Toshirō Mifune
Born: 1920-04-01 in Qingdao, China
Died: 1997-12-24
Known For: Acting
Biography
Toshirō Mifune (April 1, 1920 - December 24, 1997) was a Japanese actor who is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Japanese cinema. He was born in Qingdao, China, but was raised in Japan. Mifune's career spanned over 50 years, during which he collaborated extensively with renowned director Akira Kurosawa, creating some of the most iconic films in Japanese cinema. Mifune gained international recognition for his performances in Kurosawa's films, particularly in samurai films. He portrayed strong, dynamic, and often rebellious characters, bringing a raw intensity to his roles. Some of his notable collaborations with Kurosawa include "Rashomon" (1950), "Seven Samurai" (1954), "Yojimbo" (1961), and "The Hidden Fortress" (1958), which inspired George Lucas's "Star Wars." Apart from his work with Kurosawa, Mifune appeared in numerous other films, showcasing his versatility as an actor. He played roles in various genres, including dramas, comedies, and war films. Some of his other notable films include "The Throne of Blood" (1957), "High and Low" (1963), and "Red Beard" (1965). Mifune's charismatic presence, powerful performances, and ability to convey complex emotions made him an iconic figure in Japanese cinema. He received international recognition and awards for his contributions to the film industry, including several honors at the Venice Film Festival and a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Filmography
2016
- Mifune: The Last Samurai as Self - Actor / Various Roles (archive footage)
2012
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen as (archive footage)
1995
- Deep River as Tsukada
- Picture Bride as The Benshi
1992
- Shadow of the Wolf as Kroomak
1991
- Strawberry Road as Taoka
- Journey of Honor as Ieyasu Tokugawa
1990
- Heaven and Earth: Dawn Episode as Nagao Tamekage
1989
- Death of a Tea Master as Rikyu Sen-no
- cf Girl as Shūichirō Hase
- The Demon Comes in Spring as Kukkune no jî
1987
- Princess from the Moon as Taketori-no-Miyatsuko
- Tora-san Goes North as Junkichi Ueno
- The Retired Samurai as Hikozaemon Ōkubo
- The Shatterer as Murai
1986
- The Ballad of the Sea of Genkai as Kyūbei Matsufuji
1985
- No More God, No More Love as Kōzō Kanzaki
1984
- Burning Mountain River as Otsuichi Amo
- The Miracle of Joe, the Petrel as Fisherman
- Okita Soji: Swordsman of Fire as Shūsai Kondō
1983
- Theater Of Life as Hyōtarō Aonari
- Battle Anthem as Admiral Heihachiro Togo
- Secret of the Forbidden Valley
- The Women of Osaka Castle as Tokugawa Ieyasu
- Lowly Ronin 5: The Teenage Orphan Girl as Sûrônin Rakuyôjûrô
- The Brave Man Says Little
- Lowly Ronin 6: Betrayal at Yatate Pass as Sûrônin Hinoki Sajûrô
- Lowly Ronin 4: Living Hell as Sanjuro Hinoki
1982
- Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 2 as Tamon Umei
- The Challenge as Toru Yoshida
- Domineering as Masao Tadokoro
- The Lowly Ronin 3: Duel at Dawn
- Lowly Ronin 2: The Spray of Blood as Sanjuro Hinoki
1981
- Tuesday Suspense Theater
- The Bushido Blade as Shogun's Commander
- Sekigahara as Sakon Shima
- Inchon as Saito-San
- Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 1 as Tamon Umei
- Lowly Ronin as Sanjuro Hinoki
1980
- Shōgun as Lord Yoshi Toranaga
- Port Arthur as Emperor Meiji
1979
- 1941 as Cmdr. Akiro Mitamura
- The 47 Ronins of Ako as Tachibana Sakon
- The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi as Kindaichi of 11th Generation in "The Woman in the Eye"
- Winter Kills as Keith
- Onmitsu Doshin: The Edo Secret Police as Sadanobu Matsudaira
1978
- The Fall of Ako Castle as Tsuchiya Michinao
- Shogun's Samurai as Yoshinao Tokugawa
- Falcons of Edo as Kanbei Uchiyama
- Japanese Godfather: Conclusion as Kosuke Oishi
- Lord Mito as Sakuzaemon Okumura
- Love and Faith as Taiko Hideyoshi
- Shag as Captain Takeo Murata
1977
- Proof of the Man as Yohei Kori
- Japanese Godfather: Ambition as Kosuke Oishi
1976
- Midway as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
- Ronin in a Lawless Town as Mr. Danna
1975
- Paper Tiger as Ambassador Kagoyama
1972
- Ronin of the Wastelands as Kujuro Toge
1971
- Red Sun as Kuroda Jubei
- V.I.P. Schaukel as Self
- Epic Chushingura as Oishi Kuranosuke
- Morning for Two ... (Producer)
1970
- Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo as Yojimbo/Sasa
- The Ambitious as Shojiro Goto
- Incident at Blood Pass as Yojimbo
- The Militarists as Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto
