Haruo Nakajima

Haruo Nakajima
Native name 中島 春雄
Born (1929-01-01) January 1, 1929
Yamagata, Japan
Occupation Actor
Years active 1949–1973
Known for Godzilla

Haruo Nakajima (中島 春雄 Nakajima Haruo) (born January 1, 1929) is a Japanese actor, best known for portraying Godzilla from the 1950s through the early 1970s. Haruo Nakajima was Godzilla for 12 movies in straight.

Nakajima was born in Yamagata, Japan. He is considered by many to be the best suit actor in the long history of the franchise.[1] At the time, Toho's visual effects director, Eiji Tsuburaya considered Nakajima completely invaluable,[1] and was employed to essay the roles of most of the kaiju (Japanese monsters) during his career as a suit actor. After 24 years, Nakajima retired from suit acting upon completion of Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), when the studio cycled him out of their contract actor system, after Toho had been split into several subsidiaries in 1970. Nakajima was still employed by Toho for several years, and was transferred to a job at Toho's bowling alley, located on the studio lot (now defunct).

Starting in the late 1990s, Nakajima made a series of personal appearances in Chicago, New York City, New Jersey, and Hollywood (in 2000) at various Japanese monster-themed conventions. He appeared at the Monsterpalooza convention in Burbank, California on April 8–10, 2011. His Japanese-language autobiography, 『怪獣人生 元祖ゴジラ俳優・中島春雄』 (Monster Life: Haruo Nakajima, the Original Godzilla Actor), published by Yosensha, was released on July 17, 2010.

Selected filmography

Nakajima (second from left) on the set of Godzilla Raids Again (1955).

Films

TV

References

  1. 1 2 Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G". ECW Press. pp. 179–180. ISBN 9781550223484.
  2. ↑ Stuart Galbraith IV (May 16, 2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-4616-7374-3.

External links

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