Kunie Tanaka
Kunie Tanaka | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | March 24, 2021 | (aged 88)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1955–2021 |
Kunie Tanaka (Japanese: 田中 邦衛, Hepburn: Tanaka Kunie, November 23, 1932 – March 24, 2021[1]) was a Japanese actor. Tanaka first made a name for himself as the lecherous antagonist of the Wakadaishō series (1961–1981) of films.[2] He is also well-known for his roles in Kinji Fukasaku's yakuza films, namely the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series (1973–1974), and for starring in the Kita no Kuni Kara (1981–2002) television series.[2][3]
Tanaka was nominated for five
Life and career
Tanaka was born on November 23, 1932, in Toki District, Gifu to a family of Mino ware potters.[2] After graduating from Reitaku Junior College, he became a substitute teacher in Gifu.[2] However, he gave up the job to become an actor for the Haiyuza Theatre Company.[3]
In 1957, Tanaka had his first film role in Tadashi Imai's Jun'ai Monogatari.[3] His first notable role was as a thug in Akira Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well (1960), and he would later work with the director again on Sanjuro (1962) and Dodes'ka-den (1970). He established himself as an actor with the role of lecherous antagonist Shinjiro Ishiyama, nicknamed "Aodaishō", in 1961's Daigaku no Wakadaishō. It spawned the 17-film Wakadaishō series (1961–1981), and he reprised the role for each installment.[2] Tanaka also appeared in Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan (1964), and portrayed Daisuke Jigen in Lupin III: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy (1974). He is also known for playing Masakichi Makihara in Kinji Fukasaku's Battles Without Honor and Humanity series (1973–1974) of yakuza films.[2]
Tanaka is well-known for starring as Goro Kuroita in the Kita no Kuni Kara television series, which had various installments between 1981 and 2002.[3] His last film role was in 2010's Saigo no Chushingura.[3]
The character Kizaru, from Eiichiro Oda's manga series One Piece, is modeled after Tanaka.
Selected filmography
- Jun'ai Monogatari (1957)
- The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
- Daigaku no Wakadaishō (1961) as Shinjiro Ishiyama
- Sanjuro (1962)
- Pitfall (1962)[5]
- Brave Records of the Sanada Clan (1963) as Sakazaki Naomori
- Kwaidan (1964)
- Ninpō-chūshingura (1965) as Fuwa Kazuemon
- Abashiri Prison (1965)
- Ereki no Wakadaishō (1965) as Shinjiro Ishiyama
- The Sword of Doom (1966) as Senkichi[6]
- The Human Bullet (1968)
- Fuji Sanchō (1970)
- Dodes'ka-den (1970) as Hatsutaro
- Summer Soldiers (1972)
- Outlaw Killers: Three Mad Dog Brothers (1972)
- Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973) as Masakichi Makihara
- Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War (1973) as Masakichi Makihara
- Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Police Tactics (1974) as Masakichi Makihara
- Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Final Episode (1974) as Masakichi Makihara
- Evil of Dracula (1974)
- Lupin III: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy (1974) as Daisuke Jigen
- New Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1974) as Gen Sakagami
- Graveyard of Honor (1975) as Katsuji Ozaki
- Cops vs. Thugs (1975) as Kinpachi Komiya
- Kimi yo Funnu no Kawa wo Watare (1976)
- Dynamite Dondon (1978)
- Pink Lady no Katsudō Daishashin (1978)
- Nihon no Fixer (1979)
- Nichiren (1979)
- Izakaya Choji(1983)
- Okinawan Boys (1983)
- Soushun Monogatari (1985)
- Uhohho Tankentai(1986)
- Yojo no Jidai (1988)
- Tasmania Story (1990)
- Luminous Moss (1992)
- Gakko(1993)
- Kozure Ōkami: Sono Chiisaki Te ni(1993)
- Tora-san to the Rescue (1995)
- Minna no Ie (2001)
- Saigo no Chushingura (2010)
Honors
- Mainichi Film Award for Best Actor (1967)[3]
- Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor (1983)
- Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor (1986)
- Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (1993)
- Medal with Purple Ribbon (1999)
- Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2006)
References
- ^ "俳優の田中邦衛さん死去 88歳「北の国から」などで存在感". NHK (in Japanese). 2021-04-02. Archived from the original on 2021-04-02.
- ^ a b c d e f "田中邦衛さん【略歴】昭和56年「北の国から」で黒板五郎役で"伝説"に". Daily Sports (in Japanese). 2021-04-02. Archived from the original on 2021-04-02. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g "田中邦衛追悼:助演から主演まで、どんな作品でもオーラ全開の存在感". Cinemas+ (in Japanese). 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
- ^ 第 17 回日本アカデミー賞優秀作品 (in Japanese). Japan Academy Prize. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
- ^ "おとし穴(1962)". Japanese Cinema Database. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-4616-7374-3.
External links
- Kunie Tanaka at IMDb