Ken Takakura, legendary Japanese actor, dies at 83

Ken Takakura, the legendary Japanese actor, has died at age 83.

Takakura’s office confirmed on Tuesday that he died on Nov. 10 from lymphoma, the BBC reports.

Known for playing gangsters and toughguy parts, Takakura was known as “The Clint Eastwood of Japan.” He began his film career in 1955, when he auditioned for the Japanese studio Toei, notes Reuters.

While he never became a superstar outside of his native Japan, Takakura earned several roles in international productions. In 1975, he was paired with Robert Mitchum in Sydney Pollack’s The Yakuza and appeared in the 1992 comedy Mr. Baseball. His best known role in an American production came in 1989, when he co-starred with Michael Douglas in Ridley Scott’s Black Rain.

He also won acclaim for The Yellow Handkerchief and Poppoya (The Railway Man). In 2005, he starred in Zhang Yimou’s 2005 film Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles.

Takakura was beloved in Japan and many of his fans took to Twitter to remember his work. Tadanobu Asano, who appeared in Marvel’s Thor, wrote, “Rest in peace. This makes me so sad. Thank you so much.”

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