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Ken Takakura

Ken Takakura

Highest Rated: 80% Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005)

Lowest Rated: 11% Mr. Baseball (1992)

Birthday: Feb 16, 1931

Birthplace: Nakama, Fukuoka, Japan

Like American film star John Wayne, Ken Takakura has defined the Japanese man and has had a prolific superstar film career, appearing in more than 200 films, shifting from "yakuza" or crime-action films to more mainstream fare. He thrice received the Japanese Academy Award as Best Actor and has on occasion appeared in English-language films. A graduate of Meiji University, Takakura studied commerce, but turned to acting soon after graduation, making his screen debut in 1955 in "Denko Karate-uchi." He toiled for about a decade before becoming a bona fide star with a string of Japanese hits in the mid-60s, more frequently playing men of the current era rather than mythical samurai or heroic icons of the glory days. When legendary Hollywood director Robert Aldrich needed an actor to play the Japanese officer pursuing Cliff Robertson and Michael Caine in "Too Late the Hero" (1970), he turned to Takakura, who stole the picture. He did the same playing a crime boss for Sydney Pollack in his next English-language effort, "The Yakuza" (1975). Takakura did not pursue any ongoing connection with Hollywood, but rather continued to make Japanese hits, including "Eki/Station" (1981), "Antarctica" (1982), and "A Un/Buddies" (1989), films with little release in the West. Hollywood called again in 1989 with "Black Rain," in which Takakura was Andy Garcia's Japanese police connection, and for "Mr. Baseball" (1992), in which Takakura instructs Tom Selleck on how to play an American game in a foreign land. Takakura next appeared in Kon Ichikawa's international hit "47 Ronin" (1994). The drama "Railroad Man" (1999) and Yasuo Furuhata's acclaimed "The Firefly" (2001) followed. Zhang Yimou's "Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles" (2005) and Furuhata's "Dearest" (2012) proved to be the semi-retired Takakura's final films. Ken Takakura died of lymphoma on November 10, 2014, at the age of 83.

Highest rated movies

80% 81% Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
60% 72% The Yakuza
54% 55% Black Rain
11% 41% Mr. Baseball

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet 44% Dearest Eiji Kurashima (Character) - 2012
80% 81% Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles Gou-ichi Takata (Character) $251.6K 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hotaru Yamaoka Shûji (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 78% Poppoya: Railroad Man Otomatsu Sato (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet 47 Ronin Unknown (Character) - 1994
11% 41% Mr. Baseball Uchiyama (Character) $20.3M 1992
54% 55% Black Rain Asst. Insp. Masahiro Matsumoto (Character) $44.9M 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Yasha Shuji (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet 88% Antarctica Akira Ushioda (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet Koudo 7000 Meters Unknown (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Station Unknown (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Revolt Keisuke Miyagi (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Distant Cry from Spring Unknown (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fuyu no Hana Hidetsugu Kano (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet Never Give Up Unknown (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Yellow Handkerchief Unknown (Character) - 1977
60% 72% The Yakuza Tanaka Ken (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Great Jail Break Ichiro Kozue (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Path of Japanese Chivalry: Story of All-Out Attack Ichizo Ryuzaki (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet International Gangs of Kobe Masato Dan (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet 55% Bullet Train Tetsuo Okita (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Third Generation Yamaguchi Gang Kazuo Taoka (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Golgo 13 Golgo 13 (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Kantô Hizakura Ikka Kuramoto (Character) - 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Pledge Unknown (Character) - 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Stormy Cape Unknown (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: Forbidden Love Unknown (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nihon Jokyo-den: Ketto Midare-bana Unknown (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Patience Has an End Unknown (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet New Prison Wall of Abashiri: Stray Wolf in Snow Unknown (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Saigo no Tokkôtai Unknown (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shin Abashiri Bangaichi: Dai Shinrin no Ketto Unknown (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nihon Jokyo-den: Makka na Dokyo-bana Unknown (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet House of Gamblers Unknown (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sengo Saidai no Toba Unknown (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shin Abashiri Bangaichi: Saihate no Nagare-mono Unknown (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gambler's Legacy Unknown (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Choeki Sankyodai Unknown (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nihon Jokyo-den: Kyokaku Geisha Unknown (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet 88% Hibotan Bakuto: Hanafuda Shobu Shogo Hanaoka (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Valiant Red Peony 4 Koji Yashiro (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shin Abashiri Bangaichi: Runin-Masaki no Ketto Unknown (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: A Lion's Code Unknown (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet 90% Red Peony Gambler Shogo Hanaoka (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gokuchu no Kaoyaku Unknown (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rogue Isamu Oba (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hibotan Bakuto Shogo Hanaoka (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shin Abashiri Bangaichi Unknown (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Aa Douki no Sakura First Lieutenant Kenmochi (Character) - 1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Chivalrous Life Unknown (Character) - 1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet Showa Zankyo-den: Chizome no Karajishi Unknown (Character) - 1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet Abashiri Bangaichi: Koya no taiketsu Unknown (Character) - 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Jigoku no Okite ni Asu wa Nai Nenji Kobayashi (Character) - 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Showa Zankyo-den: Ippiki Okami Unknown (Character) - 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Showa Zankyoden Karajishi Botan Unknown (Character) - 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Domain: Kanto Legends of Chivalry Unknown (Character) - 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Abashiri Bangaichi Bokyohen Shinichi Tsukibana (Character) - 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Showa Zankyo-den Unknown (Character) - 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nihon Kyokaku-den: Naniwa-hen Unknown (Character) - 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Prison Walls of Abashiri 4 Shin'ichi Tachibana (Character) - 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Zoku Abashiri Bangaichi Shinichi Tsukibana (Character) - 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Abashiri Prison Shinichi Tachibana (Character) - 1965
No Score Yet 96% A Fugitive From the Past Ajimura (Character) - 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wolves, Pigs and Men Jirô (Character) - 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet Miyamoto Musashi Ichijoji No Ketto Unknown (Character) - 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nihon Kyokaku-den Chokichi (Character) - 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet An Outlaw Unknown (Character) - 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet Jinsei Gekijo: Hisha Kaku Unknown (Character) - 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bôryoku gai Unknown (Character) - 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gang Loyalty and Vengeance Asano (Character) - 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Senhime to Hideyori Naomori (Character) - 1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sanbyaku Rokujugo Ya Unknown (Character) - 1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet Minyo no Tabi Sakurajima Otemoyan Unknown (Character) - 1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tales of President Mito Unknown (Character) - 1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Escape Unknown (Character) - 1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet Kashi no Onna Ichimatsu Unknown (Character) - 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Beran Me-e Geisha Makari Tôru Unknown (Character) - 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Flower, the Storm, and the Gang Unknown (Character) - 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hibari Minyo no Tabi Beranme Nakanorisan Unknown (Character) - 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Zokuzoku Beranme Geisha Unknown (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nihatsume wa Jigoku Ikidaze Unknown (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Zoku Beran Me-e Geisha Unknown (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Man of the World 2 Unknown (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Sand City in Manchuria Unknown (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Man of the World Unknown (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Untamed of the Sky Unknown (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Abare Kaido Unknown (Character) - 1959
No Score Yet No Score Yet Musume no Naka no Musume Unknown (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet With Songs in My Heart Unknown (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Outsiders Ichitaro Kazamori (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ren'ai Jiyugata Unknown (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet Musume Juhachi Goiken Muyo Unknown (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hibari no Hanagata Tantei Gassen Unknown (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Deep Blue Sea Unknown (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet Japan's G-Men: Special Arms Squad Going Out Unknown (Character) - 1956