Akira Takarada



























Akira Takarada

Gojira 1954 poster 3 Akira Takarada.jpg
Akira Takarada (age 20) in detail from movie poster of Japanese movie Godzilla (1954)

Born
(1934-04-29) April 29, 1934 (age 84)[1]

Japan-occupied Korea[1]

Occupation
Actor, tarento
Years active 1954-present
Spouse(s)
Akiko Kojima (1966-1984) (divorced)
Children Michiru Kojima

Akira Takarada (宝田 明, Takarada Akira, April 29, 1934) is a Japanese film actor who is most known in the west for his roles in the Godzilla film series.




Contents






  • 1 Life and career


  • 2 Roles


    • 2.1 Selected Filmography


    • 2.2 Television


      • 2.2.1 Television drama




    • 2.3 Dubbing roles


      • 2.3.1 Live action


      • 2.3.2 Animation




    • 2.4 Video games


    • 2.5 Stage productions


    • 2.6 Other




  • 3 References


  • 4 Bibliography





Life and career


Takarada was born in Japan-occupied Korea, and lived for a time in Harbin, China.[1] 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 moved to Japan with his family in 1948. He joined Toho as part of their "New Face" program in April 1953.[1] In his film debut, he had a small role in And Then the Liberty Bell Rang, a biography of the educator Fukuzawa Yukichi.[1] 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 (1955), The Last War (1961), 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.[2]


Takarada made a guest appearance at the fan convention G-Fest XVII in 2010, and once more at G-Fest XIX in July 2012.[citation needed] On March 27, 2013, Takarada posed for publicity photographs with director Gareth Edwards on the set of the Legendary/Warner Bros Godzilla reboot, suggesting a cameo of sorts in the new movie. His scenes were filmed, but ultimately cut from the movie. He is still listed in the movie credits.



Roles



Selected Filmography




























































































































































































Year
Title[3]
Role
Notes
1954

Godzilla
Hideto Ogata

1955

Half Human
Takeshi Iijima

1956

Romantic Daughters
Kubota

1957

Ōatari Sanshoku Musume
narrator


Aoi Sanmyaku
Tamao Memata


A Rainbow Plays in My Heart
Tatsuo Itō

1958

A Holiday in Tokyo


1959

The Birth of Japan
Prince Wakatarashi


Life of an Expert Swordsman


1960

Hawaii Midway Daikai Kūsan: Taiheiyō Noarashi
Communications officer


Daughters, Wives and a Mother


1961

The Last War
Takano


Kohayagawa-ke no aki
Tadashi Teramoto

1962

A Wanderer's Notebook
Kō Fukuchi

1964

Mothra vs. Godzilla
News Reporter Ichirō Sakai

1965

Invasion of Astro-Monster
Astronaut K. Fuji

1966

Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Yoshimura

1967

King Kong Escapes
Lieutenant Commander Jirō Nomura

1968

Fancy Paradise
Kō Maeno

1969

Latitude Zero
Doctor Ken Tashirō

1990

Tales of a Golden Geisha
Inukai

1992

Minbo


General Manager Kobayashi



Godzilla vs. Mothra
Jōji Minamino

1997

Marutai no Onna
Police commissioner

2004

Godzilla: Final Wars
Natarō Daigo

2005

Fantastipo
Kintarō Koinobori

2007

Glory to the Filmmaker!


2014

Godzilla

Deleted scene
2018

Ashita ni Kakeru Hashi


2019

Dance with Me




Television



Television drama




  • Shiratori Reiko de Gozaimasu! (1993) (Shōtarō Hakuchō)


  • Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1998) (Takatsukasa Masamichi)


  • Watashi no Aozora (2000) (Jōji Murai)


  • Shōtoku Taishi (2001) (Mononobe no Moriya)


  • Rokkā no Hanako-san (2002) (Kaichō Tatsumi)


  • Saka no Ue no Kumo (2009) (Fujino Susumu)


  • Carnation (2011) (Seizaburō Matsuzaka)


  • Keisei Saimin no Otoko Part 3 (2015) (Ikeda Shigeaki)



Dubbing roles



Live action




  • The Ambushers (Matt Helm)


  • Doctor Dolittle (Doctor Dolittle)


  • Murderers' Row (Matt Helm)



Animation




  • Aladdin (Jafar)[4]

    • The Return of Jafar[5]


  • Disney's House of Mouse (Ratigan, Jafar)

  • Disney's The Great Mouse Detective (Ratigan)[6]


  • Star Wars Rebels Season 3 (Bendu)[7]



Video games



  • Adventure of Tokyo Disney Sea ~Losing of Jewel's Secret (Jafar)


  • Kingdom Hearts (Jafar)


  • Kingdom Hearts II (Jafar)



Stage productions



  • My Fair Lady

  • South Pacific



Other



  • Tokyo Disneyland attraction: Country Bear Jamboree (Henry)


References





  1. ^ abcde Ryfle, Steve (1998). "Akira Takarada: Mr. Handsome". Japan's favorite mon-star: the unauthorized biography of "The Big G". Miami: ECW Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN 1-55022-348-8..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  2. ^ Rome, Florence (1971). The Scarlett Letters. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-46171-1., p.154.


  3. ^ Filmography: "AKIRA TAKARADA". Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2010-01-29., Akira Takarada on IMDb , 宝田明 たからだ・あきら (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-29., 宝田明 (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-29., and 宝田明( 出演 ) (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Retrieved 2010-01-29.


  4. ^ disney-studio.jp Aladdin DVD


  5. ^ disney-studio.jp The Return of Jafar DVD


  6. ^ disney-studio.jp Olivia-chan no Daibōken(The Great Mouse Detective) BD/DVD


  7. ^ [1]




Bibliography




  • "AKIRA TAKARADA". Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2010-01-29.


  • Akira Takarada on IMDb


  • Ryfle, Steve (1998). "Akira Takarada: Mr. Handsome". Japan's favorite mon-star: the unauthorized biography of "The Big G". Miami: ECW Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN 1-55022-348-8.


  • 宝田明 たからだ・あきら (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-29.


  • 宝田明 (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-29.


  • 宝田明( 出演 ) (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Retrieved 2010-01-29.









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