James Shigeta
About
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Birth Place
Hawaii, USA
Born
June 17, 1933
Died
July 28, 2014
Biography
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After serving in the Korean War, Hawaiin-born James Shigeta built a successful career as a nightclub singer and supper club performer under the European-sounding name of 'Guy Brion' before being invited to record albums in Japan. After spending years learning the language and performing in movies, radio shows, and stage productions, Shigeta returned to the United States in 1959 for an a...
Biography
After serving in the Korean War, Hawaiin-born James Shigeta built a successful career as a nightclub singer and supper club performer under the European-sounding name of 'Guy Brion' before being invited to record albums in Japan. After spending years learning the language and performing in movies, radio shows, and stage productions, Shigeta returned to the United States in 1959 for an appearance on "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show." His suave, classy demeanor and smooth voice made him an instant star, and he soon landed roles in films like the interracial romantic drama "The Crimson Kimono," notable for its then-radical use of an Asian actor to play a detective. After portraying a nationalistic young Chinese man in the 1960 western "Walk Like a Dragon," Shigeta landed a lead role in the World War II drama "Bridge to the Sun." His portrayal of a Japanese diplomat victimized over his marriage to an American woman won critical praise, leading to his biggest role yet, the lovelorn Wang Ta in the feature film adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Flower Drum Song." Shigeta appeared in numerous TV series throughout the '60s and '70s, landing a recurring role as Dr. Osaka on the award-winning medical series "Medical Center." Later in his career, he portrayed doomed businessman Joseph Takagi in the surprise hit "Die Hard" and lent his voice to the 1998 Disney film "Mulan."
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
The People I've Slept With
(2010)
Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Film
(2008)
Brother
(2000)
Sugimoto
MULAN
(1998)
Voice
Drive
(1997)
Space Marines
(1996)
Blood for Blood
(1995)
Cage II: Arena of Death
(1995)
Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die
(1994)
China Cry
(1990)
Cage
(1989)
Die Hard
(1988)
Tomorrow's Child
(1982)
Donald Shibura
Enola Gay
(1980)
Samurai
(1979)
The Killer Who Wouldn't Die
(1976)
Midway
(1976)
Matt Helm
(1975)
The Yakuza
(1974)
The Questor Tapes
(1974)
Dr Chen
Lost Horizon
(1972)
Operation Heartbeat
(1969)
Nobody's Perfect
(1968)
Toshi O'Hara
Paradise--Hawaiian Style
(1966)
Danny Kohana
A Carol for Another Christmas
(1964)
Flower Drum Song
(1961)
Wang Ta
Bridge to the Sun
(1961)
Hidenari Terasaki [Terry]
Cry for Happy
(1961)
Suzuki
Walk Like a Dragon
(1960)
Cheng Lu
The Crimson Kimono
(1959)
Detective Joe Kojaku
Cast (Special)
The Family Martinez
(1986)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Moneychangers
(1976)
Life Events
Photo Collections
1 Photo
Flower Drum Song - Movie Poster
Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Flower Drum Song (1961), starring Nancy Kwan. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.
1 Photo
The Crimson Kimono - Lobby Card
Here is a Lobby Card from Columbia Pictures' The Crimson Kimono (1959), directed by Sam Fuller. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.
1 Photo
The Crimson Kimono - Movie Poster
Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Columbia's The Crimson Kimono (1959), directed by Samuel Fuller. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.
Videos
Movie Clip
