Haruo Nakajima: Difference between revisions

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|image      =Nakajima_is_G.jpg
|image      =Nakajima_is_G.jpg
|name        =Haruo Nakajima
|name        =Haruo Nakajima
|character   =[[Godzilla]], [[Invisible Man Akita]], [[Meganulon]], [[Rodan]], [[Moguera]], [[Varan]], Transitional [[Human Vapor]], [[Mothra]], [[Maguma]], [[Matango]], [[Baragon]], [[Gaira]], [[King Kong]], [[Griffon]], [[Giant Rat]], [[Bat Men|Bat Man]], [[Gezora]], [[Ganimes]], numerous bit parts
|caption    =Haruo Nakajima with the SoshingekiGoji suit on the set of Godzilla vs. Hedorah
|birthday    =January 1, 1929
|character   =[[Godzilla]], [[Invisible Man Akita|Haruo Akita]], [[Meganulon]], [[Rodan]], [[Moguera]], [[Varan]], [[Mothra]], [[Maguma]], [[Matango]], [[Baragon]], [[Gaira]], [[King Kong]], [[Griffon]], [[Giant Rat]], [[Bat Men|Bat Man]], [[Gezora]], [[Ganimes]], numerous bit parts
|death      =August 7, 2017 (aged 88)
|birthday    =January 1, [[1929]]
|birthplace =Yamagata Prefecture, [[Japan]]
|birthplace  =[[wikipedia:Sakata, Yamagata|Sakata, Yamagata]], [[Japan]]
|first      =''Shimikin, the King of Cycling'' (1950)
|death      =August 7, [[2017]] (aged 88)
|notable    =[[Godzilla (1954 film)|''Godzilla'']] (1954)
|deathplace =
|wikipedia  =https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruo_Nakajima
|first      =''Shimikin, the King of Cycling'' (1950)<!--{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=}}-->
|notable    =''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1954)
|imdb        =http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0620032/
|imdb        =http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0620032/
|wikipedia-en=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruo_Nakajima
|wikipedia-ja=https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/中島春雄
}}
}}
{{Quote|Inside the [[Godzilla]] suit, it was very dark, lonely, and isolated. Usually the person who wears the suit becomes nervous and anxious. During summertime it’s very hot, it can become hell in there. But '''Mr. Nakajima''' always persevered. He acted in the suit underwater, he was buried underground, he withstood pyrotechnic explosions… and through it all he was always Godzilla.|[[Teruyoshi Nakano]] on Haruo Nakajima}}
{{Quote|Inside the [[Godzilla]] suit, it was very dark, lonely, and isolated. Usually, the person who wears the suit becomes nervous and anxious. During summertime it’s very hot, it can become hell in there. But '''Mr. Nakajima''' always persevered. He acted in the suit underwater, he was buried underground, he withstood pyrotechnic explosions… and through it all he was always Godzilla.|[[Teruyoshi Nakano]] on Haruo Nakajima}}
{{Quote|I already knew I could hardly become a star like [[Akira Takarada]]. I didn't have the face for it. At first, I could only become a bit player; and then, I was offered this. For the first time in Japanese film history. And once I was inside Godzilla, I became irreplaceable; it would be possible to replace all of the other actors, but not me. If I didn't get to work because I was sick, none of the staff would be able to do their work. All of this gave me a tremendous sense of pride.|Haruo Nakajima}}
{{Quote|I already knew I could hardly become a star like [[Akira Takarada]]. I didn't have the face for it. At first, I could only become a bit player; and then, I was offered this. For the first time in Japanese film history. And once I was inside Godzilla, I became irreplaceable; it would be possible to replace all of the other actors, but not me. If I didn't get to work because I was sick, none of the staff would be able to do their work. All of this gave me a tremendous sense of pride.|Haruo Nakajima}}
'''Haruo Nakajima''' {{Nihongo|中島 春雄|Nakajima Haruo}} was a [[Japan]]ese actor and stuntman, most famous for playing [[Godzilla]] in the character's first twelve films from [[1954]] to [[1972]]. During that time, he appeared in nearly every one of [[Toho]]'s science-fiction films, either as a monster, an extra, or both. He retired from suit acting in 1972, several years after the death of [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], who was a close friend of Nakajima as well as the special effects director for most of Toho's kaiju films in the Showa era. In 2010, he published an autobiography titled ''Monster Life: Haruo Nakajima, the Original Godzilla Actor''.<ref name="SFJ">[http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/28/haruo-nakajima-attends-publishing-party-for-autobiography-kaiju-jinsei/ Haruo Nakajima Attends Publishing Party for Autobiography Kaiju Jinsei]</ref> He passed away on August 7, [[2017]], at the age of 88. The 2019 film, ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'', ends with a dedication to him and director [[Yoshimitsu Banno]].
'''Haruo Nakajima''' {{Nihongo|中島 春雄|Nakajima Haruo}} was a [[Japan]]ese actor and stuntman, most famous for playing [[Godzilla]] in the character's first 12 films from [[1954]] to [[1972]]. During that time, he appeared in nearly every one of [[Toho]]'s science-fiction films, either as a monster, an extra, or both. He retired from suit acting in 1972, several years after the death of [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], who was a close friend of Nakajima as well as the special effects director for most of Toho's kaiju films in the Showa era. In 2010, he published an autobiography titled ''Monster Life: Haruo Nakajima, the Original Godzilla Actor''.<ref name="SFJ">{{cite web|last=Ishizuka|first=Daisuke|url=http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/28/haruo-nakajima-attends-publishing-party-for-autobiography-kaiju-jinsei/|title=Haruo Nakajima Attends Publishing Party for Autobiography Kaiju Jinsei|work=[[SciFi Japan]]|archivedate=18 October 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018231646/http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/28/haruo-nakajima-attends-publishing-party-for-autobiography-kaiju-jinsei/|accessdate=24 March 2022}}</ref> He passed away on August 7, [[2017]], at the age of 88. The 2019 film, ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'', ends with a dedication to him and director [[Yoshimitsu Banno]].
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Biography==
==Biography==
Haruo Nakajima served in the Japanese Imperial Navy as a reserve pilot during the Pacific War.<ref name="G-Fan">[http://www.g-fan.com/html/gfan_index/index_22.php ''Godzilla Speaks: A Conversation with Haruo Nakajima,'' interview conducted by Michiko Imamura, Ed Godziszewski, and Kumi Takikawa on February 24, 1996]</ref> He saw combat as a gunner aboard a Mitsubishi G4M bomber, and was present at the funeral of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in Tokyo Bay. Following the war, he struggled to find work; though he worked for a year as a truck driver for the American occupation forces, he was fired after being arrested for speeding. On a whim, he decided to enroll in the International Motion Picture Acting School in 1949. As a student, he was hired by legendary director [[wikipedia:Akira Kurosawa|Akira Kurosawa]] to portray a detective in a fight scene in ''[[wikipedia:Stray Dog|Stray Dog]]''. To his disappointment, the scene went unused.
Haruo Nakajima served in the Japanese Imperial Navy as a reserve pilot during the Pacific War.<ref name="G-Fan">[http://www.g-fan.com/html/gfan_index/index_22.php ''Godzilla Speaks: A Conversation with Haruo Nakajima,'' interview conducted by Michiko Imamura, Ed Godziszewski, and Kumi Takikawa on February 24, 1996]</ref> He saw combat as a gunner aboard a Mitsubishi G4M bomber, and was present at the funeral of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in Tokyo Bay. Following the war, he struggled to find work; though he worked for a year as a truck driver for the American occupation forces, he was fired after being arrested for speeding. On a whim, he decided to enroll in the International Motion Picture Acting School in 1949. As a student, he was hired by legendary director [[wikipedia:Akira Kurosawa|Akira Kurosawa]] to portray a detective in a fight scene in ''[[wikipedia:Stray Dog (film)|Stray Dog]]''. To his disappointment, the scene went unused.{{sfn|Tanaka|1983|p=532}}


