James Shigeta
Known For
Acting
Born
1929-06-17 in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA
Died
2014-07-28
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.
Most Known For
Beverly Hills, 90210
as Ben Sosna
Perry Mason
as Ward Toyama
Murder, She Wrote
as John Sukahara
Murder, She Wrote
as Luc Li
Mission: Impossible
as Shiki
The Love Boat
as Bud's Father
Babylon 5
as Taro Isogi
Little House on the Prairie
as Sam Wing
Magnum, P.I.
as Richard Enoka
Magnum, P.I.
as Mr. Obotu
Golden Globe Awards
as Self - Audience Member
Golden Globe Awards
as Self - Nominee
The Rockford Files
as Clement Chin
Hawaii Five-O
as Joseph Matsukino
Ironside
Avatar: The Last Airbender
as Old Wanderer (voice)
Emergency!
Police Woman
Renegade
Renegade
as Mr. Ota