Akira Takarada

Akira Takarada Born April 29, 1934 Chongjin, Korea Occupation Actor Notable role(s) Hideto Ogata, Takeshi Iijima, Ichiro Sakai, Kazuo Fuji, Yoshimura, Jiro Nomura, Joji Minamino, Naotaro Daigo First work Godzilla (1954) Notable work Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

“	Being a newcomer, I formally introduced myself on the set: 'My name is Akira Takarada. I'll be playing the lead. Pleased to meet you all,' in a very loud voice. The head lighting technician at the studio said, 'Idiot! You're not the lead. The lead actor is Godzilla.' I said, 'Yes, of course.' He'd put me in my place.	„
	— Akira Takarada, recalling the filming of Godzilla (1954)

Akira Takarada (宝田 明,   Takarada Akira) is a Japanese actor best-known among kaiju fans for playing Hideto Ogata in the original Godzilla and assorted roles in many subsequent entries in the franchise and other science-fiction films produced by Toho. He is one of three actors to appear in Godzilla films from the Showa, Heisei, and Millennium series, along with Kenji Sahara and Hiroshi Koizumi. He was also the first actor from the Toho Godzilla series to be cast in an American Godzilla film, portraying a Japanese immigration official in one of the first scenes shot for Legendary Pictures' Godzilla, although his scene was ultimately cut from the film. In recent years, he has become a frequent guest at American science-fiction conventions.

Selected filmography

• Godzilla (1954) as Hideto Ogata
• Half Human (1955) as Takeshi Iijima
• The Three Treasures (1959) as Prince Wakatarashi
• The Last War (1961) as Takano
• Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) as Ichiro Sakai
• Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) as Astronaut Kazuo Fuji
• Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) as Yoshimura
• King Kong Escapes (1967) as Lt. Commander Jiro Nomura
• Latitude Zero (1969) as Dr. Ken Tashiro
• Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) as Environmental Planning Board Chief Joji Minamino
• Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) as Hideto Ogata [stock footage from Godzilla]
• Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) as UN Secretary-General Naotaro Daigo
• Godzilla (2014) as Japanese Immigration Agent [deleted scene]
• The Great Buddha Arrival (2018) as Storyteller

Gallery

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  Akira Takarada and Momoko Kochi pose with the original Godzilla suit

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  Takarada as Hideto Ogata in Godzilla (1954)

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  Takarada with Lucilla You Min on the special effects set of King Kong vs. Godzilla

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  Takarada as Ichiro Sakai in Mothra vs. Godzilla

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  Takarada as Kazuo Fuji in Invasion of Astro-Monster

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  Takarada as Yoshimura in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

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  Takarada as Jiro Nomura in King Kong Escapes

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  Takarada as Joji Minamino in Godzilla vs. Mothra

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  Takarada and Sayaka Osawa in the Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Document Special

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  Akira Takarada greeting the FinalGoji suit

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  Akira Takarada and Gareth Edwards on the set of Godzilla (2014)

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Videos

Takarada introduces Godzilla (1954) at the Pickwick Theater during G-Fest XVII in 2010 Takarada publicly requesting a role in Godzilla (2014) at G-Fest XVII in 2010 Dallas Comic Con panel (2014) Anime Boston panel with Haruo Nakajima (2015) G-FEST XIX panel with Bin Furuya (2016)

External links

• Toho Kingdom interview (October 2013)
• Interview by Kim Song-ho (February 2016)

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