Toshirō Mifune
Biography
Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor born on April 1, 1920, in Qingdao, China. He was raised in Japan and had a career spanning over 50 years. Mifune collaborated extensively with renowned director Akira Kurosawa, creating some of the most iconic films in Japanese cinema. He gained international recognition for his performances in Kurosawa's films, particularly in samurai films. Mifune portrayed strong, dynamic, and often rebellious characters, bringing a raw intensity to his roles. He is known for his notable collaborations with Kurosawa, including films such as "Rashomon" and "Seven Samurai". Mifune passed away on December 24, 1997, at the age of 77.
Career overview
Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor who had a career spanning over 50 years. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Japanese cinema. Born in Qingdao, China, Mifune was raised in Japan. He is known for his collaborations with renowned director Akira Kurosawa.
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 films such as "Rashomon" and "Seven Samurai". Mifune's career was marked by his extensive work with Kurosawa, creating some of the most iconic films in Japanese cinema.
Throughout his career, Mifune appeared in numerous films, with a total of 179 known credits. His performances in Kurosawa's films have had a lasting impact on Japanese cinema and continue to be celebrated by audiences and critics alike. Mifune passed away on December 24, 1997, at the age of 77.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Mifune: The Last Samurai (2016) as Self - Actor / Various Roles (archive footage)
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012) as (archive footage)
- Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'The Hidden Fortress' (2002) as Self
- Deep River (1995) as Tsukada
- Picture Bride (1995) as The Benshi
- Shadow of the Wolf (1992) as Kroomak
- Journey of Honor (1991) as Ieyasu Tokugawa
- Strawberry Road (1991) as Taoka
- Heaven and Earth: Dawn Episode (1990) as Nagao Tamekage
- The Demon Comes in Spring (1989) as Kukkune no jî
- Death of a Tea Master (1989) as Rikyu Sen-no
- cf Girl (1989) as Shūichirō Hase
- Princess from the Moon (1987) as Taketori-no-Miyatsuko
- Tora-san Goes North (1987) as Junkichi Ueno
- The Retired Samurai (1987) as Hikozaemon Ōkubo
- The Shatterer (1987) as Murai
- The Ballad of the Sea of Genkai (1986) as Kyūbei Matsufuji
- No More God, No More Love (1985) as Kōzō Kanzaki
- Burning Mountain River (1984) as Otsuichi Amo
- Okita Soji: Swordsman of Fire (1984) as Shūsai Kondō
- The Miracle of Joe, the Petrel (1984) as Fisherman
- Lowly Ronin 5: The Teenage Orphan Girl (1983) as Sûrônin Rakuyôjûrô
- Theater Of Life (1983) as Hyōtarō Aonari
- Battle Anthem (1983) as Admiral Heihachiro Togo
- The Brave Man Says Little (1983)
- The Women of Osaka Castle (1983) as Tokugawa Ieyasu
- Lowly Ronin 4: Living Hell (1983) as Sanjuro Hinoki
- Secret of the Forbidden Valley (1983)
- Lowly Ronin 6: Betrayal at Yatate Pass (1983) as Sûrônin Hinoki Sajûrô
- Lowly Ronin 2: The Spray of Blood (1982) as Sanjuro Hinoki
- Domineering (1982) as Masao Tadokoro
- The Challenge (1982) as Toru Yoshida
- Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 2 (1982) as Tamon Umei
- The Lowly Ronin 3: Duel at Dawn (1982)
- The Bushido Blade (1981) as Shogun's Commander
- Tuesday Suspense Theater (1981)
- Inchon (1981) as Saito-San
- Lowly Ronin (1981) as Sanjuro Hinoki
- Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 1 (1981) as Tamon Umei
- Sekigahara (1981) as Sakon Shima
- Shōgun (1980) as Lord Yoshi Toranaga