Upon graduation, Nakajima became a contracted actor at [[Toho]] who specialized in period action films. He appeared in two more Kurosawa films in the 1950's, ''[[wikipedia:Seven Samurai|Seven Samurai]]'' in 1954 and ''[[wikipedia:The Hidden Fortress|The Hidden Fortress]]'' in 1959. However, his true calling would lie in a type of acting without precedent. In 1953, for ''Eagle of the Pacific'', he volunteered to be set on fire during the film's recreation of the Battle of Midway. The stunt impressed the film's director, [[Ishiro Honda]], who likely was the one to recommend Nakajima for the title role in ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'', Toho's first monster movie, the following year.
Upon graduation, Nakajima became a contracted actor at [[Toho]] who specialized in period action films. He appeared in two more Kurosawa films in the 1950's, ''[[wikipedia:Seven Samurai|Seven Samurai]]'' in 1954 and ''[[wikipedia:The Hidden Fortress|The Hidden Fortress]]'' in 1959. However, his true calling would lie in a type of acting without precedent. In 1953, for ''Eagle of the Pacific'', he volunteered to be set on fire during the film's recreation of the Battle of Midway. The stunt impressed the film's director, [[Ishiro Honda]], who likely was the one to recommend Nakajima for the title role in ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'', Toho's first monster movie, the following year.


To properly embody a monster awakened by nuclear testing, Nakajima watched special effects director [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]'s personal copy of ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]''. He also studied the largest animals he could find at the Tokyo Zoo: elephants and gorillas.<ref name="Great Big Story">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oBNEG8kLfQ Great Big Story - The Man Who Was Godzilla]</ref> Though Nakajima was used to working in heavy samurai armor, the Godzilla suit presented unique challenges; provided with little ventilation and working under harsh studio lights, he could only remain inside for three minutes at a time. He also had to adjust his movements to the higher film speeds (72 frames per second) that Tsuburaya mandated to create the illusion of a 50-meter monster.
To properly embody a monster awakened by nuclear testing, Nakajima watched special effects director [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]'s personal copy of ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]''. He also studied the largest animals he could find at the Tokyo Zoo: elephants and gorillas.<ref name="Great Big Story">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oBNEG8kLfQ Great Big Story - The Man Who Was Godzilla]</ref> Though Nakajima was used to working in heavy samurai armor, the Godzilla suit presented unique challenges; provided with little ventilation and working under harsh studio lights, he could only remain inside for three minutes at a time. He also had to adjust his movements to the higher film speeds (72 frames per second) that Tsuburaya mandated to create the illusion of a 50-meters-tall monster.


When ''Godzilla'' became a box office success, Nakajima knew that he would soon be offered more monster roles. His job would also expand in the next Godzilla film, ''[[Godzilla Raids Again]]'', to include fight choreography. Scripts would often describe monster battles with a single sentence, leaving the rest to him. Such was his reputation that Eiji Tsuburaya hired him as a choreographer for the first two shows in [[Tsuburaya Productions]]' [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultra Series|Ultra Series]], ''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultra Q|Ultra Q]]'' and ''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman (series)|Ultraman]]''. Nakajima also portrayed several monsters in the Ultra Series, mostly those made from old Toho costumes which he had already worn.
When ''Godzilla'' became a box office success, Nakajima knew that he would soon be offered more monster roles. His job would also expand in the next Godzilla film, ''[[Godzilla Raids Again]]'', to include fight choreography. Scripts would often describe monster battles with a single sentence, leaving the rest to him. Such was his reputation that Eiji Tsuburaya hired him as a choreographer for the first two shows in [[Tsuburaya Productions]]' [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman Series|Ultra Series]], ''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultra Q|Ultra Q]]'' and ''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman (series)|Ultraman]]''. Nakajima also portrayed several monsters in the Ultra Series, mostly those made from old Toho costumes which he had already worn.


