He was not on the list.
Top Asian-American actor James Shigeta, who rose to fame in the '60s after starring in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song, died Monday, July 28, in L.A., his publicist announced. He was 81.
The Hawaiian native's nearly 50-year film and TV career spanned from the late 1950s into the new millennium. Shigeta received a Golden Globe Award for Best Male Newcomer in 1960, after starring as a young detective in the 1959 movie, The Crimson Kimono.
He co-starred with Donald O'Connor and Glenn Ford in the 1961 movie, Cry for Happy, and played a Japanese diplomat married to Carroll Baker's character in Bridge to the Sun. Shigeta's musical Flower Drum Song went on to score five Oscar nominations in 1961.
He later starred with Elvis Presley in the 1966 movie Hawaiian Style, and lent his voice as General Li in Disney's animated hit Mulan. In 1988, Shigeta starred opposite Bruce Willis in the action flick Die Hard, as Nakatomi Trading Corp. president Joe Takegi, who eventually met a gruesome end.
Shigeta also raked in the TV credits in the '70s, when he starred on shows like Kung Fu, Mission: Impossible, and Emergency! He had recurring roles on CBS' Medical Center, Hawaii Five-O, The Love Boat, and Murder, She Wrote, and Shigeta additionally starred on three episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 back in 1999, as Ben Sosna.
As illustrious as Shigeta's Hollywood career was, his actual life story was even more colorful. The Japanese-American actor, who was born in Honolulu in 1933, studied at NYU and fought in the Korean War as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Director Notes
1959 The Crimson Kimono Det. Joe Kojaku Samuel Fuller Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer - Male
1960 Walk Like a Dragon Cheng Lu James Clavell
1961 Cry for Happy Suzuki George Marshall
Bridge to the Sun Hidenari Terasaki Étienne Périer
Flower Drum Song Wang Ta Henry Koster
1966 Paradise, Hawaiian Style Danny Kohana Mickey Moore
Death Walks in Laredo Lester Koto Enzo Peri
1968 Nobody's Perfect Toshi O'Hara Alan Rafkin
Manila, Open City Captain Murakami Eddie Romero
1973 Lost Horizon To Len Charles Jarrott
1975 The Yakuza Goro Tanaka Sydney Pollack
1976 Midway Vice Adm. Chūichi Nagumo Jack Smight
1988 Die Hard Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi John McTiernan
1989 Cage Tin Lum Yin Lang Elliott
1990 China Cry: A True Story Dr. Sung James F. Collier
1994 Cage II: The Arena of Death Tim Lum Yin Lang Elliott
1995 Midnight Man Mao Mak John Weidner
1996 Space Marines Ambassador Nakamura
1997 Drive Mr. Lau Steve Wang
1998 Mulan General Li Barry Cook
Tony Bancroft Voice
2000 Brother Sugimoto Takeshi Kitano
2002 A Ribbon of Dreams Jimmy Chan Philip W. Chung
2009 The People I've Slept With Charles Yang Quentin Lee Final film role
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1961 Alcoa Premiere Captain Episode: "The Fortress"
Playdate Major Ri Episode: "The Cell 5 Experience"
1962 Naked City James Kam Episode: "The Contract"
1963 Dr. Kildare Dr. Roy Shigera Episode: "One Clear Bright Thursday Morning"
1963-1964 The Outer Limits Major Jong / Captain Newa 2 episodes
1964 Burke's Law Sidney Ying Episode: "Who Killed the Paper Dragon?"
The Lieutenant Captain Myang Lee Episode: "To Kill a Man"
A Carol for Another Christmas The Doctor Television film
1965 The Bing Crosby Show Joe Episode: "That's the Way the Suki Yakies"
Perry Mason Ward Toyama Episode: "The Case of the Wrongful Writ"
I Spy Tommy Episode: "Three Hours on a Sunday Night"
Ben Casey Dr. Harvey Lee / Father Michael Hsueh 3 episodes
1967 The Mystery of the Chinese Junk George Ti Ming Television film
1968 It Takes a Thief Fong Sing Episode: "When Good Friends Get Together"
Escape to Mindanao Lt. Takahashi Television film
Hawaii Five-O Joseph Matsukino Episode: "Deathwatch"
1969-1971 Ironside Toshio Watari / Il Pak Soong 2 episodes
1970 Mission: Impossible Shiki Episode: "Butterfly
1969-1972 Medical Center Dr. Osaka Recurring role; Seasons 1-3
1974 The Questor Tapes Dr. Chen Television film
Emergency! Mr. O'Brien Episode: "Foreign Trade"
1975 Matt Helm Tom McCauley Episode: "Pilot"
Kung Fu Master Kwan Li / Col. Lin Pei 2 episodes
1976 Ellery Queen Stephen Yang Episode: "The Adventure of the Judas Tree"
S.W.A.T. Lt. Eddie Chew Episode: "The Chinese Connection"
The Killer Who Wouldn't Die David Lao Television film
The Streets of San Francisco Prosecutor 2 episodes
Once an Eagle Lin Tso-Han Miniseries
The Moneychangers Wizard Wong
1977 Little House on the Prairie Sam Wing Episode: "To Live with Fear, Part 2"
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Kapala Episode: "Wipe-Out"
1978 Police Woman Bernie Kim Episode: "The Human Rights of Tiki Kim"
The Rockford Files Clement Chin Episode: "Heartaches of a Fool"
Fantasy Island General Lin Sun Episode: "Spending Spree/The Hunted"
1979 Samurai Takeo Chisato Television film
1980 Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb Field Marshal Abehata
1982 The Greatest American Hero Colonel Shawn Liang Episode: "The Hand-Painted Thai"
Tomorrow's Child Donald Shibura Television film
The Renegades Jimmy Lee
Strike Force Leong Episode: "Chinatown"
1983 T. J. Hooker Chow Duc Khan Episode: "Chinatown"
Masquerade Makko Episode: "Girls for Sale"
1984 The Love Boat M. Yasamoto 2 episodes
Matt Houston Lin Ha Episode: "Blood Money"
1985 Airwolf Colonel Tranh Van Zung Episode: "The American Dream"
1986 The Family Martinez Judge Yamamoto Television film
1986 Magnum, P.I. Mr. Obotu Episode: "Paper War"
Dr. Richard Enoka Episode: "Forty Years from Sand Island"
1987 The Hitchhiker Nishi Episode: "Perfect Order"
1987-1988 Simon & Simon Musashi Sato / Chen / Daniel Yoshiro 3 episodes
1989 Mission: Impossible Ki Episode: "The Lions"
Dragnet Mr. Minn Episode: "The Payback"
A Peaceable Kingdom Dr Okawa Episode: "Snake Bite"
Jake and the Fatman Koso Nakasone Episode: "The Way You Look Tonight"
1992 Murder, She Wrote Luc Lee / John Sukahara 2 episodes
1994 seaQuest DSV President Hoy Chi
Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die Det. Whoo Television film
Babylon 5 Taro Isogi Episode: "Spider in the Web"
1994 Renegade Mr. Ota/Hideo Maruyama Episodes: "Samurai" & "Black Wind"
1996 Cybill Mr. Matsuzaki Episode: "Cybill and Maryann Go to Japan"
1997 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Inspector Mantjur / Mr. Yamashiro / Japanese Prime Minister 2 episodes
1999 Beverly Hills, 90210 Ben Sosna Recurring role; Seasons 9-10
2004 Threat Matrix Kang Sok-Joo Episode: "PPX"
2005 Avatar: The Last Airbender Old Wanderer Episode: "The Spirit World-Winter Solstice, Part 1"
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