JS
James Shigeta
Actor
Died July 28, 2014 (85 years)
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
| 2019 | Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood · as (archive) |
| 2012 | The People I've Slept With · as Charles Yang |
| 2005 | Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2003 | Threat Matrix (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2000 | Brother · as Sugimoto |
| 1998 | Mulan · as General Li (voice) |
| 1997 | Drive · as Mr. Lau |
| 1996 | Space Marines · as Ambassador Nakamura |
| 1996 | The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (TV Series) · as Inspector Mantjur (voice) |
| 1995 | Midnight Man · as Mao Mak |
| 1995 | Cybill (TV Series) · as Mr. Matsuzaki |
| 1994 | Cage II · as Tin Lum Yin |
| 1994 | Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die · as Det. Whoo |
| 1993 | Babylon 5 (TV Series) · as Taro Isogi |
| 1993 | seaQuest DSV (TV Series) · as Vietnamese President Chi |
| 1992 | Renegade (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1990 | China Cry: A True Story · as Dr. Sung |
| 1990 | Beverly Hills, 90210 (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1989 | Cage · as Tin Lum Yin |
| 1988 | Die Hard · as Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi |
| 1988 | Mission: Impossible (1988) (TV Series) · as Ki |
| 1987 | Jake and the Fatman (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1984 | Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) · as John Sukahara |
| 1984 | Airwolf (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1983 | The Hitchhiker (TV Series) · as Nishi |
| 1982 | T.J. Hooker (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1981 | The Greatest American Hero (TV Series) · as Colonel Shawn Liang |
| 1981 | Simon & Simon (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1980 | Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb · as Abehata |
| 1980 | Magnum, P.I. (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1979 | Samurai · as Takeo Chisato |
| 1977 | Fantasy Island (TV Series) · as General Lin Sun |
| 1977 | The Love Boat (TV Series) · as Bud's Father |
| 1977 | The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1976 | Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers (TV Series) · as Wizard Wong |
| 1976 | Midway · as Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo |
| 1975 | S.W.A.T. (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1975 | Ellery Queen (TV Series) · as Stephen Yang |
| 1974 | The Yakuza · as Goro |
| 1974 | The Questor Tapes · as Dr. Chen |
| 1974 | The Rockford Files (TV Series) · as Clement Chin |
| 1974 | Police Woman (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1974 | Little House on the Prairie (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1973 | Lost Horizon · as Brother To-Lenn |
| 1972 | Kung Fu (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1972 | The Streets of San Francisco (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1972 | Emergency! (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1968 | Manila, Open City · as Captain Murakami |
| 1968 | It Takes a Thief (TV Series) · as Fong Sing |
| 1968 | Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) · as Joseph Matsukino |
| 1967 | Ironside (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1966 | Paradise, Hawaiian Style · as Danny Kohana |
| 1966 | Mission: Impossible (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1965 | I Spy (TV Series) · as Tommy |
| 1964 | Carol for Another Christmas · as Japanese Doctor |
| 1964 | The Bing Crosby Show (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1963 | The Outer Limits (TV Series) · as Maj. Jong |
| 1963 | The Lieutenant (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1961 | Flower Drum Song · as Wang Ta |
| 1961 | Bridge to the Sun · as Hidenari Terasaki |
| 1961 | Cry for Happy · as Harue |
| 1959 | The Crimson Kimono · as Detective Joe Kojaku |
| 1958 | Naked City (TV Series) · as James Kam |
| 1957 | Perry Mason (TV Series) · as Ward Toyama |