In total, Nakajima played giant monsters in 22 films, including 12 turns as Godzilla. One of his favorite roles was [[Gaira]], the evil green Gargantua from ''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]''. The flexibility of the suit, as well as that of his opponent [[Sanda]], allowed him to pattern the fight scenes on professional wrestling. Though the work was often dangerous, especially the underwater scenes which made use of his scuba diving license, he was only injured once, on the set of ''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]''. The explosives-filled truck which detonates under [[Varan]] in the film's climax burned his stomach.<ref name="Kaiju Conversations">[http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/nakajima.htm Interview with David Milner and Guy Tucker (March 1995)]</ref> Characteristically, he said nothing about it to the crew and kept working.
In total, Nakajima played giant monsters in 22 films, including 12 turns as Godzilla. One of his favorite roles was [[Gaira]], the evil green Gargantua from ''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]''. The flexibility of the suit, as well as that of his opponent [[Sanda]], allowed him to pattern the fight scenes on professional wrestling. Though the work was often dangerous, especially the underwater scenes which made use of his scuba diving license, he was only injured once, on the set of ''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]''. The explosives-filled truck which detonates under [[Varan]] in the film's climax burned his stomach.<ref name="Kaiju Conversations">[http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/nakajima.htm Interview with David Milner and Guy Tucker (March 1995)]</ref> Characteristically, he said nothing about it to the crew and kept working.


