Akira Takarada
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
film actor
who is most known in the west for his roles in the Godzilla film series.
, and lived for a time in Harbin
, China
. His father worked as an engineer
on the South Manchuria Railway
. After the war, he remained in Harbin
, and he is able to speak Mandarin Chinese and English.
Takarada came to Japan
with his family in 1948. He joined Toho
as part of their "New Face" program in April 1953. His film debut was with a small role in And Then the Liberty Bell Rang, a biography of the educator Fukuzawa Yukichi
. His big break came when he was cast as navy diver
Hideto Ogata in the original Godzilla
(1954). He became a popular actor at Toho for his good looks and charismatic, sophisticated character. He continued his association with the Godzilla series in Mothra vs. Godzilla
(1964), Invasion of Astro-Monster
(1965), and Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
(1966). He returned to the series in 1992 with Godzilla vs. Mothra
and appeared again in Godzilla: Final Wars
(2004). Other Toho science-fiction/special-effects films in which he appeared include Half Human
(1958), The Last War
(1961), Frankenstein Conquers the World
(1965), King Kong Escapes
(1967), and Latitude Zero
(1969).
Toho prepared a musical production of Gone with the Wind
with Broadway
composer-lyricist Harold Rome for its new Teigeki theater
in 1970. Entitled Scarlett, Takarada was originally scheduled to play the role of Rhett Butler
. However, injuries sustained in an accident in which he fell off a bulldozer
while filming prevented him from participating in this stage production.
Takarada made a guest appearance at the fan convention
G-Fest XVII in 2010.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
film actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who is most known in the west for his roles in the Godzilla film series.
Overview
Takarada was born in Japan-occupied KoreaKorea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
, and lived for a time in Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. His father worked as an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
on the South Manchuria Railway
South Manchuria Railway
The , and operated within China in the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria Railway Zone. The railway itself ran from Lüshun Port at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula to Harbin, where it connected to the Chinese Eastern Railway.-History:...
. After the war, he remained in Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
, and he is able to speak Mandarin Chinese and English.
Takarada came to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with his family in 1948. He joined Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
as part of their "New Face" program in April 1953. His film debut was with a small role in And Then the Liberty Bell Rang, a biography of the educator Fukuzawa Yukichi
Fukuzawa Yukichi
was a Japanese author, writer, teacher, translator, entrepreneur and political theorist who founded Keio University. His ideas about government and social institutions made a lasting impression on a rapidly changing Japan during the Meiji Era...
. His big break came when he was cast as navy diver
Diver
Diver or divers can refer to:*Diving, the sport of performing acrobatics while jumping or falling into water**:Category:Divers*Underwater diving**:Category:Underwater divers**Scuba diving, in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater...
Hideto Ogata in the original Godzilla
Godzilla (1954 film)
is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
(1954). He became a popular actor at Toho for his good looks and charismatic, sophisticated character. He continued his association with the Godzilla series in Mothra vs. Godzilla
Mothra vs. Godzilla
is a 1964 science fiction kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda. It was the fourth film to be released in the Godzilla series, produced by Toho Company Ltd...
(1964), Invasion of Astro-Monster
Invasion of Astro-Monster
Invasion of Astro-Monster is a Science Fiction kaiju film released in 1965 as a direct sequel to Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster...
(1965), and Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 science fiction kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa...
(1966). He returned to the series in 1992 with Godzilla vs. Mothra
Godzilla vs. Mothra
, translated in English as Godzilla vs. Mothra, is the 19th installment in the Godzilla series of films. It is the sixth film to feature Mothra and the only film to feature Battra. The movie was released theatrically in Japan on December 12, 1992...
and appeared again in Godzilla: Final Wars
Godzilla: Final Wars
is a 2004 Japanese science fiction-kaiju film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, written by Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. It is the twenty-eighth film in the Godzilla film series, and the sixth in terms of the series' Millennium era...
(2004). Other Toho science-fiction/special-effects films in which he appeared include Half Human
Half Human
Half Human, originally released in Japan as , is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Film Productions Ltd. in 1955. The film was made by Toho's legendary Godzilla production team of Ishirō Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, and Tomoyuki Tanaka. This was director Honda's second assignment in the...
(1958), The Last War
The Last War (1961 film)
The Last War, known in Japan as , is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1961. Its special effects were created by Eiji Tsuburaya who is also known for working on Godzilla and Ultraman....
