Person Details

Birthday: 1929-06-17 23:53:22

Death: 2014-07-28 23:53:22

Aliases: James Saburo Shigeta

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 33

TV Involvements: 19


Most Famous Work

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.

Most Famous Work

Perry Mason
Average
8

Perry Mason

(1957) Ward Toyama
Mulan
Average
8

Mulan

(1998) General Li (voice)
Die Hard
Average
8

Die Hard

(1988) Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi
Hawaii Five-O
Average
7

Hawaii Five-O

(1968) Joseph Matsukino
Murder, She Wrote
Average
8

Murder, She Wrote

(1984) John Sukahara
seaQuest DSV
Average
7

seaQuest DSV

(1993) Vietnamese President Chi
Babylon 5
Average
8

Babylon 5

(1994) Taro Isogi
Midway
Average
7

Midway

(1976) Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2022 Admiral Heilachiro Nogura
2019 (archive)
2009 Charles Yang
2007 Self
2006 Himself
2005 N/A
2003 N/A
2000 Sugimoto
1999 Narrator
1998 General Li (voice)
1997 Mr. Lau
1996 Inspector Mantjur (voice)
Dr. Yamashiro (voice)
Ambassador Nakamura
1994 Tin Lum Yin
Det. Whoo
Taro Isogi
1993 Vietnamese President Chi
1992 N/A
1990 Dr. Sung
N/A
Narrator
1989 Tin Lum Yin
1988 N/A
Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi
1987 Mr. Koso Nakasone
1984 John Sukahara
N/A
1983 Makko
Nishi
1982 N/A
Jimmy Lee
Donald Shibura
Chow Duc Khan
1981 N/A
1980 N/A
Field Marshal Abehata
1979 Takeo Chisato
1977 N/A
1976 Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
David Lao
1975 Stephen Yang
Tom McCauley
N/A
1974 Goro
Clement Chin
N/A
N/A
Dr. Chen
1973 Brother To-Lenn
1972 N/A
N/A
N/A
1969 Lee Ahn
Chief Resident
1968 Lt. Takahashi
Joseph Matsukino
Captain Murakami
Diver Toshi O'Hara
1967 George Ti Ming
N/A
Lester Koto
1966 N/A
Danny Kohana
1964 Japanese Doctor
N/A
1963 Sidney Ying
Maj. Jong
AIO Captain Newa
N/A
1961 Wang Ta
Hidenari Terasaki
N/A
Dr. Roy Shigera
N/A
Harue
1960 Cheng Lu
1959 Detective Joe Kojaku
1958 James Kam
1957 Ward Toyama
1956 Self
Year Character Movie/Tv

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