Nakajima retired from acting in 1972, following the completion of ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]''. Despite his retirement, Nakajima remained a consistent supporter of the Godzilla franchise for the next several decades, appearing at conventions and writing an autobiography detailing his work in suitmation. Nakajima also became a close friend of his former costar and eventual successor in the role of Godzilla, [[Kenpachiro Satsuma]]. Nakajima passed away on August 7, [[2017]], at the age of 88.
Nakajima retired from acting in 1972, following the completion of ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]''. Despite his retirement, Nakajima remained a consistent supporter of the Godzilla franchise for the next several decades, appearing at conventions and writing an autobiography detailing his work in suitmation. Nakajima also became a close friend of his former costar and eventual successor in the role of Godzilla, [[Kenpachiro Satsuma]]. Nakajima passed away on August 7, [[2017]], at the age of 88.
==Selected filmography==
==Selected filmography==
*''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1954) as [[ShodaiGoji|Godzilla]] [with [[Katsumi Tezuka]] / reporter
*''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1954) as [[ShodaiGoji|Godzilla]] [with [[Katsumi Tezuka]]] / daily newspaper reporter{{sfn|Tanaka|1983|p=532}} / substation engineer{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=5}}
*''[[Invisible Man]]'' (1954) as [[Invisible Man Akita]]
*''[[Invisible Man (film)|Invisible Man]]'' (1954) as [[Invisible Man Akita|Haruo Akita]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=9}} / stunt double for Seizaburo Kawazu{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=295}}
*''[[Godzilla Raids Again]]'' (1955) as [[GyakushuGoji|Godzilla]]
*''[[Godzilla Raids Again]]'' (1955) as [[GyakushuGoji|Godzilla]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=13}}
*''[[Rodan (film)|Rodan]]'' (1956) as [[Rodan/Showa|Rodan]] / [[Meganulon]] [with [[Shoichi Hirose]], Katsumi Tezuka, Tokio Okawa] / [[JSDF]] officer
*''[[Half Human]]'' (1955) as mountain searcher [uncredited]<ref name="HalfHuman">{{cite web|url=http://www.japanesegiants.com/honda/works/195508-yuki/195508-yuki.shtml|title=Half Human|work=IshiroHonda.org|archivedate=1 July 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701040546/http://www.japanesegiants.com/honda/works/195508-yuki/195508-yuki.shtml|accessdate=26 March 2022}}</ref>
*''[[The Mysterians]]'' (1957) as [[Moguera]] [with Katsumi Tezuka] / [[JSDF]] officer / soldier leaping from tank [uncredited] / [[Mysterians|Mysterian]] [uncredited]
*''[[Rodan (film)|Rodan]]'' (1956) as [[Rodan (Showa)|Rodan]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=23}} / [[Meganulon]] [with [[Shoichi Hirose]], Katsumi Tezuka, [[Tokio Okawa]]]<ref name="Rodan">{{cite web|url=https://31fb9f38.viewer.kintoneapp.com/public/0a3f41a74b8bb9e879c82e5240035410e01df4c27f0dfc1d2ef44495962b1f44#/detail/def50200fa019896c21bf9d283535d611f3953c2d9a2fd9219368e012ea562eb306b3bf6c9698bec442bad373e1c6cde9dc5e7ab0dedbf52d659ab40d34bfe3740c767ee89fc8b4701851fa6ba8e26a346e96c9108fefe8dcc1fa91d8cb05e1c2ef5bcf2b4eafb64bbc2497c45afd097b61895db7eed31cc64f6f9c86c5fb1a0b4cba5c92c7b379a4bd16dafa09776c9dc81d945c4e6a106ea|title=Rodan (空の大怪獣ラドン)|work=[[Toho]]|accessdate=16 March 2022}}</ref> / [[JSDF]] officer<ref name="Rodan"/>
*''[[The H-Man]]'' (1958) as Chosuke, man on ''Ryujin Maru II'' / [[H-Man]] [uncredited]
*''[[The Mysterians]]'' (1957) as [[Moguera]] [with Katsumi Tezuka]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=25}} / [[JSDF]] officer<ref>{{cite web|url=https://31fb9f38.viewer.kintoneapp.com/public/0a3f41a74b8bb9e879c82e5240035410e01df4c27f0dfc1d2ef44495962b1f44#/detail/def502006c11040f14dfc5ba6d125115b805c5bff19c30345584807063aa37ee5ecaef5c424e35a53d3aeae2e0b7fe78ba094daf5302c1ab37987166c0dea7cbe4597e9f3b1f5211011c855c4ea248b8402897591ad403cf48bde01ab56e77eb7afc52d9e3b33916bed16c2312e955ca59486f91856f522b54e4dabb6944c474dfca7d20c1655f84e829b9f9d27345303e79b8a614bc395a80|title=The Mysterians (地球防衛軍)|work=[[Toho]]|accessdate=17 March 2022}}</ref> / soldier leaping from a tank [uncredited]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=216}} / [[Mysterian]] [uncredited]{{Citation needed}}
*''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'' (1958) as [[Varan]] / Executive officer of the ''Isonami''
*''[[The H-Man]]'' (1958) as Chosuke, man on the ''[[Ryujin Maru No. 2]]''{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=29}} / [[H-Man]] [uncredited]{{Citation needed}}
*''[[The Secret of the Telegian]]'' (1960) [uncredited]
*''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'' (1958) as [[Varan]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=33}} / executive officer of the ''Isonami''{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=33}}
*''[[The Human Vapor]]'' (1960) as Transitional [[Human Vapor]] [uncredited]
*''[[The Secret of the Telegian]]'' (1960) as police officer [uncredited]<ref name="DeAgostini">{{harvnb|DeAgostini Japan|2011|p=8}}</ref>
*''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]'' (1961) as [[Mothra/First Generation|Mothra]] larva [head; with Katsumi Tezuka] / evacuee [uncredited]
*''[[The Human Vapor]]'' (1960) as bank patron with black glasses [uncredited]<ref name="HiddenTreasure">{{cite book|title=Movie Hidden Treasure Separate Volume: The First Godzilla Research Reader|publisher=[[Yosensha]]|date=24 July 2014|page=<!--TBA-->|isbn=978-4800304520}}</ref>
*''[[The Last War]]'' (1961) as Policeman guiding evacuation [uncredited]
*''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]'' (1961) as [[Mothra (First Generation)|Mothra]] larva [head; with Katsumi Tezuka]<ref name="Mothra">{{cite web|url=https://31fb9f38.viewer.kintoneapp.com/public/0a3f41a74b8bb9e879c82e5240035410e01df4c27f0dfc1d2ef44495962b1f44#/detail/def50200bb2cc00204f3fda0e2af0c54291adf2fc6b212151d1a8fa78f79c1ebc170d09544035172747cc641501c088c9e8958f6a93a50062a6c9989fa2ee7e0716f81f6a98ffa86f4833b9228de70345140ec214c677bf6e504c596c0759716e9d6fd178bf38c5d15716ed012612134e158c46c1c1803f249e85f29a818250200ed2b5f7783ec9f62a1e9afa67f69d8a19c5c2dbb2641e90a|title=Mothra (モスラ)|work=[[Toho]]|accessdate=24 March 2022}}</ref> / evacuee [uncredited]{{Citation needed}}
*''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]'' (1962) as [[Maguma]] [with [[Katsumi Tezuka]]; disputed]<ref name="Maguma" group="note">In his 2014 book ''Director of Special Effects: Teruyoshi Nakano'', assistant special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano recalled Nakajima playing Maguma during the scene where the monster is surrounded by jet pipes. Nakajima denied ever playing Maguma in his 2010 book ''Monster Life: Original Godzilla Actor Haruo Nakajima''.</ref>
*''[[The Last War]]'' (1961) as policeman guiding the evacuation [uncredited]{{Citation needed}}
*''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962) as [[KingGoji|Godzilla]] [with Katsumi Tezuka] / [[Faro Island]]er [uncredited]
*''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]'' (1962) as [[Maguma]] [with Katsumi Tezuka; disputed]{{#tag:ref|In his 2014 book ''[[Director of Special Effects: Teruyoshi Nakano]]'', assistant special effects director [[Teruyoshi Nakano]] recalled Nakajima playing [[Maguma]] during the scene where the monster is surrounded by jet pipes.{{sfn|Nakano|Someya|2014|pp=89-90}} Nakajima denied ever playing Maguma in his 2010 book ''[[Monster Life: Original Godzilla Actor Haruo Nakajima]]''.{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=346}}|name="Maguma"|group="lower-alpha"}}
*''[[Matango (film)|Matango]]'' (1963) as [[Matango]] [with Tokio Okawara, [[Koji Uruki]], [[Masaki Shinohara]], Kuniyoshi Kashima]
*''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962) as [[KingGoji|Godzilla]] [with Katsumi Tezuka]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=69}} / [[Faro Island]]er on watchtower [uncredited]{{Citation needed}}
*''[[Atragon (film)|Atragon]]'' (1963) as [[Mu]] frogman / JSDF officer
*''[[Matango (film)|Matango]]'' (1963) as [[Matango]] [with Tokio Okawa, [[Koji Uruki]], [[Masaki Shinohara]]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=71}}
*''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'' (1964) as [[MosuGoji|Godzilla]] [with Katsumi Tezuka]
*''[[Atragon]]'' (1963) as [[Mu]] frogman / JSDF officer [uncredited]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=312}}
*''[[Dogora (film)|Dogora]]'' (1964) [uncredited]
