Toshirō Mifune
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1920-04-01
Day of Death
1997-12-24 (77 years old)
Place of Birth
Qingdao, China
Toshirō Mifune
Biography
Toshirō Mifune (April 1, 1920 - December 24, 1997) was a Japanese actor who is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Japanese cinema. He was born in Qingdao, China, but was raised in Japan. Mifune's career spanned over 50 years, during which he collaborated extensively with renowned director Akira Kurosawa, creating some of the most iconic films in Japanese cinema.
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 "Rashomon" (1950), "Seven Samurai" (1954), "Yojimbo" (1961), and "The Hidden Fortress" (1958), which inspired George Lucas's "Star Wars."
Apart from his work with Kurosawa, Mifune appeared in numerous other films, showcasing his versatility as an actor. He played roles in various genres, including dramas, comedies, and war films. Some of his other notable films include "The Throne of Blood" (1957), "High and Low" (1963), and "Red Beard" (1965).
Mifune's charismatic presence, powerful performances, and ability to convey complex emotions made him an iconic figure in Japanese cinema. He received international recognition and awards for his contributions to the film industry, including several honors at the Venice Film Festival and a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Acting
(2020)
Charles Bronson: The Spirit of Masculinity
as Self (archive footage)
(2016)
Mifune: The Last Samurai
as Self - Actor / Various Roles (archive footage)
(2002)
(2000)
Kurosawa
as Self (archive footage)
(1998)
Lee Marvin: A Personal Portrait by John Boorman
as Self (archive footage)
(1996)
The Making of '1941'
as Self (archive footage)
(1995)
Picture Bride
as The Benshi
(1995)
Deep River
as Tsukada
(1992)
Shadow of the Wolf
as Kroomak
(1991)
Journey of Honor
as Ieyasu Tokugawa
(1991)
Strawberry Road
as Taoka
(1990)
Heaven and Earth: Dawn Episode
as Nagao Tamekage
(1989)
Death of a Tea Master
as Rikyu Sen-no
(1989)
The Demon Comes in Spring
as Kukkune no jî
(1989)
cf Girl
as Shūichirō Hase
(1987)
Princess from the Moon
as Taketori-no-Miyatsuko
(1987)
Tora-san Goes North
as Junkichi Ueno
(1987)
The Retired Samurai
as Hikozaemon Ōkubo
(1987)
The Shatterer
as Murai
(1986)
The Ballad of the Sea of Genkai
as Kyūbei Matsufuji
(1985)
No More God, No More Love
as Kōzō Kanzaki
(1984)
The Miracle of Joe, the Petrel
as Fisherman
(1984)
Okita Soji: Swordsman of Fire
as Shūsai Kondō
(1983)
Battle Anthem
as Admiral Heihachiro Togo
(1983)
Theater Of Life
as Hyōtarō Aonari
(1983)
Lowly Ronin 5: The Teenage Orphan Girl
as Sûrônin Rakuyôjûrô
(1983)
Lowly Ronin 4: Living Hell
as Sanjuro Hinoki
(1983)
The Women of Osaka Castle
as Tokugawa Ieyasu
(1983)
(1983)
Lowly Ronin 6: Betrayal at Yatate Pass
as Sûrônin Hinoki Sajûrô
(1982)
The Challenge
as Toru Yoshida
(1982)
(1982)
Domineering
as Masao Tadokoro
(1982)
Lowly Ronin 2: The Spray of Blood
as Sanjuro Hinoki
(1982)
Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 2
as Tamon Umei
(1981)
Inchon
as Saito-San
(1981)
The Bushido Blade
as Shogun's Commander
(1981)
Lowly Ronin
as Sanjuro Hinoki
(1981)
Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 1
as Tamon Umei
(1980)