(1961), Frankenstein Conquers the World
Frankenstein Conquers the World
Frankenstein Conquers the World, released in Japan as , with Toho's official English title being Frankenstein vs. Baragon, is a kaiju film produced in 1965 by Toho Company Ltd...
(1965), King Kong Escapes
King Kong Escapes
King Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho and Rankin/Bass . Directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred both American actors alongside Japanese actors...
(1967), and Latitude Zero
Latitude Zero
, is a 1969 tokusatsu film. It was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya . The story was written by Ted Sherdeman, writer on the 1954 science-fiction film, Them! , and starred Joseph Cotten, Cesar Romero, Akira Takarada, Masumi Okada, Richard Jaeckel,...
(1969).
Toho prepared a musical production of Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind
The slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
with Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
composer-lyricist Harold Rome for its new Teigeki theater
Imperial Garden Theater
The is a Japanese theater located in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan operated by Toho. Opened in 1911 as the first Western-style theater in Japan, it stages a varied program of musicals and operas.-External links:...
in 1970. Entitled Scarlett, Takarada was originally scheduled to play the role of Rhett Butler
Rhett Butler
Rhett Butler is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.-Role:In the beginning of the novel, we first meet Rhett at the Twelve Oaks Plantation barbecue, the home of John Wilkes and his son Ashley and daughters Honey and India Wilkes...
. However, injuries sustained in an accident in which he fell off a bulldozer
Bulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
while filming prevented him from participating in this stage production.
Takarada made a guest appearance at the fan convention
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
G-Fest XVII in 2010.
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Godzilla Godzilla (1954 film) is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the... |
Hideto Ogata |
| 1955 | Half Human Half Human Half Human, originally released in Japan as , is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Film Productions Ltd. in 1955. The film was made by Toho's legendary Godzilla production team of Ishirō Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, and Tomoyuki Tanaka. This was director Honda's second assignment in the... |
Takeshi Iijima |
| 1956 | Romantic Daughters Romantic Daughters is a 1956 color Japanese film directed by Toshio Sugie. It is romance comedy film.Production designer was Shinobu Muraki, sound recordist was Shoichi Fujinawa and lighting technician was Mitsuo Kaneko.- Cast :* Hibari Misora* Chiemi Eri* Izumi Yukimura... (ロマンス娘 Romansu musume) |
|
| 1957 | Ōatari Sanshoku Musume | |
| Aoi Sanmyaku | Tamao Memata | |
| 1959 | The Birth of Japan The Birth of Japan , also called The Three Treasures, is a 1959 Japanese tokusatsu fantasy epic film. Telling the story of the creation of Japan according to Japanese mythology, specifically the Shinto religion, it is considered Japan's answer to The Ten Commandments... |
Prince Wakatarashi |
| 1960 | Hawaii Midway Daikai Kūsan: Taiheiyō Noarashi | Communications officer |
| 1961 | The Last War The Last War (1961 film) The Last War, known in Japan as , is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1961. Its special effects were created by Eiji Tsuburaya who is also known for working on Godzilla and Ultraman.... |
Takano |
| Kohayagawa-ke no aki | Tadashi Teramoto | |
| 1962 | A Wanderer's Notebook A Wanderer's Notebook , also known as Her Lonely Lane is a 1962 black-and-white Japanese film drama directed by Mikio Naruse, starring Hideko Takamine. The film is based on the autobiography of author Fumiko Hayashi, whose work the director often adapted for the screen.-Plot:... |
Kō Fukuchi |
| 1964 | Mothra vs. Godzilla Mothra vs. Godzilla is a 1964 science fiction kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda. It was the fourth film to be released in the Godzilla series, produced by Toho Company Ltd... |
News Reporter Ichirō Sakai |
| 1965 | Invasion of Astro-Monster Invasion of Astro-Monster Invasion of Astro-Monster is a Science Fiction kaiju film released in 1965 as a direct sequel to Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster... |
Astronaut K. Fuji |
| 1966 | Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 science fiction kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa... |
Yoshimura |
| 1967 | King Kong Escapes King Kong Escapes King Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho and Rankin/Bass . Directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred both American actors alongside Japanese actors... |
Lieutenant Commander Jirō Nomura |
