Japanese actor Ken Takakura, a veteran of more than 200 films who became famous by starring in popular yakuza gangster movies and then aged into an actor who personified the strength and dignity of his country, has died. According to the Associated Press, the 83-year-old suffered from lymphoma and died in Tokyo on Nov. 10. Because of that career arc—evolving from action outlaw to stoic authority figure—Takakura was often compared to Clint Eastwood. He stumbled into the movie industry, plucked from a random audition to star in his 1956 debut, Denko Karate Uchi (Lightning Karate Blow) and quickly became a yakuza-film star,...
- 11/18/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Word has just come over the news wires in Tokyo that legendary Japanese actor Takakura Ken has died. Probably most recognisable to Western audiences for his role as an Osaka cop assigned to babysit Michael Douglas in Ridley Scott's 1989 flick Black Rain, Takakura had a career spanning close to 50 years in Japan, creating numerous legendary screen characters and appearing nearly 150 films.Born Oda Goichi, Takakura became famous for his brooding, stoic portrayals of yakuza, samurai and detectives. Among his most famous films are Brutal Tales of Chivalry (Showa Zankyo-den, 1965), Abashiri Prison (Abashiri Bangaichi, 1965) and Too Late The Hero (1970). He worked with Yamada Yoji in 1977's brilliant road movie The Yellow Handkerchief, as well as in big budget action films such...
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- 11/18/2014
- Screen Anarchy
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