James Shigeta

James Shigeta

Date of Birth:

Jun 17, 1929

Place of Birth:

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA

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.

filmography:

Operation Heartbeat Operation Heartbeat

1969

Manila, Open City Manila, Open City

1968

Midnight Man Midnight Man

1995

Walk Like a Dragon Walk Like a Dragon

1960

The Slanted Screen The Slanted Screen

2006

Qigong: Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century Qigong: Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century

1999

Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die

1994

China Cry China Cry

1990

Midway Midway

1976

Hollywood Chinese Hollywood Chinese

2007

The Young Lawyers The Young Lawyers

1969

Cage Cage

1989

The Killer Who Wouldn't Die The Killer Who Wouldn't Die

1976

Yorktown: A Time to Heal Yorktown: A Time to Heal

2022

The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk

1967

Samurai Samurai

1979

Space Marines Space Marines

1996

Slaying the Dragon Slaying the Dragon

1988

Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb

1980

Cage II: The Arena of Death Cage II: The Arena of Death

1994

The Renegades The Renegades

1982

Nobody's Perfect Nobody's Perfect

1968

The Yakuza The Yakuza

1974

The People I've Slept With The People I've Slept With

2009

The Questor Tapes The Questor Tapes

1974

Escape to Mindanao Escape to Mindanao

1968

The Crimson Kimono The Crimson Kimono

1959

Drive Drive

1997

Die Hard Die Hard

1988

Mulan Mulan

1998

Flower Drum Song Flower Drum Song

1961

Paradise, Hawaiian Style Paradise, Hawaiian Style

1966

Home from the Eastern Sea Home from the Eastern Sea

1990

Cry for Happy Cry for Happy

1961

Bridge to the Sun Bridge to the Sun

1961

Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood

2019

Death Walks in Laredo Death Walks in Laredo

1967

Lost Horizon Lost Horizon

1973

Matt Helm Matt Helm

1975

Tomorrow's Child Tomorrow's Child

1982

Carol for Another Christmas Carol for Another Christmas

1964

Brother Brother

2000

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