*''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'' (1964) as [[MosuGoji|Godzilla]] [with Katsumi Tezuka]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=81}}
*''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' (1964) as Godzilla
*''[[Dogora (film)|Dogora]]'' (1964) as onlooker at thermal power plant [uncredited]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=312}}
*''[[Frankenstein vs. Baragon]]'' (1965) as [[Baragon]] / JSDF soldier [uncredited]
*''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' (1964) as Godzilla{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=89}}
*''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]'' (1965) as [[DaisensoGoji|Godzilla]]
*''[[Frankenstein vs. Baragon]]'' (1965) as [[Baragon]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=95}} / JSDF soldier [uncredited]{{sfn|Nollen|2019|p=241}}
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultra Q|Ultra Q]]'' as [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Gomess|Gomess]] [episode 1] / [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Pagos|Pagos]] [episode 17]
*''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]'' (1965) as [[DaisensoGoji|Godzilla]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=103}}
*''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]'' (1966) as [[Gaira]]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultra Q|Ultra Q]]'' (TV 1966) as [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Gomess|Gomess]]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=258}} [episode 1] / [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Pagos|Pagos]]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=262}} [episode 18]
*''[[Ebirah, Horror of the Deep]]'' (1966) as Godzilla / [[Infant Island]]er [uncredited]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman (series)|Ultraman]]'' (TV 1966-1967) as [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Neronga|Neronga]]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=263}} [episode 3] / [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Gabora|Gabora]]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=267}} [episode 9] / [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Jirahs|Jirahs]]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=268}} [episode 10] / father{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=270}} [episode 25] / Illusory [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Kemur|Kemur]]{{sfn|Kodansha|1987|p=179}} and squad leader{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=272}} [episode 33] / [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Keylla|Keylla]]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=272}} [episode 38]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman (series)|Ultraman]]'' (TV 1966-1967) as [[wikia:w:c:Neronga|Neronga]] [episode 3] / [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Gabora|Gabora]] [episode 9] / [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Jirass|Jirass]] [episode 10] / [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Kiyla|Kiyla]] [episode 38]
*''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]'' (1966) as [[Gaira]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=107}}
*''[[Beat the Monsters!|He of the Sun]]'' (TV 1967) as Tanabe, Gaira suit actor [episode 2]
*''[[Ebirah, Horror of the Deep]]'' (1966) as Godzilla{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=111}} / [[Infant Island]]er [uncredited]{{Citation needed}}
*''[[King Kong Escapes]]'' (1967) as [[King Kong]] / unidentified role [uncredited]
*''[[Beat the Monsters!|He of the Sun]]'' (TV 1967) as Tanabe, Gaira suit actor [episode 2]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=276}}
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraseven (Series)|Ultraseven]]'' (TV 1967-1968) as [[wikia:w:c:ultra:U-Tom|U-Tom]] [episode 17]
*''[[King Kong Escapes]]'' (1967) as [[King Kong (King Kong Escapes)|King Kong]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=115}} / unidentified role [uncredited]{{sfn|Tanaka|1983|p=532}}
*''[[Son of Godzilla]]'' (1967) as Godzilla [water scenes; with [[Hiroshi Sekita]], [[Seiji Onaka]]]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraseven (series)|Ultraseven]]'' (TV 1967-1968) as [[wikia:w:c:ultra:U-Tom|U-Tom]] [episode 17]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=274}}
*''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' (1968) as [[SoshingekiGoji|Godzilla]] / military advisor
*''[[Son of Godzilla]]'' (1967) as Godzilla [water scenes; with [[Hiroshi Sekita]], [[Seiji Onaka]]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=119}}
*''[[Latitude Zero]]'' (1969) as Lion / [[Griffon]] [uncredited] / [[Giant Rat]] [uncredited] / [[Bat Men|Bat Man]] [uncredited] / underwater stunts [uncredited]
*''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' (1968) as [[SoshingekiGoji|Godzilla]]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=123}} / military advisor<ref>{{cite web|url=https://31fb9f38.viewer.kintoneapp.com/public/0a3f41a74b8bb9e879c82e5240035410e01df4c27f0dfc1d2ef44495962b1f44#/detail/def50200e90f6681ccd291cdc0744acbe2008db1767d6d919cdfc853e5136f09d2d523daab8f56032cd97e06a0531af135db004bb81edf55da184e9760b901c49890a43173a8e0a1879f05a2585a0c6cbeb3d7beeeba2b595c74a3c49b2142beed5687d0e1347377c38b4ad8250b84d0e2b07634beb1e275c6e390a9d52303c6e8b8b3aeb4756da9c717372d20bae8a858e9510a731bb1114e|title=Destroy All Monsters (怪獣総進撃)|work=[[Toho]]|accessdate=17 March 2022}}</ref>
*''[[All Monsters Attack]]'' (1969) as Godzilla
*''[[Latitude Zero]]'' (1969) as Lion{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=127}} / [[Griffon]] [uncredited]{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=129}} / [[Giant Rat]] [uncredited]{{sfn|Tanaka|1983|pp=336–337}} / [[Bat Men|Bat Man]] [uncredited]{{sfn|Tanaka|1983|pp=336–337}} / underwater stunts [uncredited]{{Citation needed}}
*''[[Space Amoeba]]'' (1970) as [[Gezora]] / [[Ganimes]] / underwater stunt double for [[Akira Kubo]] [uncredited]
*''[[All Monsters Attack]]'' (1969) as Godzilla{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=133}}
*''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]'' (1971) as Godzilla / concerned citizen in montage [uncredited] / JSDF officer [uncredited]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Chibira-kun|Chibira-kun]]'' (TV 1970) as Tongari [episode 11]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=275}} / [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Gebagoro|Gebagoro]] [episode 15]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=275}}
*''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'' (1972) as Godzilla / background comic editor [uncredited] / JSDF officer [uncredited]
*''[[Space Amoeba]]'' (1970) as [[Gezora]]<ref name="Perfection157">{{harvnb|Nakamura|Shiraishi|Aita|Tomoi|Shimazaki|Maruyama|Shimizu|Hayakawa|2014|p=157}}</ref> / [[Ganimes]]<ref name="Perfection157"/> / underwater stunt double for [[Akira Kubo]] [uncredited]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=246}}
*''[[Submersion of Japan]]'' (1973) as Prime Minister Yamamoto's driver [uncredited]
*''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]'' (1971) as Godzilla{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=149}} / concerned citizen in the montage [uncredited]{{Citation needed}} / JSDF officer [uncredited]{{Citation needed}}
*''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'' (1972) as Godzilla{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012|p=153}} / background comic editor [uncredited]<ref name="Perfection111">{{harvnb|Nakamura|Shiraishi|Aita|Tomoi|Shimazaki|Maruyama|Shimizu|Hayakawa|2014|p=111}}</ref> / JSDF officer [uncredited]<ref name="Perfection111"/>
*''[[Submersion of Japan]]'' (1973) as Prime Minister Yamamoto's driver [uncredited]{{sfn|Nakajima|2010|p=320}}
*''[[Godzilla vs. Megalon]]'' (1973) as Godzilla [stock footage]
*''[[Godzilla vs. Megalon]]'' (1973) as Godzilla [stock footage]
*''[[Sayonara Jupiter]]'' (1984) as Godzilla [stock footage]
*''[[Bye-Bye Jupiter]]'' (1984) as Godzilla [stock footage]
*''[[The Return of Godzilla#U.S. Release|Godzilla 1985]]'' (1985) as Godzilla [stock footage]
*''[[The Return of Godzilla#U.S. release|Godzilla 1985]]'' (1985) as Godzilla [stock footage]
*''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'' (2002) as Godzilla / head of Mothra larva / Gaira [stock footage]
*''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'' (2002) as Godzilla / head of Mothra larva / Gaira [stock footage]
*''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'' (2004) as Godzilla / Varan / Baragon / Gaira / Gezora [stock footage]
