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Actor

Tatsuya Nakadai Movies, Cast & Biography

Tatsuya Nakadai (仲代 達矢, Nakadai Tatsuya; born Motohisa Nakadai; December 13, 1932 – November 8, 2025) was a Japanese actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Japanese cinema, he collaborated extensively with many of Japan's…

Born
13 December 1932
Died
8 November 2025
Birthplace
Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
Known for
Actor
Guides here
3 films

Biography

Who is Tatsuya Nakadai?

Tatsuya Nakadai (仲代 達矢, Nakadai Tatsuya; born Motohisa Nakadai; December 13, 1932 – November 8, 2025) was a Japanese actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Japanese cinema, he collaborated extensively with many of Japan's best-known and acclaimed directors. In his over seven decade career, he appeared in more than 160 films, and received numerous accolades. He was honored with a Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1996 and Japan's Order of Culture in 2015. Nakadai rose to prominence starring in Masaki Kobayashi's films, with his breakthrough being the protagonist of the epic anti-war trilogy The Human Condition (1959–1961). He won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor for his performance as the vengeful ronin in Harakiri (1962), a role he considered his finest. Nakadai collaborated on eleven films with Kobayashi—including Kwaidan (1964) and Samurai Rebellion (1967)—and five with Akira Kurosawa, most notably as the tragic warlord in Ran (1985), a performance that earned global acclaim. His other notable credits included Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo (1961), The Sword of Doom (1966), The Face of Another (1966), Goyokin (1969), Kagemusha (1980), and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013). A lifelong stage actor, he founded the Gendai Nohgaku-kai troupe in 1975 and continued performing on stage into his nineties. Description above from the Wikipedia article Tatsuya Nakadai, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Biography from TMDB, edited for length. Verified 6 November 2026.

In our library

Tatsuya Nakadai film guides

Full cast, ratings, runtime and official places to watch.

Filmography

Notable credits

  • Seven Samurai1954Samurai Wandering through Town…
  • The Tale of The Princess Kaguya2013Charcoal-maker Old Man (voice)
  • Ran1985Lord Hidetora Ichimonji
  • Yojimbo1961Unosuke, gunfighter
  • Harakiri1962Hanshiro Tsugumo
  • High and Low1963Chief Detective Tokura
  • Kagemusha1980Shingen Takeda / Kagemusha
  • Sanjuro1962Hanbei Muroto
  • Kwaidan1965Minokichi (segment "The Woman of the…
  • Belladonna of Sadness1973The Devil (voice)

Credit list from TMDB. Sorted by audience votes.

Questions

Frequently asked

Tatsuya was born in which country?

Meguro, Tokyo, Japan.

What is Tatsuya Nakadai best known for?

Best known as a actor, with 3 credited films in the MovieState library.

Which Tatsuya Nakadai films can I read about here?

Harakiri (1962), High and Low (1963), Seven Samurai (1954).