| 1968 | Fancy Paradise Fancy Paradise Fancy Paradise is a 1968 Japanese comic science fiction film directed by Takeshi 'Ken' Matsumori from a screenplay by Yasuo Tanami... |
Kō Maeno |
| 1969 | Latitude Zero | Doctor Ken Tashirō |
| 1986 | The Great Mouse Detective The Great Mouse Detective The Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, originally released to movie theaters on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures... |
Ratigan (voice) |
| 1990 | Tales of a Golden Geisha | Inukai |
| 1992 | Minbo Minbo is a 1992 Japanese film by filmmaker Juzo Itami. It is also known by the titles Minbo: the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion, The Gangster's Moll and The Anti-Extortion Woman. The film was widely popular in Japan and a critical success internationally... |
General Manager Kobayashi |
| Godzilla vs. Mothra Godzilla vs. Mothra , translated in English as Godzilla vs. Mothra, is the 19th installment in the Godzilla series of films. It is the sixth film to feature Mothra and the only film to feature Battra. The movie was released theatrically in Japan on December 12, 1992... |
Jōji Minamino | |
| Aladdin | Jafar (voice) | |
| 1994 | The Return of Jafar The Return of Jafar The Return of Jafar is a 1994 American animated film that is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1992 animated film Aladdin, both produced by The Walt Disney Company. The film was released on May 20, 1994 and serves as the origin of the Aladdin animated series... |
Jafar (voice) |
| 1997 | Marutai no Onna | Police commissioner |
| 2004 | Godzilla: Final Wars Godzilla: Final Wars is a 2004 Japanese science fiction-kaiju film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, written by Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. It is the twenty-eighth film in the Godzilla film series, and the sixth in terms of the series' Millennium era... |
Natarō Daigo |
| 2005 | Fantastipo Fantastipo Fantastipo is a 2005 Japanese film starring Domoto Tsuyoshi and Kokubun Taichi . The movie theme song "Fantastipo" is sung by the special unit of the 2 lead actors "Toraji x Haiji".-Story:... |
Kintarō Koinobori |
Television drama
- Rokkā no Hanako-san (Kaichō Tatsumi)
- Shiratori Reiko de Gozaimasu!Shiratori Reiko de Gozaimasu!is a shōjo romantic comedy manga by Yumiko Suzuki. It was published by Kodansha in the magazine Mimi from 1988 to 1992 and collected in seven tankōbon volumes. The series was adapted as an anime OVA produced by Ajia-do that was released in 1990, a 11-episode live-action television series broadcast...
(Shōtarō Hakuchō) - Taishi Shōtoku (Mononobe no MoriyaMononobe no Moriyawas an Ō-muraji, a high-ranking clan head position of the ancient Japanese Yamato state, having inherited the position from his father Mononobe no Okoshi...
) - Watashi no Aozora (Jōji Murai)
- Yoshinobu Tokugawa (Masamichi TakatsukasaTakatsukasa Masamichi, son of regent Masahiro, was a Kugyō or Japanese court noble of the late Edo and the late Tokugawa shogunate periods. He held a regent position kampaku from 1823-1856. In 1856 at the Ansei Purge he was prosecuted and later became a priest. Sukehiro was his son who he had with a daughter of the...
) - CarnationCarnation (TV series)is a Japanese television drama that started airing in the Asadora slot on NHK on October 3, 2011. It is based on the life of the fashion designer Ayako Koshino in Kishiwada, Osaka...
(Seizaburō Matsuzaka)
Dubbing roles
- The AmbushersThe Ambushers (film)The Ambushers is a 1967 spy comedy film filmed in Acapulco starring Dean Martin, Senta Berger and Janice Rule. It is loosely based upon the novel of the same title by Donald Hamilton....
(Matt Helm) - Doctor DolittleDoctor Dolittle (film)Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 American musical film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough. It's adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the novel series by Hugh Lofting, primarily The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, The Story of Doctor...
(Doctor DolittleDoctor DolittleDoctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 The Story of Doctor Dolittle. He is a doctor who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in their own languages...
) - Murderers' RowMurderers' Row (film)Murderers' Row is a 1966 American comedy-spy-fi film starring Dean Martin and very loosely based upon the Matt Helm spy novel Murderers' Row by Donald Hamilton, which was published in 1962....
(Matt Helm)
Animation
- Disney's House of MouseDisney's House of MouseDisney's House of Mouse is an American animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television, that originally aired from 2001 to 2003-Premise:...
(Jafar) - Disney's The Great Mouse DetectiveThe Great Mouse DetectiveThe Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, originally released to movie theaters on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures...
(Rattigan)