Japanese character actor, one of the finest film actors of the Twentieth Century and a leading member of the "stock company" of master director Akira Kurosawa. A native of southern Japan, Shimura was a descendant of the warrior samurai class. Following university training, he founded a theatre company, Shichigatsu-za ("July Theatre"). In 1930, he joined a professional company, Kindai-za ("Modern Theatre). Four years later he signed with the Kinema Shinko film studio. He found a niche playing samurai roles for various studios, then signed a long-term contract with Toho Studios in 1943. He appeared in an average of more than six films a year for Toho over the next four decades. His greatest critical acclaim came in more than twenty roles for director Kurosawa, though he is almost as well recognized outside Japan for his kindly doctor role in the original 'Godzilla' ('Gojira (1954)'). Shimura's finest triumph was his unforgettable performance as a dying bureacrat in Kurosawa's 'Ikiru (1952)'. He continued to act steadily in good films and bad, almost until his death, culminating with Kurosawa's 'Kagemusha (1980)'. He is often described as filling the spot for Kurosawa that Ward Bond filled for 'John Ford (I)', that of an ever-present and reliable character player who consistently supplied a solidity and strength to whatever film he appeared in. Shimura was, to be sure, even a finer actor than Bond, and his range was enormous, from Ikiru's diffident clerk to the leader of the Seven Samurai in Kurosawa's 'Shichinin no samurai (1954)'. He died in 1982, a reluctant icon of Japanese cinema.
One of the few actors to reprise a role in the Godzilla (Gojira) series. He reprised his role of Doctor Yemane in Gojira No Gyakushu (aka Godzilla's Counterattack or Gigatis: the Fire Monster) Although he was Akira Kurosawa's best known actor, Shimura appeared in more Kurosawa films, totaling 19. However, (especially in later years) many of his characters had smaller, supporting roles. One of the most versatile character actors of world cinema, he believably played the feeble old weakling clerk Watanabe in 'Ikiru' (1952) and then, also believably, two years later played the powerful, tough bad-ass Shimada, the leader of the seven samurai, in 'Shichinin no samurai' (1954) .