Being a newcomer, I formally introduced myself on the set: 'My name is Akira Takarada. I'll be playing the lead. Pleased to meet you all,' in a very loud voice. The head lighting technician at the studio said, 'Idiot! You're not the lead. The lead actor is Godzilla.' I said, 'Yes, of course.' He'd put me in my place.
Akira Takarada(宝田 明, Takarada Akira) was a Japanese actor best-known among kaiju fans for playing Hideto Ogata in the original Godzilla and assorted roles in many subsequent entries in the franchise and other science-fiction films produced by Toho. He was one of three actors to appear in Godzilla films from the Showa, Heisei, and Millennium series, along with Kenji Sahara and Hiroshi Koizumi. He was also the first actor from the Toho Godzilla series to be cast in an American Godzilla film, portraying a Japanese immigration official in one of the first scenes shot for Legendary Pictures' Godzilla, although his scene was ultimately cut from the film. In the later years of his life, he became a frequent guest at American science-fiction conventions, and filmed a cameo for the 2014 fan film Godzilla Battle Royale during one such appearance.[2]
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Akira Takarada and Momoko Kochi pose with the original Godzilla suit
Takarada as Hideto Ogata in Godzilla (1954)
Takarada as Takeshi Ijima in Half Human
Takarada with Lucilla You Min on the special effects set of King Kong vs. Godzilla
Takarada as Ichiro Sakai in Mothra vs. Godzilla
Takarada as Kazuo Fuji in Invasion of Astro-Monster
Takarada as Yoshimura in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Takarada as Jiro Nomura in King Kong Escapes
Takarada as Joji Minamino in Godzilla vs. Mothra
Takarada and Sayaka Osawa in the Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Document Special
Akira Takarada with Jean Reno
Akira Takarada greeting the FinalGoji suit
Akira Takarada and Gareth Edwards on the set of Godzilla (2014)
A screenshot of Takarada as a Japanese immigrant agent in a Godzilla (2014) deleted scene
A still of Takarada in the Godzilla (2014) deleted scene
Akira Takarada with Linda Miller and Haruo Nakajima
Akira Takarada and Robert Scott Field