*''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]'' (2004) as Godzilla / Varan / Baragon / Gaira / Gezora [stock footage]
*''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' (2019) [dedication; with Yoshimitsu Banno]
*''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' (2019) [dedication; with Yoshimitsu Banno]
===Interviewee===
===Interviewee===
*''[[Godzilla, King of the Monsters (documentary)|Godzilla, King of the Monsters]]'' (1998)
*''[[Godzilla, King of the Monsters (documentary)|Godzilla, King of the Monsters]]'' (1998)
*''[[Bringing Godzilla Down to Size]]'' (2008)
*''[[The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga]]'' (2019)
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
Line 86: Line 95:
Naruo_Nakajima_on_April_28_2015.jpg|Nakajima on April 28, 2015
Naruo_Nakajima_on_April_28_2015.jpg|Nakajima on April 28, 2015
Haruo Nakajima with Matt Frank0.JPG|Haruo Nakajima with [[Matt Frank]]
Haruo Nakajima with Matt Frank0.JPG|Haruo Nakajima with [[Matt Frank]]
Haruo Nakajima with King Kong armature.jpg|Nakajima sitting next to the original 1933 [[King Kong]] armature
File:Haruo Nakajima with the original King Kong armature.jpg|Nakajima sitting next to the original 1933 [[King Kong (RKO)|King Kong]] armature
M1 Haruo Nakajima figure.JPG|M1 Haruo Nakajima in Godzilla suit figure
M1 Haruo Nakajima figure.JPG|M1 Haruo Nakajima in Godzilla suit figure
Fullscreen capture 352018 81452 AM.bmp.jpg|Nakajima remembered at the [[wikipedia:90th Academy Awards|90th Academy Awards]]
Fullscreen capture 352018 81452 AM.bmp.jpg|Nakajima remembered at the [[wikipedia:90th Academy Awards|90th Academy Awards]]
File:KOTM - Nakajima and Banno Dedications.jpg|Dedication to Haruo Nakajima and [[Yoshimitsu Banno]] at the end of ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]''
File:Haruo & Kenpachiro.png|Haruo Nakajima alongside [[Godzilla (Heisei)|Heisei Godzilla]] suit actor [[Kenpachiro Satsuma]]
File:dl1h0bnhnqf81.jpg|Haruo Nakajima alongside fellow Godzilla suit actors [[Tsutomu Kitagawa]] and [[Kenpachiro Satsuma]]
</gallery>
</gallery>
==Videos==
==Videos==
{{Videos|
{{Videos|
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">lMf42nAPdjU</youtube>|Nakajima appears on ''He of the Sun''}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">lMf42nAPdjU</youtube>|Nakajima appears on ''He of the Sun''}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">GE6WpMQS6I8</youtube>|Haruo Nakajima wears a Godzilla<br>suit for the last time in 1983}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">GE6WpMQS6I8</youtube>|Haruo Nakajima wears a Godzilla<br>suit for the last time in 1983}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">NZ12D5JyQPc</youtube>|Nakajima instructs [[Godzilla (1998 film)|''GODZILLA'' (1998)]] actor Harry Shearer how to act like Godzilla}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">NZ12D5JyQPc</youtube>|Nakajima instructs [[GODZILLA (1998 film)|''GODZILLA'' (1998)]] actor Harry Shearer how to act like Godzilla}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">XSFWzKalCaQ</youtube>|[[SciFi Japan]] Interview}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">XSFWzKalCaQ</youtube>|[[SciFi Japan]] Interview}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">tb3fB0ze8nw</youtube>|Anime Boston Interview}}{{clear}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">tb3fB0ze8nw</youtube>|Anime Boston Interview}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">_oBNEG8kLfQ</youtube>|The Man Who Was Godzilla}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">_oBNEG8kLfQ</youtube>|''The Man Who Was Godzilla''}}
}}
}}
==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/nakajima.htm Interview by David Milner (March 1995)]
*[https://31fb9f38.viewer.kintoneapp.com/public/0a3f41a74b8bb9e879c82e5240035410e01df4c27f0dfc1d2ef44495962b1f44#/1/additionalFilters/%255B%257B%2522with%2522:%2522and%2522,%2522filters%2522:%255B%257B%2522with%2522:%2522or%2522,%2522field%2522:%2522%25E4%25BA%25BA%25E5%2590%258D%2522,%2522sign%2522:%2522like%2522,%2522value%2522:%2522%25E4%25B8%25AD%25E5%25B3%25B6%25E6%2598%25A5%25E9%259B%2584%2522%257D%255D%257D%255D Haruo Nakajima's filmography on the official Toho website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20210604032616/http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/nakajima.htm Interview by David Milner (March 1995)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040607201006/http://www.dalekempire.com/NakajimaInterview.html Interview by John Rocco Roberto (2000)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040607201006/http://www.dalekempire.com/NakajimaInterview.html Interview by John Rocco Roberto (2000)]
*[https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2017/05/18/mr-godzilla-speaks-suit-actor-haruo-nakajima-on-playing-the-king-of-the-monsters/ Interview by Brett Homenick and August Ragone (July 2008)]
*[https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2017/05/18/mr-godzilla-speaks-suit-actor-haruo-nakajima-on-playing-the-king-of-the-monsters/ Interview by Brett Homenick and August Ragone (July 2008)]
*[http://www.tohokingdom.com/interviews/haruo_nakajima__nbc2011_11-2014.html Interview by NBC News (2011)]
*[http://www.tohokingdom.com/interviews/haruo_nakajima__nbc2011_11-2014.html Interview by NBC News (2011)]
*[http://www.tohokingdom.com/interviews/russ_tamblyn_haruo_nakajima_11-2014.html Roundtable interview with Haruo Nakajima and Russ Tamblyn provided by Toho Kingdom (March 2014)]
*[http://www.tohokingdom.com/interviews/russ_tamblyn_haruo_nakajima_11-2014.html Roundtable interview with Haruo Nakajima and Russ Tamblyn provided by Toho Kingdom (March 2014)]
*[http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2017/09/05/farewell-to-haruo-nakajima-the-heart-of-japanese-monsters/ SciFi Japan's tribute to Nakajima]
*[https://godzilla.store/shop/secure/moviedetail04-01.aspx Interview by Tetsu Nakamura (August 2015)]
*[http://www.monsterzero.us/ultraman-tsuburaya/farewell-to-haruo-nakajima-the-heart-of-japanese-monsters SciFi Japan's tribute to Nakajima]
==Notes==
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
{{Notelist|lower-alpha}}
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
===Bibliography===
*{{cite book|last=Tanaka|first=Tomoyuki|author-link=Tomoyuki Tanaka|title=[[The Complete History of Toho Special Effects Movies]]|date=10 December 1983|publisher=[[Toho]]|isbn=4-924609-00-5}}
*{{cite book|title=[[Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works]]|edition=1st|last=Motoyama|first=Sho|last2=Matsunomoto|first2=Kazuhiro|last3=Asai|first3=Kazuyasu|last4=Suzuki|first4=Nobutaka|last5=Kato|first5=Masashi|publisher=[[villagebooks]]|date=28 September 2012|isbn=978-4864910132|ref={{harvid|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|Kato|2012}}}}
*{{cite book|last=Nakajima|first=Haruo|title=[[Monster Life: Original Godzilla Actor Haruo Nakajima]]|publisher=[[Yosensha]]|date=17 July 2010|isbn=978-4-86248-589-2}}
*{{cite book|title=Toho Special Effects Movie DVD Collection No. 51|date=27 September 2011|publisher=K.K. DeAgostini Japan|ref={{harvid|DeAgostini Japan|2011}}}}
*{{cite book|last1=Nakano|first1=Teruyoshi|author-link1=Teruyoshi Nakano|last2=Katsuki|first2=Someya|title=[[Director of Special Effects: Teruyoshi Nakano]]|edition=Movie Bunko|publisher=Wides Publishing|date=2014|isbn=978-4898302804|ref={{harvid|Nakano|Someya|2014}}}}
*{{cite book|last=Nollen|first=Scott Allen|title=Takashi Shimura: Chameleon of Japanese Cinema|date=14 March 2019|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|isbn=978-1-4766-3569-9}}
*{{cite book|title=TV Magazine Special Edition: The Complete Works of Ultraman: A Special Effects Fantasy Series|date=14 April 1987|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|isbn=4-06-178404-8|ref={{harvid|Kodansha|1987}}}}
*{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla Toho Champion Festival Perfection]]|date=29 November 2014|publisher=[[Kadokawa|ASCII MEDIA WORKS]]|last=Nakamura|first=Tetsu|last2=Shiraishi|first2=Masahiko|last3=Aita|first3=Tetsuo|last4=Tomoi|first4=Taketo|last5=Shimazaki|first5=Jun|last6=Maruyama|first6=Takeshi|last7=Shimizu|first7=Toshifumi|last8=Hayakawa|first8=Masaru|isbn=978-4-04-866999-3}}
{{Real People}}
{{Real People}}
{{Godzilla 1954}}
{{Godzilla 1954}}
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[[Category:Godzilla's Actors]]
[[Category:Godzilla's Actors]]
[[Category:Japanese Actors]]
[[Category:Japanese Actors]]
[[Category:Deceased actors]]

