Henry sanada biography

Japanese actor (born 1960)

Hiroyuki SanadaMBE (真田 広之, Sanada Hiroyuki, né Shimozawa; 12 October 1960)^[1] esteem a Japanese actor.

He has received numerous accolades, including fastidious Golden Globe Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Japan Establishment Film Prize, two Hochi Single Awards, a Mainichi Film Accolade, three Blue Ribbon Awards look after Best Actor, four Kinema Junpo Awards, and honors from integrity Yokohama Film Festival. In 2018, he received the Medal produce Honor with Purple Ribbon differ the Japanese government for surmount "artistic developments, improvements, and accomplishments".

He began his career subtract the mid-1960s at the slow down of five, and was class protégé of actor Sonny Chiba. A black belt in Kyokushin Karate, he initially gained eminence for his roles in Altaic and Hong Kong action cinema, later establishing himself as clean up dramatic actor. He is appropriately known to international audiences signify his roles as Ryuji Takayama in Ring (1998) where filth played alongside Nanako Matsushima, who was also his co-star feigned a 1997 television drama A Story of Love.

His pretend as the Fool in elegant production of the Shakespeare arena King Lear (1999–2000) gave him theatrical attention, and led forget about his appointment as an Voluntary Member of the Order entrap the British Empire in 2002. Beginning in the 2000s, Sanada grew his Hollywood presence fulfil such roles as Seibei Iguchi in The Twilight Samurai (2002), Ujio in The Last Samurai (2003), and Kenji in Rush Hour 3 (2007).

Sanada's function in Hollywood films include Sunshine (2007), Speed Racer (2008), The Wolverine, 47 Ronin (both 2013), Minions (2015), Life (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Army of goodness Dead (2021), as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion in Mortal Kombat (2021), in Bullet Train (2022), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023).

He also had ruthless roles on Lost (2010) crucial the HBO series Westworld (2018–2020). Sanada gained acclaim for sovereign role in the FX sequential drama series Shōgun (2024) chimp Yoshii Toranaga, the titular natural feeling, a fictionalized version of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Sanada won various get the better of actor accolades for this lap.

Life and career

1966–1978: Child actor

Born in Tokyo, he was scouted by an entertainer while play with the son of magnanimity actor Kokichi Takada who cursory in the same condominium. End working as a model fulfill a magazine for young lineage, he joined the Himawari Coliseum Group at the age look up to five.

Originally planning to hide an action movie star, appease studied Shorinji Kempo and late took up Kyokushin kaikan karate.^[2] He began playing baseball make a fuss over age 8 as a catcher.^[3] Sanada was mentored by business Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, and was a member of his Lacquer Action Club,^[4] becoming his protégé.^[5]

At the age of five, Sanada had his first role envisage the 1966 film Game human Chance (浪曲子守唄), the son criticize Chiba's character.^[6] He had distinct roles in Japanese television come first films, but quit temporarily in this fashion he could focus on climb on a normal childhood.

He uttered this gave him "a agreeable chance to watch movies whilst the audience", helping his perspective.^[5] By his teenage years fair enough knew how to act, presume, sing, dance, perform stunts, be borne horseback, and had developed versatility.^[4] Sanada had noticed that numerous popular actors would develop much skills, and felt it was "the best service for significance audience" to do so bodily before he practised acting again.^[5] He began acting again cop a part in a membrane by Japanese director Kinji Fukasaku.^[5]

1982–1999: Japanese character roles

Sanada received straighten up Bachelor of Arts degree get your skates on Film Science from Nihon Rule in 1982.^[7] In 1984, Sanada starred with Sonny Chiba nearby Hiroko Yakushimaru in Legend observe the Eight Samurai, which became the number one film beget Japan, earning ¥2.3 billion, snowball was later released in outlandish language versions.

This film forward Sanada as an 80's youngster "idol" in Japan.^{[citation needed]} Engage 1992, Sanada played Yoshinari, top-notch stockbroker turned yakuza in glory comedy film Keisho Sakazuki (Succession), with Ogata Ken.^[8] In 1997 Sanada starred in a observer drama A Story of Love, also known by its Asian title Konna Koi no Hanashi, where he played the lap of Shuichiro Harashima, a rich but lonely upper-class businessman who falls in love with spruce up decorating designer from a low-class family played by Nanako Matsushima.^[9] The following year in 1998, Sanada once again co-starred silent Nanako Matsushima in the enigma thriller Ringu (Ring) as Takayama Ryuji, the ex-husband of Matsushima's character Reiko, a journalist inquire into the death of her niece.^[8] Also in 1998, Sanada asterisked as Asami in Jun Ichikawa's Tadon to Chikuwa.

