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.
Filmography
all 79
Movies 41
TV Shows 38
self 4
Narrator 2
Voice 2
Yorktown: A Time to Heal (2022)
Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood (2019)
The People I've Slept With (2009)
Hollywood Chinese (2007)
The Slanted Screen (2006)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)
Threat Matrix (2003)
Brother (2000)
Qigong: Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century (1999)
Mulan (1998)
Drive (1997)
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996)
Space Marines (1996)
Cage II: The Arena of Death (1994)
Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die (1994)
Babylon 5 (1994)
seaQuest DSV (1993)
Renegade (1992)
China Cry (1990)
Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)
Home from the Eastern Sea (1990)
Cage (1989)
Slaying the Dragon (1988)
Die Hard (1988)
Jake and the Fatman (1987)
Murder, She Wrote (1984)
Airwolf (1984)
Masquerade (1983)
The Hitchhiker (1983)
Matt Houston (1982)
The Renegades (1982)
Tomorrow's Child (1982)
T. J. Hooker (1982)
Simon & Simon (1981)
Magnum, P.I. (1980)
Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb (1980)
Samurai (1979)
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977)
Midway (1976)
The Killer Who Wouldn't Die (1976)
Ellery Queen (1975)
Matt Helm (1975)
S.W.A.T. (1975)
The Yakuza (1974)
The Rockford Files (1974)
Police Woman (1974)
Little House on the Prairie (1974)
The Questor Tapes (1974)
Lost Horizon (1973)
Kung Fu (1972)
The Streets of San Francisco (1972)
Emergency! (1972)
The Young Lawyers (1969)
Operation Heartbeat (1969)
Escape to Mindanao (1968)
Hawaii Five-O (1968)
Manila, Open City (1968)
Nobody's Perfect (1968)
The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk (1967)
Ironside (1967)
Death Walks in Laredo (1967)
Mission: Impossible (1966)
Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)
Carol for Another Christmas (1964)
The Bing Crosby Show (1964)
Burke's Law (1963)
The Outer Limits (1963)
The Lieutenant (1963)
Flower Drum Song (1961)
Bridge to the Sun (1961)
Ben Casey (1961)
Dr. Kildare (1961)
Kraft Mystery Theatre (1961)
Cry for Happy (1961)
Walk Like a Dragon (1960)
The Crimson Kimono (1959)
Naked City (1958)
Perry Mason (1957)
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956)
Ratings
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1929-06-17
Deathday2014-07-28 (85 years old)
Birth PlaceHonolulu, United States of America
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
Also Known AsJames Saburo Shigeta, 繁田三郎
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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