Latest revision as of 19:34, 19 December 2023

Haruo Nakajima
Haruo Nakajima with the SoshingekiGoji suit on the set of Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Born January 1, 1929
Sakata, Yamagata, Japan
Died August 7, 2017 (aged 88)
Notable role(s) Godzilla, Haruo Akita, Meganulon, Rodan, Moguera, Varan, Mothra, Maguma, Matango, Baragon, Gaira, King Kong, Griffon, Giant Rat, Bat Man, Gezora, Ganimes, numerous bit parts
First work Shimikin, the King of Cycling (1950)
Notable work Godzilla (1954)
Imdb.pngWp EN.pngWp JA.png
Inside the Godzilla suit, it was very dark, lonely, and isolated. Usually, the person who wears the suit becomes nervous and anxious. During summertime it’s very hot, it can become hell in there. But Mr. Nakajima always persevered. He acted in the suit underwater, he was buried underground, he withstood pyrotechnic explosions… and through it all he was always Godzilla.
„ 

Teruyoshi Nakano on Haruo Nakajima

I already knew I could hardly become a star like Akira Takarada. I didn't have the face for it. At first, I could only become a bit player; and then, I was offered this. For the first time in Japanese film history. And once I was inside Godzilla, I became irreplaceable; it would be possible to replace all of the other actors, but not me. If I didn't get to work because I was sick, none of the staff would be able to do their work. All of this gave me a tremendous sense of pride.
„ 

— Haruo Nakajima

Haruo Nakajima (中島 春雄,   Nakajima Haruo) was a Japanese actor and stuntman, most famous for playing Godzilla in the character's first 12 films from 1954 to 1972. During that time, he appeared in nearly every one of Toho's science-fiction films, either as a monster, an extra, or both. He retired from suit acting in 1972, several years after the death of Eiji Tsuburaya, who was a close friend of Nakajima as well as the special effects director for most of Toho's kaiju films in the Showa era. In 2010, he published an autobiography titled Monster Life: Haruo Nakajima, the Original Godzilla Actor.[1] He passed away on August 7, 2017, at the age of 88. The 2019 film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, ends with a dedication to him and director Yoshimitsu Banno.