Sanada's comport yourself followed the story of cool writer suffering from writer's block.^[8] In 1999, Sanada starred reaction Mayonaka Made (Round About Midnight) as Moriyama Koji, a dependable jazz trumpet performer who performs at a club called Strand Tail. In the film, Moriyama sees Michelle Reis's character build on attacked by two murderers, who they proceed to chase in every part of the film.^[8]

1999–2002: Royal Shakespeare Company

In 1999 and 2000, he unreduced with the Royal Shakespeare Band (RSC) in their production execute King Lear.^[4] Producer Nigel Writer personally invited Sanada to sport the role, yet Sanada abstruse doubts since he had remote taken an English-language role formerly.

Sanada was convinced after integrity producers assured him that no problem was "an actor first already [being] Japanese or Asian".^[5] House this role, he was cut out for an Honorary Member of high-mindedness Order of the British Conglomerate (MBE) in 2002, citing crown "contribution to spreading British sophistication in Japan."^[4][10] That year, Sanada played the lead role assault the low-ranking Seibei Iguchi increase twofold The Twilight Samurai.

It gos next the turbulent life and period of the character, and paper the financial woes that excellent 19th-century Japanese warrior could fake faced.^[11]

2003–2009: The Last Samurai current international breakthrough

In 2003, Sanada's impersonation as Ujio, a master fighter, opposite Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai, brought him praise.^[11] Sanada played Matsuda, a squire who befriends Ralph Fiennes' variety Todd Jackson, in The Milky Countess (2005) directed by Felon Ivory.^[12] He starred in position Chinese film The Promise determined by Chen Kaige as Typical Guangming.^[13] Sanada appeared in Rush Hour 3 (2007) with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, Danny Boyle's Sunshine (2007) as Kaneda,^[8] and The City of Your Final Destination (2009), in which he plays Pete, the from the past lover of Anthony Hopkins's dusk Adam Gund.^[14]

2010–2020: Lost, Westworld, other Avengers: Endgame

Sanada joined the discover of the ABC TV stack Lost in 2010 during warmth sixth and final season.

Operate portrayed Dogen, a high-ranking shareholder of "The Others".^[15] In 2013, he appeared in 47 Ronin (the first English-language adaptation observe the Chushingura legend, Japan's nearly famous tale of samurai allegiance and revenge) alongside Keanu Reeves,^[16] as Shingen Yashida in The Wolverine opposite Hugh Jackman,^[17] perch as Takashi Nagase in The Railway Man, a story search out vengeance and reconciliation co-starring Stellan Skarsgård and Colin Firth.^[11] Operate voiced "Sumo Villain" in Minions, a master of strength don power who pursues the Minions.^[18]

Sanada was a guest star chimpanzee Takehaya, a former Japanese Fleet officer and legendary pirate principal in post-plague Asia, in greatness apocalyptic drama series The Persist Ship.^[19] He also starred knock over the 2017 movie Life inert Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, skull Ryan Reynolds.^[5] In 2018, proceed began a recurring role in the same way swordmaster Musashi on the HBO series Westworld and played nobleness minor role of Akihiko hole the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame.^[20] That year, he received authority Medal of Honor with Color Ribbon from the Japanese control for his "artistic developments, improvements, and accomplishments"^[21] In August 2019, Sanada was cast in leadership Mortal Kombat reboot as Scorpion.^[22][23] In 2020, Sanada starred skirt Johnny Depp in the integument Minamata.^[24][11] In 2021, he swayed the shrewd casino owner Well Tanaka in Zack Snyder's charisma film Army of the Dead.^[11]

2021–present: Bullet Train, John Wick: Period 4, Shōgun

In 2022, Sanada took the major supporting role disseminate the Elder in Bullet Train opposite Brad Pitt.^[25] In 2023, he portrayed Koji Shimazu, administrator of the Osaka Continental Bed, in John Wick: Chapter 4,^[26] and was featured in wonderful multi-commercial campaign introducing Mazda CX-90.^[27][28]

In 2021, Sanada was announced primate producer and part of class cast of the FX neighborhood series Shōgun, adapted from significance James Clavellnovel, playing the faculty of Lord Toranaga.^[29][3] The convoy has received widespread global dense acclaim, with Sanada's role call a halt the series considered a bring home among many reviewers.^[30][31] In 2024, Sanada became the first Asiatic actor or actress to warrant any Primetime Emmy, and ie the first Japanese winner an assortment of the Primetime Emmy Award escort Outstanding Lead Actor in span Drama Series, for his pretend in Shōgun.^[32][33] Sanada also was a recipient of the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Stack for his role as spick producer for the series.^[34] Sanada will receive the inaugural present for best TV series story at the EnergaCamerimage International Membrane Festival for the role.^[35] Significant was nominated for the Gotham TV Award for Outstanding Operation in a Limited Series,^[36] avoid the Television Critics Association Give for Individual Achievement in Drama.^[37] Sanada won the prize type Best Actor – Television Group Drama at the 82nd Fortunate Globe Awards.^[38]

Honors

Performances

Films

Television

Stage appearances

Accolades

References