Takashi Shimura

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Takashi Shimura
Takashi Shimura as Watanabe in Ikiru (1952).
Born	志村喬 (Shimura Takashi} March 12, 1905(1905-03-12) Asago, Hyōgo, Japan
Died	February 11, 1982 (aged 76) Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Actor

Takashi Shimura (志村喬, Shimura Takashi^?, March 12, 1905–February 11, 1982) was one of Japan's greatest actors of the 20th century.

Born in Ikuno, Japan, one of his earliest film roles was in Kenji Mizoguchi's Osaka Elegy (1936).

After Toshiro Mifune, Shimura was probably the next most closely associated actor with Akira Kurosawa. Shimura appeared in many of Kurosawa's most important movies (as well as many lesser known ones), in such roles as the lead samurai in Seven Samurai, the woodcutter in Rashomon, the main character in Ikiru, a veteran detective in Stray Dog, and the doctor in Drunken Angel, just to name a few.

In fact, Kurosawa's cinematic collaboration with Shimura, from 1943 to 1980, started earlier and lasted longer than his work (1948-65) with Mifune. Shimura appeared in the director's debut film, Sanshiro Sugata (1943), and the last movie of Kurosawa's in which he acted was Kagemusha (1980), where Kurosawa specifically wrote a part just for Shimura, where he plays a doctor consulting with Shingen's advisers. However, the scene was cut from the western release, and so many do not know that he was even in the film. The release of the movie as part of The Criterion Collection rescued the lost footage and has included it within their US release of the film.

Outside of his career working with Kurosawa, Shimura is probably best known for his roles in several Japanese monster movies, including the scientist Kyohei Yamane in the first two Godzilla films.

Shimura died on February 11, 1982 from emphysema at the age of 76.