Port Arthur
as Emperor Meiji
(1980)
Shogun
as Lord Yoshi Toranaga
(1979)
1941
as Cmdr. Akiro Mitamura
(1979)
Winter Kills
as Keith
(1979)
The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi
as Kindaichi of 11th Generation in "The Woman in the Eye"
(1979)
Onmitsu Doshin: The Edo Secret Police
as Sadanobu Matsudaira
(1978)
The Fall of Ako Castle
as Tsuchiya Michinao
(1978)
Shogun's Samurai
as Yoshinao Tokugawa
(1978)
Japanese Godfather: Conclusion
as Kosuke Oishi
(1978)
Shag
as Captain Takeo Murata
(1978)
Love and Faith
as Taiko Hideyoshi
(1978)
Lord Mito
as Sakuzaemon Okumura
(1977)
Proof of the Man
as Yohei Kori
(1977)
Japanese Godfather: Ambition
as Kosuke Oishi
(1976)
Midway
as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
(1975)
Paper Tiger
as Ambassador Kagoyama
(1971)
Red Sun
as Kuroda Jubei
(1970)
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
as Yojimbo/Sasa
(1970)
Incident at Blood Pass
as Yojimbo
(1970)
The Militarists
as Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto
(1970)
The Walking Major
as Kinugasa Tadao
(1970)
The Ambitious
as Shojiro Goto
(1969)
Battle of the Japan Sea
as Admiral Heihachiro Togo
(1969)
Samurai Banners
as Kansuke Yamamoto
(1969)
Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor
as Isami Kondo
(1969)
Red Lion
as Gonzo
(1969)
Safari 5000
as Yūichirō Takase
(1968)
Hell in the Pacific
as Captain Tsuruhiko Kuroda
(1968)
Admiral Yamamoto
as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
(1968)
The Sands of Kurobe
as Kitagawa
(1968)
The Day the Sun Rose
as Kumaza
(1967)
Samurai Rebellion
as Isaburo Sasahara
(1967)
Japan's Longest Day
as War Minister General Korechika Anami
(1966)
Grand Prix
as Izō Yamura
(1966)
The Sword of Doom
as Toranosuke Shimada
(1966)
Rise Against the Sword
as Abare Gōemon
(1966)
Adventure in Kigan Castle
as Osami
(1966)
(1966)
The Mad Atlantic
as Heihachirô Murakami
(1965)
Red Beard
as Dr. Kyojio Niide ("Red Beard")
(1965)
Samurai Assassin
as Tsuruchiyo Niiro
(1965)
The Retreat from Kiska
as Omura
(1965)
Fort Graveyard
as Sergeant Kosugi
(1965)
Sanshiro Sugata
as Shogoro Yano
(1964)
Whirlwind
as Lord Akashi
(1963)
High and Low
as Kingo Gondo
(1963)
Legacy of the 500,000
as Takeichi Matsuo
(1963)
Samurai Pirate
as Sukezaemon Naya, aka 'Luzon' [Sinbad, in US version]
(1963)
Attack Squadron
as Lt. Colonel Senda
(1962)
Sanjuro
as Sanjûrô Tsubaki / The ronin
(1962)
Chûshingura
as Genba Tawaraboshi
(1962)
Doburoku no Tatsu
as Tatsu
(1962)
Three Gentlemen Return from Hong Kong
as Zhang Zhizhang
(1961)
Yojimbo
as Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai
(1961)
Daredevil in the Castle
as Mohei
(1961)
The Important Man
as Ánimas Trujano
(1961)
(1961)
The Youth and His Amulet
as Fudo-Myo (Immovable Bright King)
(1960)
The Bad Sleep Well
as Kôichi Nishi
(1960)
The Storm of the Pacific
as Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi
(1960)
The Last Gunfight
as Detective Saburo Fujioka
(1960)
The Gambling Samurai
as Kunisada Chuji
(1960)
The Masterless 47
as Kazuo Momoi
(1960)
Man Against Man
as Kaji
(1959)
The Three Treasures
as Prince Yamato Takeru
(1959)
The Big Boss
as Kashimura
(1959)
Samurai Saga
as Heihachiro Komaki
(1959)
Desperado Outpost
as Battalion Commander
(1959)
Saga of the Vagabonds
