Sō Yamamura | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Koga Hirosada 24 February 1910 Tenri, Japan |
| Died | 26 May 2000 (aged 90) Tokyo, Japan |
| Other names | Satoshi Yamamura |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1936–1997 |
Sō Yamamura (山村聰, Yamamura Sō, 24 February 1910 – 26 May 2000), sometimes credited as Satoshi Yamamura, was a Japanese actor and film director. [1]
Yamamura was born Koga Hirosada in Tenri, Nara Prefecture, and graduated from the University of Tokyo. [2] In 1942, Yamamura and Isao Yamagata formed the Bunkaza Theatre Company. [3]
He began his career as a screen actor in 1946 [2] and appeared in over one hundred films between 1947 and 1997. [4] [5] In 1953, he debuted as a director with his film Kanikōsen, [2] the first of six films he directed. [4] [5] Yamamura was introduced to Western audiences in the 1958 film The Barbarian and the Geisha . [2] In the US, he is well known for his portrayals of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto of the Combined Fleet in Tora! Tora! Tora! , and of Mr. Sakamoto, [2] the CEO of Assan Motors in Gung Ho .
Yamamura appeared in many jidaigeki television dramas. He played the role of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the taiga drama Haru no Sakamichi in 1971. [6] His major historical roles were Yagyū Munenori in the 1978 The Yagyu Conspiracy and Hoshina Masayuki in the 1980 Shadow Warriors . [7] In addition to historical parts, he appeared in fictional series. He portrayed Otowaya Hanemon in the Hissatsu series Hissatsu Shikakenin , resprising the character in the film series later. [2]
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