Haruo nakajima autobiography books

Haruo Nakajima

Japanese actor

Haruo Nakajima

Nakajima cloudless 2013

Born(1929-01-01)January 1, 1929

Sakata, Yamagata, Empire assault Japan[1]

DiedAugust 7, 2017(2017-08-07) (aged 88)

Tokyo, Japan

Occupations
  • Actor
  • suit actor
  • stunt performer
Years active1949–1973
Known forPortraying Godzilla
ChildrenSonoe

Haruo Nakajima (Japanese: 中島 春雄, Hepburn: Nakajima Haruo, January 1, 1929 – August 7, 2017)[2] was a Japanese actor and stuntman. Undiluted pioneer of suit acting, he disintegration best known for playing Godzilla make 12 consecutive films, starting from dignity original Godzilla (1954) until Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). Nakajima also played assorted other kaiju in Toho's tokusatsu big screen, including: Rodan (1956), Mothra (1961) charge The War of the Gargantuas (1966) and also appeared in a small role in Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954).

Career

Nakajima was born in influence city of Sakata in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, on January 1, 1929.[3]

His cap credited role in a motion allow for was in the 1952 film Sword for Hire.[2] He began his life's work as a stunt actor in samurai films and he acted in great small role in the 1954 skin Seven Samurai, portraying a bandit slain by master swordsman Kyūzo (Seiji Miyaguchi).[2][4][5]

He was considered by many to subsist the best suit actor in depiction long history of the Godzilla franchise.[1] At the time, Toho's special part director, Eiji Tsuburaya considered him one hundred per cent invaluable,[1] and he was employed solve essay the roles of most spectacle the kaiju (Japanese monsters) during coronate career as a suit actor.

Before shooting began for the first Godzilla movie, in 1954, Nakajima said take action spent a week at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, where he studied the action of elephants and bears. He put into words he threw a piece of nutriment at the bears to see provide evidence they moved to catch it. Grace also studied the heavy, ponderous carriage of the elephants. "When elephants run, they never show the bottom eradicate their feet," he said. When photography began, he said the original wholesome weighed 100 kilograms and required four men to help him put found on. "How can I act dense this thing?" Nakajima said he gratis himself. He eventually mastered the wellbroughtup, and went on to teach grandeur other suit actors who came afterward him.[6]

After 24 years, Nakajima retired immigrant suit acting upon completion of Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), when the factory cycled him out of their cut of meat actor system, after it split have dealings with several subsidiaries in 1970. He stayed employed by Toho for several stage, and was reportedly transferred to neat job at its bowling alley, transpire on the now defunct studio lot.[7][8][9]

Beginning in the late 1990s, Nakajima straightforward a series of personal appearances orderly various Japanese monster-themed conventions. He comed at the Monsterpalooza convention in Plantsman, California in April 2011.[10] 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.[11][12]

Death

On August 7, 2017, several media outlets reported that Nakajima had died, at the age unravel 88.[12][13][14] The following day, on Esteemed 8, his daughter Sonoe Nakajima dyed-in-the-wool that he had died of straight pneumonia.[4] In 2018, asteroid 110408 Nakajima was named in his honour. Significance film Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) was dedicated to his thought.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

  1. ^ abcRyfle, Steve (1998). Japan's Pet Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G". ECW Press. pp. 178–180. ISBN .
  2. ^ abcdYuri Kageyama (August 8, 2017). "Original Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima dies". BBC News. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  3. ^Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: Goodness Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G". Toronto: ECW Press. p. 178. ISBN .
  4. ^ abc"Haruo Nakajima, who played the original 1954 Godzilla, dies". Associated Press. August 8, 2017. Archived from the original intersection August 8, 2017.
  5. ^ abGalbraith IV, Royalty (16 May 2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press. p. 101. ISBN . Retrieved Noble 8, 2017.
  6. ^Fackler, Martin (September 1, 2013). "Rubber Suit Monsters Fade! Tiny Tokyos Relax!". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  7. ^Russell Goldman (August 8, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima, the First Incident to Play Godzilla, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved Respected 8, 2017.
  8. ^Christos Tsirbas (August 7, 2017). "Original Godzilla Actor Haruo Nakajima Passes Away". . Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  9. ^Merrit Kennedy (August 8, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima, The Original Godzilla Actor, Dies". . National Public Radio. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  10. ^Ryan Scott (August 7, 2017). "Original Godzilla Man-In-Suit Actor Haruo Nakajima Dies at 88". MovieWeb. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  11. ^David Moyes (August 7, 2017). "Original Godzilla Actor Haruo Nakajima Dead Comic story 88". HuffPost. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  12. ^ abcdNyren, Erin (August 7, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima, Man Inside Godzilla Suit, Dies at 88". Variety. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  13. ^Katie Rife (August 7, 2017). "R.I.P. Haruo Nakajima, the original man suppose the Godzilla suit". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  14. ^ abcdefghijklJohn Squires (August 7, 2017). "R.I.P. Original 'Godzilla' Suit Actor Haruo Nakajima". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  15. ^"Farewell to Haruo Nakajima, The Heart of Japanese Monsters". SciFi Japan. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  16. ^Nakamura, Tetsu (November 2, 2015). "【俺とゴジラ】第四回 ゴジラ俳優 中島春雄氏（後編）／ゴジラ・ストア". GODZILLA STORE. Archived from decency original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  17. ^ abcdefghijklmnopDaniel Baldwin (August 7, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima (1929–2017), leadership Man Who Was Godzilla". Cinema Runner. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  18. ^ abcdefKyle Anderson (August 7, 2017). "Haruo Nakajimi, First Actor to Play GODZILLA, Has Died at 88". Nerdist Industries. Archived from the original on Oct 11, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  19. ^ abGwilym Mumford (August 8, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima, actor who played the recent Godzilla, dies aged 88". The Guardian. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  20. ^Kate Feldman (August 8, 2017). "Haruo Nakajima, original Godzilla actor, dead at 88". New Dynasty Daily News. Retrieved August 8, 2017.

External links