Jiro Dan was a Japanese actor and voice actor born on January 30, 1949 in Kyoto, Japan. He began his career as a fashion model in the 1960s, appearing as a cover model for several Japanese magazines, before making his acting debut in the 1968 Nikkatsu film Waga Inochi no Uta: Enka. He also debuted as a singer in the same year. Dan used the stage name Jiro Dan from the start of his career before eventually changing to the reading Jiro Dan in 1984. His real name was Hideo Murata.

Dan is most famous for his leading role as Hideki Go, the protagonist of the 1971 series Return of Ultraman. This role defined much of his career, and he reprised the character of Hideki Go or provided the voice for Ultraman Jack in numerous subsequent entries in the Ultra franchise. His voice work for Ultraman Jack can be heard in films such as Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends The Movie, Ultraman Zero The Movie: Super Deciding Fight! The Belial Galactic Empire, and Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers. He also voiced the character in the series Ultraman Mebius and Ultra Fight Orb. For his enduring contributions to the franchise, Dan was considered one of the iconic Showa-era Ultra actors, alongside Susumu Kurobe, Kohji Moritsugu, and Keiji Takamine, with the group being collectively nicknamed the Dandy 4.

Beyond his extensive work in the Ultraman series, Dan appeared in a wide range of other tokusatsu productions. He played Ikki Kasumi in the Super Sentai series Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger and portrayed a Senior Monk of the Ryusoul Tribe in Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger. He also appeared in the Godzilla franchise as the G-Guard Commander in the 1996 series Godzilla Island. His film acting credits include roles in The After-Dinner Mysteries and Nisekoi: False Love.

In the realm of anime and animated voice roles, Jiro Dan provided his voice for several specific projects. As noted, he played the role of Masayuki Takamine in the series Terraformars: A New Hope. He also took on the role of Violence Chuck, referred to as Violence Jack or Violence Chuck, in Kekkō Kamen 2: We'll be back... and the role of Commanding Officer in Kekko Kamen Surprise. Other voice-acting credits include the character Adelt Wogner Kirisaki in the anime film adaption of Nisekoi: False Love. He also played a news caster in the 1996 film Ultraman Zearth and its sequel, Ultraman Zearth 2: Superhuman Big Battle - Light and Shadow.

Jiro Dan passed away on March 22, 2023 at the age of 74.