Tatsuya Nakadai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tatsuya Nakadai
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| 仲代 達矢 | |
Nakadai in 2009
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| Born |
Motohisa Nakadai (仲代 元久)
December 13, 1932 Tokyo, Japan
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1952–present |
Tatsuya Nakadai (born Motohisa Nakadai on December 13, 1932) is a famous Japanese actor. He has starred in many important films and plays. He is known for working with some of Japan's greatest directors.
Nakadai has appeared in 11 films directed by Masaki Kobayashi. These include the Human Condition trilogy, where he played the main character Kaji. He also starred in Harakiri, Samurai Rebellion, and Kwaidan.
He also worked with Akira Kurosawa, one of the most famous Japanese directors. Nakadai starred or co-starred in five of Kurosawa's films. He also appeared in movies by other well-known directors like Hiroshi Teshigahara, Mikio Naruse, and Kihachi Okamoto.
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Early Life and Career Beginnings
Tatsuya Nakadai grew up in a family that didn't have much money. Because of this, he couldn't go to university. This led him to start acting. He loved Broadway musicals and would travel to New York City every year to watch them.
Before becoming an actor, Nakadai worked in a shop in Tokyo. One day, he met director Masaki Kobayashi by chance. This meeting led to him being cast in the film The Thick Walled Room. The next year, he had a very small role in Akira Kurosawa's famous film Seven Samurai. He was only on screen for a few seconds as a samurai walking through a town.
Even though Seven Samurai was filmed later, it was released before The Thick-Walled Room. This was because The Thick-Walled Room's release was delayed for three years due to its sensitive topic. Nakadai's big break came when he played Jo, a young gangster (yakuza), in Black River. This was another film directed by Masaki Kobayashi.
Working with Famous Directors
Nakadai continued to work with director Masaki Kobayashi throughout the 1960s. He won his first Blue Ribbon Award for his role in Harakiri. In this film, he played an older samurai (called a rōnin). He has said this is his favorite film he has acted in.
He also starred in two more films by Akira Kurosawa in the 1980s. In Kagemusha, Nakadai played two roles: a thief who pretends to be a famous warlord (daimyō) named Takeda Shingen. This double role helped him win his second Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor. In Ran, Nakadai played another warlord, Hidetora Ichimonji. This character was inspired by King Lear from Shakespeare's play King Lear.
Teaching and Recognition
Tatsuya Nakadai has also taught and trained many young actors. Some of his students include Kōji Yakusho and Mayumi Wakamura. In 2015, he received the Order of Culture, which is a very high honor in Japan for people who have made great contributions to culture.
Selected Filmography
Nakadai has acted in over 100 films. Here are some of his notable works:
- 1953: The Thick-Walled Room (released 1956)
- 1954: Seven Samurai
- 1957: Black River
- 1959: The Human Condition: No Greater Love
- 1960: When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
- 1961: Yojimbo
- 1962: Sanjuro
- 1962: Harakiri
- 1963: High and Low
- 1964: Kwaidan
- 1966: The Sword of Doom
- 1966: The Face of Another
- 1967: Samurai Rebellion
- 1968: Kill!
- 1969: Goyokin
- 1969: Portrait of Hell
- 1980: Kagemusha
- 1985: Ran
- 1987: Hachiko Monogatari
- 1999: After the Rain
- 2005: Yamato
- 2010: Haru's Journey
- 2013: The Tale of Princess Kaguya (animated film)
- 2017: Lear on the Shore
Selected Television Roles
- 1971: Shin Heike Monogatari as Taira no Kiyomori (main role in a Taiga drama)
- 1977: Castle of Sand as Eitaro Imanishi (main role)
- 1995: Daichi no Ko as Kōji Matsumoto (main role)
- 2016: Cold Case
Selected Theater Roles
Tatsuya Nakadai has also performed in many plays, often taking on lead roles in famous works.
- 1964: Hamlet as Hamlet
- 1971: Othello as Othello
- 1974: Richard III as Richard
- 1982: Macbeth as Macbeth
- 2000: Death of a Salesman as William "Willy" Loman
- 2005: Driving Miss Daisy as Hoke
- 2014: Romeo and Juliet as Father Lawrence
Awards and Recognition
- Chevalier De L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France, 1992)
- Medal with Purple Ribbon (Japan, 1996)
- Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class (Japan, 2003)
- Person of Cultural Merit (Japan, 2007)
- Asahi Prize (2013)
- Kawakita Award (2013)
- Toshiro Mifune Award (2015)
- Order of Culture (Japan, 2015)
- Honorary citizen of Tokyo (2024)