as Rokuro Kai
(1958)
The Hidden Fortress
as General Rokurota Makabe
(1958)
The Rickshaw Man
as Matsugorō Tomishima
(1958)
A Holiday in Tokyo
as Tenkai's nephew Jirō
(1958)
Yagyu Secret Scrolls: Ninjitsu - Part II
as Tasaburo
(1958)
All About Marriage
as Acting teacher
(1958)
Yaji and Kita on the Road
as Toshinoshin Taya
(1958)
(1957)
Throne of Blood
as Taketoki Washizu
(1957)
The Lower Depths
as Sutekichi the Thief
(1957)
Yagyu Secret Scrolls
as Tasaburō Kasumi
(1957)
A Man in the Storm
as Saburō Watari
(1957)
Down Town
as Yoshio Tsuruishi
(1957)
Good Luck to These Two
as Toshio Maruyama
(1957)
A Dangerous Hero
as Kawada
(1956)
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo
(1956)
A Wife's Heart
as Kenkichi
(1956)
Settlement of Love
as Shuntarō Ōhira
(1956)
Rainy Night Duel
as Masahiko Koseki
(1956)
Rebels on the High Sea
as Matsuo Tokuzō
(1956)
The Underworld
as Chief Inspector Kumada
(1956)
Scoundrel
as Kanji
(1955)
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple
as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo
(1955)
I Live in Fear
as Kiichi Nakajima
(1955)
No Time for Tears
as Mitsuo Yano
(1955)
A Man Among Men
as "Buick" Maki
(1955)
All is Well
as Daikichi Risshun
(1955)
All is Well 2
as Daikichi Risshun
(1954)
Seven Samurai
as Kikuchiyo
(1954)
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
as Musashi Miyamoto a.k.a. Takezo
(1954)
The Black Fury
as Eiichi Tsuda
(1954)
The Surf
as Skipper of the Utashima-maru
(1953)
The Eagle of the Pacific
as 1st Lieutenant Tomonaga
(1953)
Sunflower Girl
as Ippei Hitachi
(1953)
My Wonderful Yellow Car
as Matsumura
(1953)
The Last Embrace
as Shinkichi / Hayakawa
(1952)
The Life of Oharu
as Katsunosuke
(1952)
The Man Who Came to Port
as Gorō Niinuma
(1952)
Tokyo Sweetheart
as Kurokawa
(1952)
Vendetta of a Samurai
as Mataemon Araki
(1952)
Sword for Hire
as Sasa Hayatenosuke
(1952)
(1952)
Foghorn
as Chiyokichi
(1952)
Swift Current
as Shunsuke Kosugi
(1951)
The Idiot
as Denkichi Akama
(1951)
Meeting of the Ghost of Apres-Guerre
as Kenji Kawakami
(1951)
Sasaki Kojiro
as Miyamoto Musashi
(1951)
Elegy
as Prosecutor Daisuke Toki
(1951)
Beyond Love and Hate
as Gorō Sakata
(1951)
Who Knows a Woman's Heart
as Mizuno
(1951)
Pirates
as Tora
(1951)
The Life of a Horse Trader
as Yonetaro Katayama
(1950)
Rashomon
as Tajômaru
(1950)
Scandal
as Ichirô Aoye
(1950)
Conduct Report on Professor Ishinaka
as Teisaku Nagasawa
(1950)
Wedding Ring
as Takeshi Ema
(1950)
Escape from Prison
as Shinkichi
(1949)
Stray Dog
as Det. Murakami
(1949)
The Quiet Duel
as Dr. Kyoji Fujisaki
(1949)
Jakoman and Tetsu
as Tetsu
(1948)
Drunken Angel
as Matsunaga
(1947)
Snow Trail
as Eijima
(1947)
These Foolish Times
as Genzaburo Onō, Gang Boss
Crew
(1979)
Onmitsu Doshin: The Edo Secret Police
Associate Producer
(1978)
Shag
Executive Producer
(1971)
Morning for Two
Producer
(1970)
Incident at Blood Pass
Producer
(1969)
Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor
Producer
(1969)
Red Lion
Producer
(1969)
Samurai Banners
Producer
(1967)
Samurai Rebellion
Producer
(1966)
The Mad Atlantic
Executive Producer
(1966)
Adventure in Kigan Castle
Associate Producer
(1965)
Fort Graveyard
Associate Producer
(1963)
Legacy of the 500,000
Director, Associate Producer