Akira Nagoya
Description
Akira Nagoya was a Japanese actor and voice actor born on December 8, 1930, in Tokyo. He began his career in entertainment after graduating from junior high school in 1949, when he entered the training school for the NHK Tokyo Broadcasting Company. His early work included radio drama, and in 1952 he won an Art Festival Award for his performance in the radio play Botamochi. In 1959, Nagoya joined the Bungakuza theatre company, and in 1963, he was a founding member of the theatre company Kumo. After Kumo disbanded in 1975, he worked as a freelance actor across theatre, film, and television.
Nagoya was a versatile performer known for specializing in comical roles, and his acting career spanned numerous genres, including period dramas, police dramas, and comedy. He was also active as a voice actor and narrator throughout his career.
His voice acting credits include several notable anime films. In the 1969 Toei Animation feature Flying Phantom Ship, he provided the voice for the character Technician Arashiyama, the father of the protagonist Hayato. He also had a role in the 1969 adult anime film A Thousand and One Nights, directed by Osamu Tezuka. Much later in his career, he lent his voice to one of the most acclaimed animated films of all time, Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke in 1997, where he voiced the character of the cattleman leader. Outside of anime, Nagoya was also the Japanese dubbing voice for the character Mr. Potato Head in the Disney/Pixar films Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999).
In addition to his voice work, Nagoya was widely recognized for his on-screen performances, particularly his role as Captain Yutaro Asahina in the popular tokusatsu superhero television series Ultraman Taro, which aired from 1973 to 1974. He also served as the narrator for its predecessor, Return of Ultraman. His extensive filmography includes roles in major live-action films such as Akira Kurosawa's High and Low (1963) and the disaster film Tidal Wave (1973).
Throughout his career, Nagoya was honored for his stage work, receiving the Art Festival Excellence Award in 1983 for his performance in the play Rain. He continued to work actively until his death from pneumonia on June 24, 2003, at the age of 72.
Nagoya was a versatile performer known for specializing in comical roles, and his acting career spanned numerous genres, including period dramas, police dramas, and comedy. He was also active as a voice actor and narrator throughout his career.
His voice acting credits include several notable anime films. In the 1969 Toei Animation feature Flying Phantom Ship, he provided the voice for the character Technician Arashiyama, the father of the protagonist Hayato. He also had a role in the 1969 adult anime film A Thousand and One Nights, directed by Osamu Tezuka. Much later in his career, he lent his voice to one of the most acclaimed animated films of all time, Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke in 1997, where he voiced the character of the cattleman leader. Outside of anime, Nagoya was also the Japanese dubbing voice for the character Mr. Potato Head in the Disney/Pixar films Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999).
In addition to his voice work, Nagoya was widely recognized for his on-screen performances, particularly his role as Captain Yutaro Asahina in the popular tokusatsu superhero television series Ultraman Taro, which aired from 1973 to 1974. He also served as the narrator for its predecessor, Return of Ultraman. His extensive filmography includes roles in major live-action films such as Akira Kurosawa's High and Low (1963) and the disaster film Tidal Wave (1973).
Throughout his career, Nagoya was honored for his stage work, receiving the Art Festival Excellence Award in 1983 for his performance in the play Rain. He continued to work actively until his death from pneumonia on June 24, 2003, at the age of 72.
All Characters
- JapaneseAnime overview: Flying Phantom Ship