- The Walking Major as Kinugasa Tadao
1969
- Samurai Banners as Kansuke Yamamoto
- Battle of the Japan Sea as Admiral Heihachiro Togo
- Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor as Isami Kondo
- Red Lion as Gonzo
- Safari 5000 as Yūichirō Takase
1968
- Admiral Yamamoto as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
- The Sands of Kurobe as Kitagawa
- Hell in the Pacific as Captain Tsuruhiko Kuroda
- The Day the Sun Rose as Kumaza
1967
- Samurai Rebellion as Isaburo Sasahara
- Japan's Longest Day as War Minister General Korechika Anami
1966
- The Sword of Doom as Toranosuke Shimada
- Grand Prix as Izō Yamura
- Adventure in Kigan Castle as Osami
- The Mad Atlantic as Heihachirô Murakami
- Rise Against the Sword as Abare Gōemon
- Grand Prix: Challenge of the Champions as Self
1965
- Red Beard as Dr. Kyojio Niide ("Red Beard")
- Samurai Assassin as Tsuruchiyo Niiro
- The Retreat from Kiska as Omura
- Sanshiro Sugata as Shogoro Yano
- Fort Graveyard as Sergeant Kosugi
1964
- Whirlwind as Lord Akashi
1963
- High and Low as Kingo Gondo
- Samurai Pirate as Sukezaemon Naya, aka 'Luzon' [Sinbad, in US version]
- Attack Squadron as Lt. Colonel Senda
- Legacy of the 500,000 as Takeichi Matsuo
1962
- Sanjuro as Sanjûrô Tsubaki / The ronin
- Chûshingura as Genba Tawaraboshi
- Three Gentlemen Return from Hong Kong as Zhang Zhizhang
- Tatsu as Tatsu
1961
- Yojimbo as Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai
- Daredevil in the Castle as Mohei
- The Masterless 47 – Part II
- The Youth and His Amulet as Fudo-Myo (Immovable Bright King)
- The Important Man as Ánimas Trujano
1960
- The Bad Sleep Well as Kôichi Nishi
- The Storm of the Pacific as Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi
- The Last Gunfight as Detective Saburo Fujioka
- The Masterless 47 as Kazuo Momoi
- Man Against Man as Kaji
- The Gambling Samurai as Kunisada Chuji
1959
- The Three Treasures as Prince Yamato Takeru
- Desperado Outpost as Battalion Commander
- The Big Boss as Kashimura
- Samurai Saga as Heihachiro Komaki
- Saga of the Vagabonds as Rokuro Kai
1958
- The Hidden Fortress as General Rokurota Makabe
- The Rickshaw Man as Matsugorō Tomishima
- Holiday in Tokyo as Tenkai's nephew Jirō
- Yaji and Kita on the Road as Toshinoshin Taya
- All About Marriage as Acting teacher
- Theater of Life
- Yagyu Secret Scrolls: Ninjitsu - Part II as Tasaburo
1957
- Throne of Blood as Taketoki Washizu
- The Lower Depths as Sutekichi the Thief
- Yagyu Secret Scrolls as Tasaburō Kasumi
- A Man in the Storm as Saburō Watari
- Down Town as Yoshio Tsuruishi
- Good Luck to These Two as Toshio Maruyama
- A Dangerous Hero as Kawada
1956
- Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo
- A Wife's Heart as Kenkichi
- Rainy Night Duel as Masahiko Koseki
- Rebels on the High Sea as Matsuo Tokuzō
- Settlement of Love as Shuntarō Ōhira
- The Underworld as Chief Inspector Kumada
- Scoundrel as Kanji
1955
- Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo
- I Live in Fear as Kiichi Nakajima
- All is Well as Daikichi Risshun
- No Time for Tears as Mitsuo Yano
- A Man Among Men as "Buick" Maki
- All is Well 2 as Daikichi Risshun
1954
- Seven Samurai as Kikuchiyo
- Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo
- The Surf as Skipper of the Utashima-maru
- The Black Fury as Eiichi Tsuda
1953
- The Eagle of the Pacific as 1st Lieutenant Tomonaga
- Sunflower Girl as Ippei Hitachi
- My Wonderful Yellow Car as Matsumura
- The Last Embrace as Shinkichi / Hayakawa
1952
- Kin no tamago: Golden Girl
- Vendetta of a Samurai as Mataemon Araki
- The Life of Oharu as Katsunosuke
- Tokyo Sweetheart as Kurokawa
- Sword for Hire as Sasa Hayatenosuke
- Swift Current as Shunsuke Kosugi
- Foghorn as Chiyokichi
- The Man Who Came to Port as Gorō Niinuma
1951
- The Idiot as Denkichi Akama
- Beyond Love and Hate as Gorō Sakata
- Elegy as Prosecutor Daisuke Toki
- The Life of a Horse Trader as Yonetaro Katayama
- Meeting of the Ghost of Apres-Guerre as Kenji Kawakami
- Pirates as Tora
- Sasaki Kojiro as Miyamoto Musashi
- Who Knows a Woman's Heart as Mizuno
1950
- Rashomon as Tajômaru
- Scandal as Ichirô Aoye
- Wedding Ring as Takeshi Ema
- Conduct Report on Professor Ishinaka as Teisaku Nagasawa
- Escape from Prison as Shinkichi
1949
- Stray Dog as Det. Murakami
- The Quiet Duel as Dr. Kyoji Fujisaki
- Jakoman and Tetsu as Tetsu
1948
- Drunken Angel as Matsunaga
1947
- Snow Trail as Eijima
- These Foolish Times as Genzaburo Onō, Gang Boss