Haruo Nakajima

Haruo Nakajima
中島 春雄
Nakajima in 2013
Born(1929-01-01)January 1, 1929
Sakata, Yamagata, Empire of 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
Signature

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

  1. ^ Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G". ECW Press. pp. 178–180. ISBN 9781550223484.
  2. ^ Yuri Kageyama (August 8, 2017). "Original Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima dies". BBC News. Retrieved August 8, 2017.