George Nakata
Description
Jouji Nakata, sometimes anglicized as George Nakata, is a highly respected Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator. He was born Hitoshi Nakata on April 22, 1954, in Tokyo, and is affiliated with the talent agency Office Osawa. He studied at the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, initially working in live-action theater, jidaigeki (period dramas), and tokusatsu (special effects) productions. A pivotal moment in his career came when fellow voice actor Michiko Nomura suggested he pursue voice acting full-time, a path he chose after being surprised by the difference in pay compared to his live-action work.
His early voice roles in the 1990s included the narrator for Mobile Suit Victory Gundam and antagonist roles in series like Blue Seed, The Vision of Escaflowne, and Slayers Next. The year 2004 was particularly significant, as he landed two breakout roles that showcased his range: the brooding title character in the late-night series Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo and the comedic, hot-blooded Corporal Giroro in the popular family-oriented series Sgt. Frog. He is also known for voicing Roy Revant in Solty Rei and the vampire Alucard in Hellsing, a character he has cited as his favorite and the easiest to portray.
Nakata has a long-standing and notable collaboration with the visual novel company Type-Moon. He has voiced key antagonistic or complex figures across their various adaptations, including Kirei Kotomine in the Fate/stay night franchise, Nrvnqsr Chaos in Melty Blood, and Souren Araya in Kara no Kyoukai. He has also enjoyed recurring roles in collaborations with specific directors, such as being cast as the narrator for the Amagami SS anime adaptation by the director of SoltyRei.
Beyond anime, Nakata has an extensive career in video game voice acting. He is known for his roles as Albert Wesker in the Resident Evil franchise, Ieyasu Tokugawa and Kenshin Uesugi in the Samurai Warriors series, and Sol Badguy in the Guilty Gear series. He also provided the voice for Kazuya Mishima in the early Tekken games. In addition to original animation and games, he has worked extensively on dubbing foreign films and television shows, including 300 and Sex and the City, a field where his live-action background has been particularly beneficial.
His early voice roles in the 1990s included the narrator for Mobile Suit Victory Gundam and antagonist roles in series like Blue Seed, The Vision of Escaflowne, and Slayers Next. The year 2004 was particularly significant, as he landed two breakout roles that showcased his range: the brooding title character in the late-night series Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo and the comedic, hot-blooded Corporal Giroro in the popular family-oriented series Sgt. Frog. He is also known for voicing Roy Revant in Solty Rei and the vampire Alucard in Hellsing, a character he has cited as his favorite and the easiest to portray.
Nakata has a long-standing and notable collaboration with the visual novel company Type-Moon. He has voiced key antagonistic or complex figures across their various adaptations, including Kirei Kotomine in the Fate/stay night franchise, Nrvnqsr Chaos in Melty Blood, and Souren Araya in Kara no Kyoukai. He has also enjoyed recurring roles in collaborations with specific directors, such as being cast as the narrator for the Amagami SS anime adaptation by the director of SoltyRei.
Beyond anime, Nakata has an extensive career in video game voice acting. He is known for his roles as Albert Wesker in the Resident Evil franchise, Ieyasu Tokugawa and Kenshin Uesugi in the Samurai Warriors series, and Sol Badguy in the Guilty Gear series. He also provided the voice for Kazuya Mishima in the early Tekken games. In addition to original animation and games, he has worked extensively on dubbing foreign films and television shows, including 300 and Sex and the City, a field where his live-action background has been particularly beneficial.
All Characters
- JapaneseAnime overview: Chibi Kero