Toshiro Mifune | |
|---|---|
 Mifune in 1954 | |
| Born | April 1, 1920 Qingdao, Shandong, China |
| Died | December 24, 1997 (aged 77) Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan |
| Resting place | Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1947–1995 |
| Spouse |
Sachiko Yoshimine
(m. 1950; died 1995) |
| Partner | Mika Kitagawa |
| Children | 3 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Empire of Japan |
| Service | .svg){kind=small} Imperial Japanese Army Air Service |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank |  Sergeant |
| Unit | Aerial Photography |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Signature |  |
| Website | mifuneproductions |
Toshiro Mifune (三船 敏郎, Mifune Toshirō, April 1, 1920 – December 24, 1997) was a Japanese actor and producer. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades over a lengthy career,[1][2] he is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time.[3][4] A leading figure in the Japanese film industry, he often played hypermasculine characters and was noted for his commanding screen presence.[5]
Although he amassed more than 180 screen credits, Mifune is best known for his 16 collaborations with director Akira Kurosawa. These collaborations included Kurosawa's critically acclaimed jidaigeki films such as Rashomon (1950), for which Mifune won the San Marco Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival,[6] Seven Samurai (1954), Throne of Blood (1957), The Hidden Fortress (1958), and Yojimbo (1961), for which Mifune won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival and was recognised at the Blue Ribbon Awards as Best Actor.[7][8] He also portrayed Miyamoto Musashi in Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy (1954–1956), Lord Toranaga in the NBC television miniseries Shōgun, and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in three different films.[9]
In 1962, he established Mifune Productions, achieving success with large-scale works including The Sands of Kurobe (1968) and Samurai Banners (1969). He starred in his directorial debut film Goju Man-nin no Isan (1963). Following his performance in the 1965 film Red Beard, which won him the Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for a second time,[6] Mifune turned to roles abroad. He starred in films such as Ánimas Trujano (1962), for which he won another Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor, Grand Prix (1966), which was his Hollywood debut, Hell in the Pacific (1968), Red Sun (1971), Paper Tiger (1975), Midway (1976), and Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979).[8][10][6][5]
Mifune died of organ failure on December 24, 1997. In 1999, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.[11] He is the subject of the featured-length documentary, Mifune: The Last Samurai (2015), about his life and his films. In 2016, his name was inscribed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[6]
- ^ "Toshiro Mifune: The Honorary Samurai – Black Belt Magazine". Black Belt. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "The ultimate beginner's guide to Toshiro Mifune's best films". Far Out. April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "The ultimate beginner's guide to Toshiro Mifune's best films". Far Out. April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ Travis, Ben; Butcher, Sophie; De Semlyen, Nick; Dyer, James; Nugent, John; Godfrey, Alex; O'Hara, Helen (December 20, 2022). "Empire's 50 Greatest Actors Of All Time List, Revealed". Empire. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ a b https://www.cortis.com/toshiro-mifune-lived-with-style/
- ^ a b c d http://kumomi.org/2024/01/08/learning-by-drinking-mifune-toshiro/
- ^ https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/toshiro-mifune-6-best-films-guide/
- ^ a b https://moreliafilmfest.com/en/toshiro-mifune-japanese-actor-who-conquered-mexico
- ^ Hunter, stephen (December 27, 1997). "Toshiro Mifune: a World-Class Talent Appreciation: Japanese star, who had a great actor's gift, made an indelible mark on international cinema". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016.
- ^ https://cineccentric.com/2021/04/15/the-films-of-toshiro-mifune/
- ^ "Hall of Fame".