Tatsuya Nakadai, noted Japanese actor who starred in ‘Ran,’ dead at 92

Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai, best known for his roles in “Ran,” “Harakiri” and “The Human Condition” trilogy, died Saturday in Tokyo. He was 92.

Nakadai died of pneumonia in a hospital, according to Naoko Ema, an actress at Mumeijuku, the theater company that Nakadai founded in 1975.

His death was first reported by The Japan News.

Born on Dec. 13, 1932, in Tokyo, Nakadai, whose real name was Motohisa Nakadai, was prominent on the stage and later became a lead actor in Japanese films.

His best-known role outside of Japan was his starring role in the 1985 film, “Ran,” which was Akira Kurosawa’s retelling of Shakespeare’s “King Lear.”

Nadakai had more than 100 film credits during his career, which spanned seven decades.

He made his screen debut in 1956’s “The Thick Walled Room,” a drama about Japanese soldiers jailed for crimes against humanity.

His next role, in 1954’s “Seven Samurai,” was a brief three-second cameo.

“The Human Condition” trilogy focused on Nadakai as a Japanese pacifist. The films included 1959’s “No Greater Love,” “Road to Eternity” in 1959 and “A Soldier’s Prayer” (1961).

Despite his success on the screen, Nakadai considered himself a stage actor first. During the latter stages of his career, he appeared in “Death of a Salesman,” “Barrymore” and “Don Quixote.”

In 2015, Nakadai received Japan’s highest award, the Order of Culture. The honor is presented to a person for outstanding contributions to art, literature, science and other cultural fields.

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