Haruo Nakajima

Award won Role or nomination

1. 1929 age 0

   Born

2. 1954 age 25

   CreditGodzilla

   CreditSeven Samurai

3. 1962 age 33

   CreditKing Kong vs. Godzilla

4. 2017 age 88

   Died

• TSTakashi Shimura2 titles
• KKKokuten Kōdō2 titles
• TTTomoyuki Tanaka2 titles
• IHIshirō Honda2 titles
• AIAkira Ifukube2 titles
• AHAkihiko Hirata2 titles
• KSKenji Sahara2 titles
• AKAkira Kurosawa1 title
• SHShinobu Hashimoto1 title
• HOHideo Oguni1 title

• Shortly after I was offered the role, I realized that although it would be possible to replace all of the members of the staff and all of the other actors, it would not be possible to replace me. I also realized that if I didn't go into work because I was sick, none of the members of the special effects staff would be able to do their work. All of this gave me a tremendous sense of pride.

  Haruo Nakajima, CC BY-SA 4.0

• Katsumi Tezuka and I both tried on the Godzilla costume during the first day of shooting. The costume was very stiff and heavy. I could walk about thirty feet in it, but Mr. Tezuka could only walk about ten feet in it. There were three cables coming out of the back of the costume. Two were for the operation of the eyes, and one was for the operation of the mouth. Eizo Kaimai was responsible for the movement of the eyes and the mouth. The ASA speed of the film that was used at the time was very slow, so the set had to be very brightly lit. Another actor complained that the lights made it too hot inside the costume, but I never complained. Batteries were installed in the Godzilla costume that was made for the second Godzilla movie. They were for the operation of the eyes and the mouth. The batteries made the costume even heavier than the one that had been constructed for the first Godzilla film.

  Haruo Nakajima, CC BY-SA 4.0

• Working on GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN was easier for me. The Godzilla costume that was built for the movie was made to fit me, whereas the one that had been built for GODZILLA - KING OF THE MONSTERS had not been made to fit me. The most difficult aspect of working on GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN for me was shooting the ending. I had to stand in the middle of the set while a large amount of crushed ice came tumbling down on me.

  Haruo Nakajima, CC BY-SA 4.0

• I controlled [Rodan's] wings with my arms. While we were shooting the scene in which Rodan flies over the bridge in Saikai Village in Kyushu, the pulley from which I was suspended broke. I fell from a height of twenty-five feet, but the wings and the water, which was about one and a half feet deep, absorbed much of the impact.

  Haruo Nakajima, CC BY-SA 4.0

• It was helpful for me to study the movements of only large species. Smaller species, unlike Godzilla, Varan, and so on, move very quickly. So, it wasn't helpful for me to study them.

  Haruo Nakajima, CC BY-SA 4.0

• Playing Godzilla for GODZILLA - KING OF THE MONSTERS was very difficult. Playing Rodan also was difficult because the legs of birds, unlike those of human beings, bend backward.

  Haruo Nakajima, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nationalities

Japan, Empire of Japan

Cause of death

pneumonia

Languages

Japanese

Years active

1949–