Quick Facts
Born:
1929-06-17
Birthplace:
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA
Credits:
96 Total Roles
James Shigeta
Acting
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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.
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.
Known For
Die Hard
Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi
Mulan
General Li (voice)
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Old Wanderer (voice)
Little House on the Prairie
Sam Wing
Beverly Hills, 90210
Ben Sosna
Babylon 5
Taro Isogi
Brother
Sugimoto
Airwolf
Colonel Tranh Van Zung
Full Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Beam Me Up, Sulu MOVIE | Self |
| 2022 | Yorktown: A Time to Heal MOVIE | Admiral Heilachiro Nogura |
| 2019 | Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood MOVIE | (archive footage) |
| 2009 | The People I've Slept With MOVIE | Charles Yang |
| 2007 | Hollywood Chinese MOVIE | Self |
| 2006 | The Slanted Screen MOVIE | Himself |
| 2005 | Avatar: The Last Airbender TV | Old Wanderer (voice) |
| 2003 | Threat Matrix TV | Kang Sok-Joo |
| 2000 | Brother MOVIE | Sugimoto |
| 1999 | Qigong: Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century MOVIE | Narrator |