- Shogun (1980) as Lord Yoshi Toranaga
- Port Arthur (1980) as Emperor Meiji
- The 47 Ronins of Ako (1979) as Tachibana Sakon
- 1941 (1979) as Cmdr. Akiro Mitamura
- Winter Kills (1979) as Keith
- The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi (1979) as Kindaichi of 11th Generation in "The Woman in the Eye"
- Onmitsu Doshin: The Edo Secret Police (1979) as Sadanobu Matsudaira
- Onmitsu Doshin: The Edo Secret Police (1979) Associate Producer
- Falcons of Edo (1978) as Kanbei Uchiyama
- The Fall of Ako Castle (1978) as Tsuchiya Michinao
- Shogun's Samurai (1978) as Yoshinao Tokugawa
- Love and Faith (1978) as Taiko Hideyoshi
- Shag (1978) as Captain Takeo Murata
- Shag (1978) Executive Producer
- Japanese Godfather: Conclusion (1978) as Kosuke Oishi
- Lord Mito (1978) as Sakuzaemon Okumura
- Proof of the Man (1977) as Yohei Kori
- Japanese Godfather: Ambition (1977) as Kosuke Oishi
- Midway (1976) as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
- Ronin in a Lawless Town (1976) as Mr. Danna
- Paper Tiger (1975) as Ambassador Kagoyama
- Ronin of the Wastelands (1972) as Kujuro Toge
- Ronin of the Wastelands (1972) Associate Producer
- Epic Chushingura (1971) as Oishi Kuranosuke
- V.I.P. Schaukel (1971) as Self
- Red Sun (1971) as Kuroda Jubei
- Morning for Two (1971) Producer
- The Ambitious (1970) as Shojiro Goto
- Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970) as Yojimbo/Sasa
- The Militarists (1970) as Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto
- The Walking Major (1970) as Kinugasa Tadao
- Incident at Blood Pass (1970) as Yojimbo
- Incident at Blood Pass (1970) Producer
- Red Lion (1969) as Gonzo
- Red Lion (1969) Producer
- Battle of the Japan Sea (1969) as Admiral Heihachiro Togo
- Samurai Banners (1969) as Kansuke Yamamoto
- Samurai Banners (1969) Producer
- Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor (1969) as Isami Kondo
- Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor (1969) Producer
- Safari 5000 (1969) as Yūichirō Takase
- Admiral Yamamoto (1968) as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
- The Day the Sun Rose (1968) as Kumaza
- Hell in the Pacific (1968) as Captain Tsuruhiko Kuroda
- The Sands of Kurobe (1968) as Kitagawa
- Samurai Rebellion (1967) as Isaburo Sasahara
- Samurai Rebellion (1967) Producer
- Japan's Longest Day (1967) as War Minister General Korechika Anami
- The Sword of Doom (1966) as Toranosuke Shimada
- Grand Prix (1966) as Izō Yamura
- Adventure in Kigan Castle (1966) as Osami
- Adventure in Kigan Castle (1966) Associate Producer
- Rise Against the Sword (1966) as Abare Gōemon
- Grand Prix: Challenge of the Champions (1966) as Self
- The Mad Atlantic (1966) as Heihachirô Murakami
- The Mad Atlantic (1966) Executive Producer
- Red Beard (1965) as Dr. Kyojio Niide ("Red Beard")
- Samurai Assassin (1965) as Tsuruchiyo Niiro
- The Retreat from Kiska (1965) as Omura
- Fort Graveyard (1965) as Sergeant Kosugi
- Fort Graveyard (1965) Associate Producer
- Sanshiro Sugata (1965) as Shogoro Yano
- Whirlwind (1964) as Lord Akashi
- High and Low (1963) as Kingo Gondo
- Attack Squadron (1963) as Lt. Colonel Senda
- Legacy of the 500,000 (1963) as Takeichi Matsuo
- Legacy of the 500,000 (1963) Director
- Legacy of the 500,000 (1963) Associate Producer
- Samurai Pirate (1963) as Sukezaemon Naya, aka 'Luzon' [Sinbad, in US version]
- Sanjuro (1962) as Sanjûrô Tsubaki / The ronin
- Chûshingura (1962) as Genba Tawaraboshi
- Tatsu (1962) as Tatsu
- Three Gentlemen Return from Hong Kong (1962) as Zhang Zhizhang
- Yojimbo (1961) as Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai
