Takashi Shimura

Takashi Shimura (志村 喬, Shimura Takashi, March 12, 1905 – February 11, 1982) was a Japanese actor with a prolific career of over 200 films between 1934 and 1981. Born Shōji Shimazaki (島崎 捷爾, Shimazaki Shōji) in Ikuno, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, he was a regular fixture in Akira Kurosawa's films, appearing in 21 of his 30 works and was recognized for his leading roles in films like Drunken Angel (1948), Rashomon (1950), Ikiru (1952) and Seven Samurai (1954). Shimura's notable contributions also spanned to the Godzilla franchise, where he played Professor Kyohei Yamane in Ishirō Honda's original film in 1954 and its sequel. For his contribution to the arts, Shimura was decorated by the Japanese government with the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1974 and the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette in 1980. Shimura started his career in theatre and transitioned to films with the advent of talkies. Apart from acting, he held a reputation as a gifted singer demonstrated in the 1939 "cine-operetta", Singing Lovebirds. Despite facing troubled times under the politically oppressive regime, he channeled his experiences into his performances. His death in 1982 was due to emphysema.