James Shigeta
James Saburo Shigeta (June 17, 1929 – July 28, 2014) was an American actor, singer, and musician of Japanese descent. He was noted for his roles in The Crimson Kimono (1959), Walk Like a Dragon (1960), Flower Drum Song (1961), Bridge to the Sun (1961), Die Hard (1988), and Mulan (1998). In 1960, he won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, along with three other actors.
In his early career, Shigeta often played romantic male lead roles, which were almost nonexistent for an actor of Asian descent during his time, making him a trailblazer in Asian American representation in media. The Goldsea Asian-American Daily magazine listed him as one of the "Most Inspiring Asian-Americans Of All Time".
Before his Hollywood career he found success as a pop singer and performer abroad, especially in Japan and Australia.
Acted in
Yorktown: A Time to Heal
2022
as Admiral Heilachiro Nogura
Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood
2019
as (archive footage)
The People I've Slept With
2009
as Charles Yang
Hollywood Chinese
2007
as Self
The Slanted Screen
2006
as Himself
Avatar: The Last Airbender
2005
Threat Matrix
2003
as Kang Sok-Joo
Brother
2000
as Sugimoto
Qigong: Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century
1999
as Narrator
Mulan
1998
as General Li (voice)
Drive
1997
as Mr. Lau
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
1996
as Inspector Mantjur (voice)
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
1996
as Dr. Yamashiro (voice)
Space Marines
1996
as Ambassador Nakamura
Midnight Man
1995
as Mao Mak
Cage II: The Arena of Death
1994
as Tin Lum Yin
Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die
1994
as Det. Whoo
Babylon 5
1994
as Taro Isogi
seaQuest DSV
1993
as Vietnamese President Chi
Renegade
1992
Renegade
1992
as Mr. Ota
China Cry
1990
as Dr. Sung
Beverly Hills, 90210
1990
Home from the Eastern Sea
1990
as Narrator
Cage
1989
as Tin Lum Yin
Slaying the Dragon
1988
Die Hard
1988
as Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi
Jake and the Fatman
1987
as Mr. Koso Nakasone
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as John Sukahara
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Luc Li
Airwolf
1984
as Colonel Tranh Van Zung
Masquerade
1983
as Makko
The Hitchhiker
1983
as Nishi
Matt Houston
1982
The Renegades
1982
as Jimmy Lee
Tomorrow's Child
1982
as Donald Shibura
T. J. Hooker
1982
as Chow Duc Khan
Simon & Simon
1981
Magnum, P.I.
1980
as Dr. Richard Enoka
Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb
1980
as Field Marshal Abehata
Samurai
1979
as Takeo Chisato
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977
Once an Eagle
1976
as Lin Tso-Han
Midway
1976
as Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
The Killer Who Wouldn't Die
1976
as David Lao
Ellery Queen
1975
as Stephen Yang
Matt Helm
1975
as Tom McCauley
S.W.A.T.
1975
The Yakuza
1974
as Goro
Police Woman
1974
The Rockford Files
1974
as Clement Chin
Little House on the Prairie
1974
The Questor Tapes
1974
as Dr. Chen
Lost Horizon
1973
as Brother To-Lenn
Kung Fu
1972
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
as Prosecutor
Emergency!
1972
The Young Lawyers
1969
as Lee Ahn
Medical Center
1969
as Dr. Osaka
Operation Heartbeat
1969
as Chief Resident
Escape to Mindanao
1968
as Lt. Takahashi
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Joseph Matsukino
Manila, Open City
1968
as Captain Murakami
Nobody's Perfect
1968
as Diver Toshi O'Hara
The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
1967
as George Ti Ming
Ironside
1967
Death Walks in Laredo
1967
as Lester Koto
Mission: Impossible
1966
as Shiki
Paradise, Hawaiian Style
1966
as Danny Kohana
Carol for Another Christmas
1964
as Japanese Doctor
The Bing Crosby Show
1964
Burke's Law
1963
as Sidney Ying
The Outer Limits
1963
as Maj. Jong
The Outer Limits
1963
as AIO Captain Newa
The Lieutenant
1963
Flower Drum Song
1961
as Wang Ta
Bridge to the Sun
1961
as Hidenari Terasaki
Ben Casey
1961
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Dr. Roy Shigera
Kraft Mystery Theatre
1961
Cry for Happy
1961
as Harue
Walk Like a Dragon
1960
as Cheng Lu
The Crimson Kimono
1959
as Detective Joe Kojaku
Naked City
1958
as James Kam
Perry Mason
1957
as Ward Toyama
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
as Self