- The Important Man (1961) as Ánimas Trujano
- Daredevil in the Castle (1961) as Mohei
- The Masterless 47 – Part II (1961)
- The Youth and His Amulet (1961) as Fudo-Myo (Immovable Bright King)
- The Bad Sleep Well (1960) as Kôichi Nishi
- The Gambling Samurai (1960) as Kunisada Chuji
- The Last Gunfight (1960) as Detective Saburo Fujioka
- The Masterless 47 (1960) as Kazuo Momoi
- The Storm of the Pacific (1960) as Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi
- Man Against Man (1960) as Kaji
- Saga of the Vagabonds (1959) as Rokuro Kai
- Samurai Saga (1959) as Heihachiro Komaki
- The Three Treasures (1959) as Prince Yamato Takeru
- Desperado Outpost (1959) as Battalion Commander
- The Big Boss (1959) as Kashimura
- The Hidden Fortress (1958) as General Rokurota Makabe
- Yagyu Secret Scrolls: Ninjitsu - Part II (1958) as Tasaburo
- The Rickshaw Man (1958) as Matsugorō Tomishima
- Theater of Life (1958)
- All About Marriage (1958) as Acting teacher
- Holiday in Tokyo (1958) as Tenkai's nephew Jirō
- Yaji and Kita on the Road (1958) as Toshinoshin Taya
- Throne of Blood (1957) as Taketoki Washizu
- Yagyu Secret Scrolls (1957) as Tasaburō Kasumi
- The Lower Depths (1957) as Sutekichi the Thief
- A Dangerous Hero (1957) as Kawada
- A Man in the Storm (1957) as Saburō Watari
- Down Town (1957) as Yoshio Tsuruishi
- Good Luck to These Two (1957) as Toshio Maruyama
- Scoundrel (1956) as Kanji
- Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956) as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo
- The Underworld (1956) as Chief Inspector Kumada
- A Wife's Heart (1956) as Kenkichi
- Settlement of Love (1956) as Shuntarō Ōhira
- Rainy Night Duel (1956) as Masahiko Koseki
- Rebels on the High Sea (1956) as Matsuo Tokuzō
- I Live in Fear (1955) as Kiichi Nakajima
- Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955) as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo
- All is Well 2 (1955) as Daikichi Risshun
- No Time for Tears (1955) as Mitsuo Yano
- All is Well (1955) as Daikichi Risshun
- A Man Among Men (1955) as "Buick" Maki
- Seven Samurai (1954) as Kikuchiyo
- Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954) as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo
- The Black Fury (1954) as Eiichi Tsuda
- The Surf (1954) as Skipper of the Utashima-maru
- The Last Embrace (1953) as Shinkichi / Hayakawa
- Sunflower Girl (1953) as Ippei Hitachi
- My Wonderful Yellow Car (1953) as Matsumura
- The Eagle of the Pacific (1953) as 1st Lieutenant Tomonaga
- Foghorn (1952) as Chiyokichi
- The Man Who Came to Port (1952) as Gorō Niinuma
- The Life of Oharu (1952) as Katsunosuke
- Sword for Hire (1952) as Sasa Hayatenosuke
- Vendetta of a Samurai (1952) as Mataemon Araki
- Tokyo Sweetheart (1952) as Kurokawa
- Kin no tamago: Golden Girl (1952)
- Swift Current (1952) as Shunsuke Kosugi
- Who Knows a Woman's Heart (1951) as Mizuno
- The Idiot (1951) as Denkichi Akama
- Sasaki Kojiro (1951) as Miyamoto Musashi
- Elegy (1951) as Prosecutor Daisuke Toki
- The Life of a Horse Trader (1951) as Yonetaro Katayama
- Beyond Love and Hate (1951) as Gorō Sakata
- Pirates (1951) as Tora
- Meeting of the Ghost of Apres-Guerre (1951) as Kenji Kawakami
- Rashomon (1950) as Tajômaru
- Scandal (1950) as Ichirô Aoye
- Conduct Report on Professor Ishinaka (1950) as Teisaku Nagasawa
- Wedding Ring (1950) as Takeshi Ema
- Escape from Prison (1950) as Shinkichi
- Stray Dog (1949) as Det. Murakami
- The Quiet Duel (1949) as Dr. Kyoji Fujisaki
- Jakoman and Tetsu (1949) as Tetsu
- Drunken Angel (1948) as Matsunaga
- Snow Trail (1947) as Eijima
- These Foolish Times (1947) as Genzaburo Onō, Gang Boss