← Back
Tatsuya Nakadai

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Birthdate

1932-12-13

Day of Death

2025-11-08

Place of Birth

Meguro, Tokyo, Japan

Tatsuya Nakadai

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 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. Discovered on the streets of Tokyo by director Masaki Kobayashi, Nakadai rose to prominence starring in 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.

Filmography (188)

⭐ 0 Role: Narrator

The Limit

2025
⭐ 8.0 Role: Self

Life Work of Akira Kurosawa

2022
⭐ 7.4 Role: Makino Tadayuki

The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai

2022
⭐ 7.3 Role: Unknown

The Return

2019
⭐ 8.0 Role: Unknown

A Town and a Tall Chimney

2019
⭐ 6.7 Role: (narration)

Sleeping Village

2019
⭐ 0 Role: Narrator

Henkan kōshōjin: Itsuka, Okinawa o torimodosu

2018
⭐ 6.2 Role: Kuwahata Chokichi

Lear on the Shore

2017
⭐ 7.0 Role: Yohei Tachibana

Great evil does not go to sleep: The counterattack of the special investigation unit prosecutor

2016
⭐ 8.0 Role: Unknown

A Duel Tale

2015
⭐ 0 Role: Unknown

NORINTEN 稲塚権次郎物語

2015
⭐ 0 Role: Narrator

ふたりの死刑囚

2015
⭐ 0 Role: Kenichiro Miya

Before The Leaves Fall

2015
⭐ 0 Role: Unknown

Nakadai Tatsuya: to Live for Acting

2015
⭐ 6.7 Role: Self

Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya

2014