Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada (Hiroyuki Sanada) – Japanese actor, in demand not only in the homeland, but also in Hollywood. Known for the films “The Shadow Samurai”, “The Last Samurai”, “Rush Hour 3”, “Hell”, “Call”, the television series “Lost.”

Hiroyuki was born on October 12, 1960 in Tokyo. Acting craft, a young man comprehended under the guidance of the famous Japanese actor Sonny Chiba in Japan Action Club. Within the walls of this institution, Hiroyuki Shimosawa changed his last name to the pseudonym Sanada. For the first time in the movie, Hiroyuki starred at the age of 14, playing a rather large role in the drama “The Executioner” (1974), where his teacher Sonny Chiba played the main role. The legendary actor in many ways became the guide of the young Hiroyuki to the world of Japanese cinema. So, at the age of 18, Hiroyuki appeared in another film with Chib in the title role – the fantastic action movie “Message from Space” (1978).

It should be noted that from a young age, Sanada planned to play action films, so the student underwent impressive training in basic martial arts. Therefore, it was not difficult for a young Japanese to play the action movies of karateka and fighters.

In 1978, the 18-year-old Hiroyuki appeared in the action movie Samurai Shogun. At the age of 19, the young actor played in two action movies “The Ninja Traitors” and “Time Failure” (1979).

Already at the age of 20, Hiroyuki Sanada played on the screen his first major role. In the Japanese action movie “Ninja Shogun” (1980), he played in an acting duet with his master Sonny Chiba. The film tells how the entire family of the hero of Sanada – the Momoti clan, destroys the vassal of the future chancellor. He does this in search of a dagger that will help him take possession of a secret gold mine. However, the son of the head of the clan – Takamaru Momoti, who is played by Hiroyuki, remains alive, the ninja boldly confronts the greedy chancellor and his vassals. Sanada quickly became one of the most sought-after Japanese actors. He was also invited to Hong Kong cinema.

Hiroyuki played one of the most striking roles when he was 42 years old – in 2002 he appeared in the Japanese film “The Shadow Samurai”, in which he embodied the image of a humble lower-ranking samurai, who, contrary to his will, was involved in the conflict within the samurai clan. The film was very successful not only in the actor’s homeland: in particular, the action movie was nominated for an Oscar as the best foreign film. The logical continuation of the successful career of the Japanese actor was the appearance in Hollywood films. In 2003, Hiroyuki played the role in the action movie with Tom Cruise in the title role “The Last Samurai”.

In 2007, he played Caneda in the sensational tape of Danny Boyle’s Ashes. Loud international fame came to the actor when he was approved for the role in the popular American television series Lost (2004 – 2010) – about the passengers of an airliner that crashed on a mysterious island.

“The producers just called me and offered the role of Dogen, a Japanese living on the island. This surprised me, because before that I hadn’t acted in television series in the USA, the actor admits. “I knew Staying Alive had first-class scripts and actors, so it was a very good surprise.” However, Hiroyuki did not immediately accept such a tempting offer. First, the patriot studied his role – is it not false that the Americans wrote the image of the Japanese? And only making sure the correctness of Hollywood screenwriters, agreed.

Hiroyuki is also a stage actor and musician. In 2000, the 40-year-old Sanada became the first Japanese actor to be invited to the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he played the Jester in the play King Lear. Sanada was awarded the Order of the British Empire for this work.

Hiroyuki was married to Japanese actress Satomi Tezuka, who gave him two children.

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