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James Shigeta

James Shigeta

Actor · Born 1929-06-17 · Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA

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Biography

James Saburo Shigeta (June 17, 1929 – July 28, 2014) was an American actor, singer, and musician of Japanese descent. He was noted for his roles in The Crimson Kimono (1959), Walk Like a Dragon (1960), Flower Drum Song (1961), Bridge to the Sun (1961), Die Hard (1988), and Mulan (1998). In 1960, he won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, along with three other actors. In his early career, Shigeta often played romantic male lead roles, which were almost nonexistent for an actor of Asian descent during his time, making him a trailblazer in Asian American representation in media. The Goldsea Asian-American Daily magazine listed him as one of the "Most Inspiring Asian-Americans Of All Time". Before his Hollywood career he found success as a pop singer and performer abroad, especially in Japan and Australia.

Movies & TV Shows

  1. Die Hard (1988) — Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi
  2. Mulan (1998) — General Li (voice)
  3. Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) — Old Wanderer (voice)
  4. Little House on the Prairie (1974) — Sam Wing
  5. Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) — Ben Sosna
  6. Babylon 5 (1994) — Taro Isogi
  7. Brother (2000) — Sugimoto
  8. Airwolf (1984) — Colonel Tranh Van Zung
  9. Murder, She Wrote (1984) — John Sukahara
  10. Magnum, P.I. (1980) — Richard Enoka
  11. Midway (1976) — Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
  12. Mission: Impossible (1966) — Shiki
  13. Kung Fu (1972) — Master Kwan Li
  14. The Yakuza (1974) — Goro
  15. The Love Boat (1977) — Bud's Father
  16. The Outer Limits (1963) — Maj. Jong
  17. Hawaii Five-O (1968) — Joseph Matsukino
  18. Drive (1997) — Mr. Lau
  19. seaQuest DSV (1993) — Vietnamese President Chi
  20. Renegade (1992)
  21. Perry Mason (1957) — Ward Toyama
  22. The Rockford Files (1974) — Clement Chin
  23. The Streets of San Francisco (1972)
  24. T. J. Hooker (1982) — Chow Duc Khan
  25. Simon & Simon (1981)
  26. Ironside (1967)
  27. S.W.A.T. (1975)
  28. The Crimson Kimono (1959) — Detective Joe Kojaku
  29. Jake and the Fatman (1987) — Mr. Koso Nakasone
  30. Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966) — Danny Kohana
  31. Emergency! (1972)
  32. The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996) — Inspector Mantjur (voice)
  33. Ellery Queen (1975) — Stephen Yang
  34. Lost Horizon (1973) — Brother To-Lenn
  35. Flower Drum Song (1961) — Wang Ta
  36. Cybill (1995) — Mr. Matsuzaki
  37. Police Woman (1974)
  38. The Hitchhiker (1983) — Nishi
  39. Carol for Another Christmas (1964) — Japanese Doctor
  40. The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977)