Legendary Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai has passed away. He was 92.
The news was first reported by The Japan News.
A versatile thespian who excelled in both positive and negative roles, Nakadai was a favourite muse of filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa and Masaki Kobayashi, delivering iconic turns in Yojimbo, Sanjuro, High and Low, and Kagemusha. He collaborated on five films with Kurosawa.
He did 11 films with Kobayashi, including such acclaimed classics as The Human Condition trilogy, Kwaidan, Harakiri, and Samurai Rebellion.
Nakadai is also known for his celebrated collaborations with filmmakers such as Hiroshi Teshigahara, Kihachi Okamoto, Hideo Gosha, Shirō Toyoda, and Kon Ichikawa.
Born Motohisa Nakadai on Dec. 13, 1932, in Tokyo, Japan, Nakadai began in theater before making his debut in Kobayashi's The Thick-Walled Room (1953). However, his uncredited cameo in Seven Samurai (1954) is widely reported as his debut since the former was released only three years later.
Nakadai’s breakthrough role was in Kobayashi's 1957 film Black River, in which he played an immoral character, a yakuza. Two years later, he was cast in Kobayashi's powerfully moving three-part war epic The Human Condition.
Nakadai once again proved his capabilities with the lead role of a revenge-seeking samurai in the tragedy Harakiri, now celebrated as one of the greatest films of all time. It was a milestone in the careers of both Nakadai and Kobayashi.
Hiroshi Teshigahara's The Face of Another and Kihachi Okamoto's The Sword of Doom were among his other striking showcases for his extraordinary range.
After Kurosawa's collaboration with frequent muse Toshiro Mifune ended, the director cast him in striking lead roles in Kagemusha and Ran, films that brought him to international attention.
Notably, legendary Hollywood filmmakers George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola helped complete Kagemusha when the original studio, Toho, fell short of funds. The two are named executive producers in the film's international version.
Japan had, in 2015, bestowed Nakadai with its highest honour, the Order of Culture, for outstanding contributions to art, literature, science, and other cultural fields.