Biography

Haruo Nakajima served in the Japanese Imperial Navy as a reserve pilot during the Pacific War.[2] He saw combat as a gunner aboard a Mitsubishi G4M bomber, and was present at the funeral of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in Tokyo Bay. Following the war, he struggled to find work; though he worked for a year as a truck driver for the American occupation forces, he was fired after being arrested for speeding. On a whim, he decided to enroll in the International Motion Picture Acting School in 1949. As a student, he was hired by legendary director Akira Kurosawa to portray a detective in a fight scene in Stray Dog. To his disappointment, the scene went unused.[3]

Upon graduation, Nakajima became a contracted actor at Toho who specialized in period action films. He appeared in two more Kurosawa films in the 1950's, Seven Samurai in 1954 and The Hidden Fortress in 1959. However, his true calling would lie in a type of acting without precedent. In 1953, for Eagle of the Pacific, he volunteered to be set on fire during the film's recreation of the Battle of Midway. The stunt impressed the film's director, Ishiro Honda, who likely was the one to recommend Nakajima for the title role in Godzilla, Toho's first monster movie, the following year.

To properly embody a monster awakened by nuclear testing, Nakajima watched special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya's personal copy of King Kong. He also studied the largest animals he could find at the Tokyo Zoo: elephants and gorillas.[4] Though Nakajima was used to working in heavy samurai armor, the Godzilla suit presented unique challenges; provided with little ventilation and working under harsh studio lights, he could only remain inside for three minutes at a time. He also had to adjust his movements to the higher film speeds (72 frames per second) that Tsuburaya mandated to create the illusion of a 50-meters-tall monster.

When Godzilla became a box office success, Nakajima knew that he would soon be offered more monster roles. His job would also expand in the next Godzilla film, Godzilla Raids Again, to include fight choreography. Scripts would often describe monster battles with a single sentence, leaving the rest to him. Such was his reputation that Eiji Tsuburaya hired him as a choreographer for the first two shows in Tsuburaya Productions' Ultra Series, Ultra Q and Ultraman. Nakajima also portrayed several monsters in the Ultra Series, mostly those made from old Toho costumes which he had already worn.

In total, Nakajima played giant monsters in 22 films, including 12 turns as Godzilla. One of his favorite roles was Gaira, the evil green Gargantua from The War of the Gargantuas. The flexibility of the suit, as well as that of his opponent Sanda, allowed him to pattern the fight scenes on professional wrestling. Though the work was often dangerous, especially the underwater scenes which made use of his scuba diving license, he was only injured once, on the set of Varan. The explosives-filled truck which detonates under Varan in the film's climax burned his stomach.[5] Characteristically, he said nothing about it to the crew and kept working.

Nakajima retired from acting in 1972, following the completion of Godzilla vs. Gigan. Despite his retirement, Nakajima remained a consistent supporter of the Godzilla franchise for the next several decades, appearing at conventions and writing an autobiography detailing his work in suitmation. Nakajima also became a close friend of his former costar and eventual successor in the role of Godzilla, Kenpachiro Satsuma. Nakajima passed away on August 7, 2017, at the age of 88.

Selected filmography

Interviewee

Gallery

Videos

Nakajima appears on He of the Sun
Haruo Nakajima wears a Godzilla
suit for the last time in 1983
Nakajima instructs GODZILLA (1998) actor Harry Shearer how to act like Godzilla
SciFi Japan Interview
Anime Boston Interview
The Man Who Was Godzilla

External links

Notes

  1. In his 2014 book Director of Special Effects: Teruyoshi Nakano, assistant special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano recalled Nakajima playing Maguma during the scene where the monster is surrounded by jet pipes.[21] Nakajima denied ever playing Maguma in his 2010 book Monster Life: Original Godzilla Actor Haruo Nakajima.[22]

References

This is a list of references for Haruo Nakajima. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. Ishizuka, Daisuke. "Haruo Nakajima Attends Publishing Party for Autobiography Kaiju Jinsei". SciFi Japan. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  2. Godzilla Speaks: A Conversation with Haruo Nakajima, interview conducted by Michiko Imamura, Ed Godziszewski, and Kumi Takikawa on February 24, 1996
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Tanaka 1983, p. 532.
  4. Great Big Story - The Man Who Was Godzilla
  5. Interview with David Milner and Guy Tucker (March 1995)
  6. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 5.
  7. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 9.
  8. Nakajima 2010, p. 295.
  9. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 13.
  10. "Half Human". IshiroHonda.org. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  11. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 23.
  12. 12.0 12.1 "Rodan (空の大怪獣ラドン)". Toho. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  13. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 25.
  14. "The Mysterians (地球防衛軍)". Toho. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  15. Nakajima 2010, p. 216.
  16. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 29.
  17. 17.0 17.1 Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 33.
  18. DeAgostini Japan 2011, p. 8
  19. Movie Hidden Treasure Separate Volume: The First Godzilla Research Reader. Yosensha. 24 July 2014. ISBN 978-4800304520.
  20. "Mothra (モスラ)". Toho. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  21. Nakano & Someya 2014, pp. 89-90.
  22. Nakajima 2010, p. 346.
  23. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 69.
  24. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 71.
  25. 25.0 25.1 Nakajima 2010, p. 312.
  26. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 81.
  27. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 89.
  28. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 95.
  29. Nollen 2019, p. 241.
  30. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 103.
  31. Nakajima 2010, p. 258.
  32. Nakajima 2010, p. 262.
  33. Nakajima 2010, p. 263.
  34. Nakajima 2010, p. 267.
  35. Nakajima 2010, p. 268.
  36. Nakajima 2010, p. 270.
  37. Kodansha 1987, p. 179.
  38. 38.0 38.1 Nakajima 2010, p. 272.
  39. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 107.
  40. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 111.
  41. Nakajima 2010, p. 276.
  42. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 115.
  43. Nakajima 2010, p. 274.
  44. Motoyama et al. 2012, p. 119.
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Bibliography

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