Akira Takarada (宝田明 Takarada Akira?) was a Japanese actor who played Hideo Ogata in Gojira and has played multiple characters in the Godzilla series.
Biography[]
Born on April 29, 1934, and lived briefly in Harbin, China, Akira Takarada rose from the Tôhô New Face program to become one of the most recognizable men associated with the Godzilla series, even though he appeared in only six installments. He began in 1949 with a small role in "When the Liberty Bell Rang" and after several small roles, his big break came as navy diver Hideo Ogata in the original Godzilla. He soon became recognizable for his persona as the cocky, slightly cynical urban male and that made him a very successful actor. Today he is still a celebrity in Japan through his appearances in TV dramas, quiz shows, and commercials.
Filmography[]
Acting credits[]
- Godzilla
- Half Human
- Romantic Daughters
- Ōatari Sanshoku Musume
- Aoi Sanmyaku
- A Rainbow Plays in My Heart
- The Birth of Japan
- Hawaii Midway Daikai Kūsan: Taiheiyō Noarashi
- The Last War
- Kohayagawa-ke no aki
- A Wanderer's Notebook
- Mothra vs. Godzilla
- Invasion of Astro-Monster
- Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
- King Kong Escapes
- Fancy Paradise
- Latitude Zero
- The Great Mouse Detective
- Tales of a Golden Geisha
- Minbo
- Godzilla vs. Mothra
- Marutai no Onna
- Godzilla: Final Wars
- Fantastipo
- Glory to the Filmmaker!
- Godzilla (2014 film) (Deleted scene)
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Akira Takarada originally had a cameo in Godzilla (2014 film) where he plays a custom officer welcoming Ford to Tokyo, but was cut from the film, Gareth Edwards has said it was biggest regret. Despite this, Akira's name still appears in the credits and his scene is in the novelization. His scene was then later found 10 years later and shown online.