Takeshi Iwata
Takeshi Iwata is known for Pacific Rim: The Black (2021).
Takeshi Kaga
Takeshi Kaga was born in 1950 in Kanazawa City, Japan. At the age of 7, he joined the Kanazawa city boys choir, which began his life-long interest in music and the theatre. At the age of 22, he joined the SHIKI musical company, one of the most popular musical companies in Japan. Kaga became the first Japanese to perform as Tony in "West Side Story", the first Japanese Jesus in "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1973), and the first to play Jean ValJean in "Les Miserables". He left SHIKI in 1980 to focus on his film and TV work, but returned to the theatre in 2000 in "Macbeth", and in "Jeckyll and Hyde" in 2001.
Takeshi Kaneshiro
The 1/2 Taiwanese and 1/2 Japanese Takeshi Kaneshiro may have started out as a puerile teen idol in the Chinese entertainment scene, but he's since become a proper film star in his own right. Whether by his own design or not, the boyishness that marked his first steps into showbiz has evolved into a cool, somewhat reticent demeanor that has now become his trademark. Despite being effortlessly good-looking, he chooses to strike a sometimes uneasy balance between the commercially pleasing and the quirky in his choice of film roles -- a move that's unusual for Asian leading men. But whether he's the faithful lover in the Japanese AIDS drama Kamisama mousukoshi dake (1998), the canned-pineapple-eating cop in Chung Hing sam lam (1994) or awkward in his role in Misty (1996), a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Rashômon (1950), Asian audiences love his style. Other memorable roles include his turn as a lovelorn student in Sam dung (1999), an angel in Fan yi cho (2000) and the leader of a trio of robbers in Supêsutoraberâzu (2000). There hasn't been an Asian actor quite as versatile as Kaneshiro, who is able to straddle the Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japanese film industries because of his proficiency in various languages. Still, one wonders if the reason why he's so sought after is because he is so elusive. No one really knows what he does outside of film commitments, and his reluctance towards being in the spotlight is legendary.
Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano originally studied to become an engineer, but was thrown out of school for rebellious behavior. He learned comedy, singing and dancing from famed comedian Senzaburô Fukami. Working as a lift boy on a nightclub with such features as comic sketches and striptease dancing, Kitano saw his chance when a comedian suddenly fell ill, and he went on stage in the man's place. With a friend he formed the comic duo "The Two Beat" (his artist's name, "Beat Takeshi", comes from this period), which became very popular on Japanese television. Kitano soon embarked on an acting career, and when the director of Sono otoko, kyôbô ni tsuki (1989) (aka "Violent Cop") fell ill, he took over that function as well. Immediately after that film was finished he set out to make a second gangster movie, 3-4 x jûgatsu (1990). Just after finishing Minnâ-yatteruka! (1994), Kitano was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that almost killed him. It changed his way of life, and he became an active painter. This change can be seen in his later films, which are characterized by his giving more importance to the aesthetics of the film, such as in Hana-bi (1997) and Kikujirô no natsu (1999).
Takeshi Koike
Takeshi Koike is known for Redline (2009), The Animatrix (2003) and Jûbê ninpûchô (1993).
Takeshi Kurokawa
Takeshi Kurokawa is known for Godzilla (2014), Midway (2019) and The Man in the High Castle (2015).
Takeshi Kusao
Takeshi Kusao was born on November 20, 1965 in Saitama, Japan. He is an actor, known for Akira (1988), Dragon Ball Z: Doragon bôru Z - Kami to Kami (2013) and Dragon Ball Z: Fukkatsu no Fusion!! Gokuu to Vegeta (1995). He has been married to Yuka Saitô since May 20, 2015. They have one child.
Takeshi Maeda
Takeshi Maeda was born on 10 January 1975 in Tokyo, Japan. He is an actor, known for Koto No Ha No Niwa (2013), Kumo no mukô, yakusoku no basho (2004) and Deddo ribusu (2004).
Takeshi Masu
Takeshi Masu was born on 9 December 1955 in Tokyo, Japan. He is an actor, known for Shinobi (2005), Kon'na koi no hanashi (1997) and Kamen raidâ Agito (2001).
Takeshi Nakazawa
Takeshi Nakazawa is a writer and actor, known for Fool Japan: The ABCs of Tetsudon (2014), Kami no Fude (2023) and Hatsukoi geinin (2016).