Japanese actor who achieved more world-wide fame than any other Japanese actor of his century. Toshirô Mifune was born in Tsingtao to Japanese parents and grew up in Dalian. He did not set foot in Japan until he was 21. His father was an importer and a commercial photographer, and young Mifune worked in his father's studio for a time after graduating from Dalian Middle School. He was automatically drafted when he turned 20, and enlisted in the Air Force where he was attached to the Aerial Photography Unit for the duration of the Second World War. In 1947, he took a test for Kajiro Yamamoto, who recommended him to director Senkichi Taniguchi, thus leading to Mifune's first film role in Shin Baka Jidai (1947). Mifune then met and bonded with director Akira Kurosawa, and the two joined to become the most prominent actor-director pairing in all Japanese cinema. Beginning with 'Yoidore tenshi' (1948), Mifune appeared in sixteen of Kurosawa's films, most of which have become world-renowned classics. In Kurosawa's pictures, especially 'Rashomon' (1950), Mifune would become most famous Japanese actor in the world. A dynamic and ferocious actor, he excelled in action roles, but had as well the depth to plumb intricate and subtle dramatic parts. A personal rift during the filming of 'Akahige' (1965) ended the Mifune-Kurosawa collaboration, but Mifune continued to perform leading roles in major films both in Japan and in foreign countries. He was twice named Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival (for 'Yojimbo' (1961) and 'Akahige' (1965)). In 1963, he formed his own production company and directed one film and produced several others. In his later years, he gained new fame in the title role of the American TV miniseries "Shogun" (1980), and appeared infrequently in cameo roles after that. His last years were plagued with Alzheimer's Syndrome and he died of organ failure in 1997, a few months before the death of the director with whose name he will forever be linked, Akira Kurosawa.


Ranked #90 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] Was considered early on by George Lucas for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars (1977). Father of Shirô Mifune Mexican director/producer Ismael Rodríguez cast him as the drunken Mexican-Indian title role of his film Ánimas Trujano (El hombre importante) (1962). Mifune studied a tape of a Mexican actor speaking his dialog to memorize his lines. Then, on the shooting he was able to speak his entire part in Spanish. Despite this fact, in the finished film, his voice is dubbed by Mexican actor Narciso Busquets. Due to his intense, intimidating screen presence and real-life status as a physical powerful tough guy and war veteran, most people (whether having known him only from film or having personally meet him) got the impression that Mifune was a much larger man than he actually was, in reality he stood 5' 9". However, even at this size he was indeed 2 or 3 inches taller than most of his male co-stars. Spoke fluent Mandarin. Grandfather of Rikiya Mifune Although born in China, he was from a fully Japanese family. His performance as Sanjuro Kuwabatake in Yôjinbô (1961) is ranked #78 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). He actually wanted to be a photographer, not an actor. He got his start in the movies when he blundered into an audition by mistake and flew into a rage. In the graphic novel series Usagi Yojimbo, Usagi's overlord is named Lord Mifune, in honor of Toshiro Mifune.