Skip to main content
James Shigeta

James Shigeta

Acting1929Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA

Biography

James Saburo Shigeta (June 17, 1929 – July 28, 2014) was an American actor, singer, and musician of Japanese descent. He was noted for his roles in The Crimson Kimono (1959), Walk Like a Dragon (1960), Flower Drum Song (1961), Bridge to the Sun (1961), Die Hard (1988), and Mulan (1998). In 1960, he won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, along with three other actors.

In his early career, Shigeta often played romantic male lead roles, which were almost nonexistent for an actor of Asian descent during his time, making him a trailblazer in Asian American representation in media. The Goldsea Asian-American Daily magazine listed him as one of the "Most Inspiring Asian-Americans Of All Time".

Before his Hollywood career he found success as a pop singer and performer abroad, especially in Japan and Australia.

Acting History

2025
2022
Yorktown: A Time to Heal
as Admiral Heilachiro Nogura
2009
2006
2005
Avatar: The Last Airbender
TVas Old Wanderer (voice)1 eps
2004
Threat Matrix
TVas Kang Sok-Joo1 eps
2000
Brother
as Sugimoto
1998
Mulan
as General Li (voice)
1997
Drive
as Mr. Lau
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
TVas Dr. Yamashiro (voice) / Inspector Mantjur (voice)1 eps
1996
Space Marines
as Ambassador Nakamura
Cybill
TVas Mr. Matsuzaki1 eps
1995
Midnight Man
as Mao Mak
1994
Babylon 5
TVas Taro Isogi1 eps
seaQuest DSV
TVas Vietnamese President Chi2 eps
1993
Renegade
TVas Mr. Ota1 eps
1992
Murder, She Wrote
TVas John Sukahara / Luc Li1 eps
1990
1989
Cage
as Tin Lum Yin
Jake and the Fatman
TVas Mr. Koso Nakasone1 eps
1988
Die Hard
as Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi
1987
The Hitchhiker
TVas Nishi1 eps
1986
Magnum, P.I.
TVas Mr. Obotu / Richard Enoka1 eps
1985
Airwolf
TVas Colonel Tranh Van Zung1 eps
1984
Matt Houston
TVas Lin Ha1 eps
1983
T. J. Hooker
TVas Chow Duc Khan1 eps
The Love Boat
TVas Bud's Father1 eps
Masquerade
TVas Makko
1982
The Renegades
as Jimmy Lee
Tomorrow's Child
as Donald Shibura
1979
Samurai
as Takeo Chisato
1978
The Rockford Files
TVas Clement Chin1 eps
1976
Midway
as Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
Once an Eagle
TVas Lin Tso-Han
The Streets of San Francisco
TVas Prosecutor1 eps
Ellery Queen
TVas Stephen Yang1 eps
1975
Matt Helm
as Tom McCauley
Kung Fu
TVas Col. Lin Pei1 eps
1973
Lost Horizon
as Brother To-Lenn
1970
Medical Center
TVas Dr. Osaka2 eps
Mission: Impossible
TVas Shiki1 eps
1969
1968
Manila, Open City
as Captain Murakami
Nobody's Perfect
as Diver Toshi O'Hara
Escape to Mindanao
as Lt. Takahashi
Hawaii Five-O
TVas Joseph Matsukino1 eps
1966
1965
Ben Casey
TVas Dr. Harvey Lee1 eps
Perry Mason
TVas Ward Toyama1 eps
1964
Carol for Another Christmas
as Japanese Doctor
Burke's Law
TVas Sidney Ying1 eps
The Outer Limits
TVas AIO Captain Newa1 eps
1963
Dr. Kildare
TVas Dr. Roy Shigera1 eps
1962
Naked City
TVas James Kam1 eps
1960
Golden Globe Awards
TVas Self - Nominee1 eps
1959
The Crimson Kimono
as Detective Joe Kojaku
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
TVas Self1 eps

Social Media

Personal Info

Known For
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
6/17/1929
Day of Death
7/28/2014
Place of Birth
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA