sea男人之苦：柴又慕情 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shibamata bojo (演员)Tora-san's Dear Old Home男人之苦：寅次郎梦枕 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro yumemakura (演员)Tora-san 10Tora-san's Dream-Come-True男人之苦：纯情篇 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Junjo hen (演员)Tora-san's Shattered Romance颜役 Kaoyaku (演员)男人之苦：寅次郎恋歌 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro koiuta (演员)Tora-san's Love Call男人之苦：奋斗篇 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Funto hen (演员)Tora-san, the Good Samaritan男人之苦：恋爱大放题 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Fuuten no Tora (演员)Tora-san, His Tender LoveKimi ga wakamono nara (演员)If You Were Young: RageOur Dear Buddies男人之苦：望乡篇 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Boukyou hen (演员)Tora-san's Runaway男人之苦：好梦成空 Shin otoko wa tsurai yo (演员)Tora-san's Grand Scheme家族 Where Spring Comes Late (演员)Wo der Frühling später kommt男人之苦：男人真命苦 It's Tough Being a Man (演员)寅次郎的故事/ 男人之苦1Otoko wa tsurai yoAm I Trying男人之苦：我爱我阿妈 Zoku otoko wa tsurai yo (演员)So Sad Is ManTora-San's Cherished Mother