Best known for her role of Miss Namikawa in Invasion of Astro-Monster, Kumi Mizuno is, indisputably, Toho's most popular actress. Mizuno was born in 1937 with the birth name Maya Igarashi. By the time she started working for Toho on A Bridge for Us Alone (1958), her second movie, her name had changed to Kumi Mizuno. In the late 50s and early 60s Mizuno's career was booming, and she quickly became a favorite of director Ishiro Honda.
Mizuno was often paired with Nick Adams, whenever he did a film for Toho; consequently, rumors of a romance between the two were common occurrence until Mizuno denied it during an interview in 1996. Despite the huge number of films she did early on in her career, Mizuno is best known for her sci-fi roles in the two Godzilla films and the two Frankenstein films done by Toho in the mid-60s.
She became such a cult figure amongst the kaiju fandom that Toho brought her back in 2002 to play a role in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and again in 2004 for Godzilla: Final Wars.
Filmography[]
Acting credits[]
- A Bridge for Us Alone (1958) - Chie Kimura
- A Holiday in Tokyo (1958)
- The Spell of the Hidden Gold (1958)
- Herringbone Clouds (1958)
- The Three Treasures (1959) - Azami
- President Taiheiki (1959)
- Whistle in My Heart (1959)
- One Day I... (1959) - Hideko Kawamura
- Seniors, Juniors, Co-Workers (1959)
- Fox and Tanuki (1959) - Sagawa Kayoko
- Lips Forbidden to Talk (1959)
- Wanton Journey (1960)
- The Gambling Samurai (1960) - Kiku
- Westward Desperado (1960)
- Challenge to Live (1961)
- The Merciless Trap (1961)
- The Crimson Sea (1961)
- B.G. Story: Nijusai and the Journal (1961)
- Witness Killed (1961)
- Counterstroke (1961)
- Big Shots Die at Dawn (1961)
- The Underworld Bullet Marks (1961)
- Kill the Killer! (1961)
- Gorath (1962)
- Woman of Design (1962)
- The Crimson Sky (1962)
- Operation X (1962)
- Operation Enemy Fort (1962)
- Chushingura (1962) - Saho
- Weed of Crime (1962)
- Matango (1963) - Mami Sekiguchi
- Samurai Pirate (1963) - Miwa, Rebel Leader
- Sink or Swim (1963) - Tomie Tazawa
- Warring Clans (1963)
- Interpol Code 8 (1963)
- Trap of Suicide Kilometer (1964)
- Jigoku Sakusen (1964)
- Blood and Diamonds (1964)
- Whirlwind (1964) - Witch
- Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965) - Sueko Togami, Doctor
- Key of Keys (1965)
- Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) - Miss Namikawa
- White Rose of Hong Kong (1965)
- Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) - Daiyo
- The War of the Gargantuas (1966) - Akemi Togawa, Doctor
- The Killing Bottle (1967)
- Love is in the Green Wind (1974) - Mother
- Mysterious Robber Ruby (1988)
- Rainbow Kids (1991) - Kanako Yanagawa, 1st Daughter
- Graduation Journey: I Came from Japan (1993)
- Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) - Machiko Tsuge, Prime Minister
- Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) - Akiko Namikawa, Earth Defense Force Commander