Haruo Nakajima
Haruo Nakajima | |
---|---|
中島 春雄 | |
![]() Nakajima in 2013 | |
Born | |
Died | August 7, 2017 Tokyo, Japan | (aged 88)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1949–1973 |
Known for | Godzilla |
Children | 1 |
Haruo Nakajima (Japanese: 中島 春雄, Hepburn: Nakajima Haruo, January 1, 1929 – August 7, 2017)[1] was a Japanese actor best known for playing Godzilla in twelve consecutive films, starting from the original Godzilla (1954) until Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). He also played various other giant monsters in Kaiju films, including Mothra and The War of the Gargantuas and also appeared in a minor role in the Akira Kurosawa film Seven Samurai.
Career[]
Nakajima was born in Yamagata, Japan. His first credited role in a motion picture was in the 1952 film Sword for Hire.[1] He began his career as a stunt actor in samurai films and he acted in a small role in the 1954 film Seven Samurai, portraying a bandit.[1][2][3]
He was considered by many to be the best suit actor in the long history of the Godzilla franchise.[4] At the time, Toho's visual effects director, Eiji Tsuburaya considered him completely invaluable,[4] and he was employed to essay the roles of most of the kaiju (Japanese monsters) during his career as a suit actor. After 24 years, he retired from suit acting upon completion of Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), when the studio cycled him out of their contract actor system, after it split into several subsidiaries in 1970. He stayed employed by Toho for several years, and was reportedly transferred to a job at its bowling alley, located on the now defunct studio lot.[5][6][7]
Beginning in the late 1990s, Nakajima made a series of personal appearances at various Japanese monster-themed conventions. He appeared at the Monsterpalooza convention in Burbank, California in April 2011.[8] His Japanese-language autobiography, 『怪獣人生 元祖ゴジラ俳優・中島春雄』 (Monster Life: Haruo Nakajima, the Original Godzilla Actor), was released in 2010.[9][10]
Death[]
On August 7, 2017, several media outlets reported that Nakajima had died, at the age of 88.[10][11][12] The following day, on August 8, his daughter Sonoe Nakajima confirmed that he had died of pneumonia.[2] In 2018, asteroid 110408 Nakajima was named in his memory. The film Godzilla: King of the Monsters was dedicated to his memory.
Filmography[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Godzilla_Raids_Again_%281955%29_Behind_the_scenes.gif/300px-Godzilla_Raids_Again_%281955%29_Behind_the_scenes.gif)
Film[]
Television[]
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1966 | Ultra Q | Acting role.[13] |
1966–1967 | Ultraman | Various monster roles.[14] |
1967–1968 | Ultraseven | Acting role, various monster roles.[13] |
1970 | Chibira-kun | Gebagoro |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Yuri Kageyama (August 8, 2017). "Original Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima dies". BBC News. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Haruo Nakajima, who played the original 1954 Godzilla, dies". Associated Press. August 8, 2017. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Galbraith IV, Stuart (16 May 2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press. p. 101. ISBN 978-0810860049. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G". ECW Press. pp. 179–180. ISBN 9781550223484.
- ^ Russell Goldman (August 8, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima, the First Actor to Play Godzilla, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Christos Tsirbas (August 7, 2017). "Original Godzilla Actor Haruo Nakajima Passes Away". CBR.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Merrit Kennedy (August 8, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima, The Original Godzilla Actor, Dies". NPR.org. National Public Radio. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- ^ Ryan Scott (August 7, 2017). "Original Godzilla Man-In-Suit Actor Haruo Nakajima Dies at 88". MovieWeb. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ David Moyes (August 7, 2017). "Original Godzilla Actor Haruo Nakajima Dead At 88". HuffPost. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Nyren, Erin (August 7, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima, Man Inside Godzilla Suit, Dies at 88". Variety. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- ^ Katie Rife (August 7, 2017). "R.I.P. Haruo Nakajima, the original man in the Godzilla suit". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l John Squires (August 7, 2017). "R.I.P. Original 'Godzilla' Suit Actor Haruo Nakajima". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Daniel Baldwin (August 7, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima (1929–2017), the Man Who Was Godzilla". Cinema Runner. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Kyle Anderson (August 7, 2017). "Haruo Nakajimi, First Actor to Play GODZILLA, Has Died at 88". Nerdist Industries. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Gwilym Mumford (August 8, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima, actor who played the original Godzilla, dies aged 88". The Guardian. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Kate Feldman (August 8, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima, original Godzilla actor, dead at 88". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haruo Nakajima. |
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: Haruo Nakajima |
- Haruo Nakajima at IMDb
- Roberto, John Rocco. Shigeko Kojima (trans.) Winter 1999. "An Interview with Godzilla: Hauro Nakajima", Originally published in Kaiju Fan.
- Biography of Haruo Nakajima in comic book format
- 1929 births
- 2017 deaths
- Deaths from pneumonia
- Japanese male film actors
- Japanese male television actors
- People from Yamagata Prefecture
- Godzilla (franchise)