Hideaki Nitani

Hideaki Nitani
二谷 英明
Hideaki Nitani
Born(1930-01-28)28 January 1930
Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Died7 January 2012(2012-01-07) (aged 81)
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
OccupationActor
Years active1957–1992
SpouseYumi Shirakawa (1964–2012, his death)

Hideaki Nitani (二谷英明, Nitani Hideaki, 28 January 1930 – 7 January 2012) was a Japanese actor.

Career

Born in Kyoto Prefecture, Nitani attended Doshisha University but quit before graduating.[1] He first worked as an announcer at Nagasaki Broadcasting Company, but in 1956 made his debut as an actor at Nikkatsu.[1] Gaining the nickname "Dump Truck Guy" for his handsome, tough guy roles,[2] he soon became a staple in Nikkatsu Action movies, often playing the second lead, but sometimes starring in his own films. He is probably best known abroad for his role in Seijun Suzuki's Tokyo Drifter. Nitani left Nikkatsu in 1971 and moved to television, where he starred in the Tokusō Saizensen police detective series, which ran for ten years between 1977 and 1987.[2]

Nitani married the actress Yumi Shirakawa and their daughter, Yurie Nitani, is also an actress.[2] He died of pneumonia on 7 January 2012, at age 81.[2]

Selected filmography

Film

Television

References

  1. ^ a b "Nitani Hideaki". Nihon jinmei daijiten+Plus. Kōdansha. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "Haiyū Nitani Hideaki-san shikyo". 47News. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  3. ^ "戦争と人間". eiga.com. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  4. ^ Jonathan Clements; Motoko Tamamuro (1 November 2003). The Dorama Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese TV Drama Since 1953. Stone Bridge Press. pp. 188–189. ISBN 978-1-880656-81-5.