Life and career

Sanada was born in Tokyo. Originally planning to be an action star, he studied Shorinji Kempo and later took up Kyokushin kaikan. Sanada began training at the age of 11 with actor and martial arts star Sonny Chiba's Japan Action Club, where he developed good all-round martial arts ability, and soon became Chiba's protégé. Sanada's martial arts film career introduced him to Michelle Yeoh, with whom he later starred in Danny Boyle's Sunshine. He has a long-standing friendship with Jackie Chan, although he did not star in a film with him before Rush Hour 3 in 2007. Sanada was often credited in his younger days as Henry, Harry, or Duke Sanada.

Sanada has established himself as a character actor who is adept at playing a variety of roles. He was first noticed as a serious actor in the movie Mahjong Hourouki directed by Makoto Wada. Since then he has acted in every Wada movie — works filled with humor and a nostalgia for classic films.

In 1999 and 2000, he performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in their production of King Lear, which earned him an honorary MBE in 2002. Many media reports erroneously stated that Sanada received the honorary MBE for being the first Japanese actor to perform with the RSC. This is not correct: Japanese actor Togo Igawa performed with the RSC in 1985 and joined the RSC in 1986. Sanada received his honorary MBE for his "contribution to spreading British culture in Japan through his performance in a joint Shakespeare production."

Some of Sanada's more famous movies are Tasogare Seibei (The Twilight Samurai), Ring, Kaitō Ruby, and The Last Samurai. Sanada played Matsuda, the Japanese imperialist who befriends Ralph Fiennes's character, in the 2005 film The White Countess, directed by James Ivory. He starred in the Chinese film The Promise directed by Chen Kaige as General Guangming. Sanada has appeared in Rush Hour 3 with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker and in 2007's The City of Your Final Destination, another James Ivory film, in which he plays the younger lover of Anthony Hopkins's character.

Sanada joined the cast of the ABC TV series Lost in 2010 during its sixth and final season. He portrayed Dogen, a high-ranking member of "The Others". In March 2011 he joined the cast of the Keanu Reeves vehicle 47 Ronin, the first English-language adaptation of the Chushingura legend, Japan's most famous tale of samurai loyalty and revenge.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title (Japanese/English)	Role
1974	Chokugeki Jigokuhen - (Executioner/Direct Hit/Hell Fist)
1978	Uchu kara no Messeji - (Message from Space/Message from Space: Galactic War)
	Shogun's Samurai
1979	Sanada Yukimura no Boryaku - (Renegade Ninjas/Death of the Shogun/The Shogun Assassins)
	Sengoku Jieitai - (minor role in G.I. Samurai/Time Slip)
1980	Bugeicho-Momochi Sandayu - (Shogun's Ninja)
	Tonda Kappuru - (The Terrible Couple)
1981	Hoero! Takken - (Roaring Fire)
	Moeru Yusha - (Burning Brave)
	Bokensha Kamikaze
	Samurai Reincarnation - (Makai Tensho)
	Uchu kara no Messeji - (Swords of the Space Ark/Message from Outer Space)
1982	Kamata Koshinkyoku - (Fall Guy)
	Dotonboringawa - (Lovers Lost)
	Iga Ninpocho - (Ninja Wars/Black Magic Wars/Iga Magic Story)
	Long Zhi Ren Zhe - (Ninja in the Dragon's Den)
1983	Satomi Hakkenden - (Legend of the Eight Samurai)
	Iga No Kabamaru
1984	Mahjong Horoki - (Mahjong Vagrant Life)
1984	Kotaro Makaritoru - (There Goes Kotaro)
	Irodori-gawa - (The Street of Desire)
1985	Kamui no Ken - (Blade of Kamui/Dagger of Kamui/Revenge of the Ninja Warrior)
1986	Wong Ga Jin Si - (Royal Warriors)
	Kataku no Hito - (Man of Desire)
	Inujini seshi mono - (One Who Died in Vain)
1987	Hissatsu 4: Urami Harashimasu - (Sure Fire Death 4: We Will Avenge You)
1988	Kaito Ruby - (Funny Robber Ruby)
	Wong ga Jin si - (Royal Warriors/Line of Duty/Police Assassins/Ultra Force)
1989	Dotchi ni Suruno - (Which Do You Choose)
1990	Byoin e Iko - (Let's Go To the Hospital)
	Tsugumi
	Rimeinzu - Utsukushiki Yushatachi - (Remains: Beautiful Heroes/Yellow Fangs)
1992	Keisho Sakazuki - (Succession Sake-saucer)
	Byoin e Iko 2 - (Let's Go To the Hospital 2)
1993	Nemuranai Machi: Shinjuku Same - (Sleepless City - Shinjuku Shark)	Detective Same
	Bokura wa Minna Ikiteiru - (We Are Not Alone/Made in Japan)
1994	Hero Interview	Jinta Todoroki
	Kowagaru Hitobito - (Uneasy Encounters)
	Chushingura Gaiden - Yotsuya Kaidan (Crest of Betrayal)	Takuminokami Asano
1995	Sharaku	Tonbo
	Kikyu Yobidashi - (Emergency Doctor/Emergency Call)	Hideyuki Harada
	East Meets West	Kamijo Kenkichi
	Sigaw ng Puso - (Shout of the Heart)
1998	Tadon to Chikuwa - (Charcoal and Fishcake)
	Rasen - (The Spiral)	Ryûji Takayama
	Ring	Ryûji Takayama
	D-Zaka no Satsujin Jiken - (D-Slope Murder Case)
1999	Ring 2	Ryûji Takayama
2000	Hatsukoi - (First Love)	Shinichirô Fujiki
2001	Minna no Ie - (All About Our House)	Bartender
	Onmyoji - (Yin Yang Master)	Douson
	Mayonaka made - (Round About Midnight)	Koji
2002	Tasogare Seibei - (The Twilight Samurai)	Seibei Iguchi
	Sukedachiya Sukeroku - (Vengeance for Sale)	Sukeroku Sukedachiya
2003	The Last Samurai	Ujio
2005	The White Countess	Matsuda
	Bokoku no Aegis - (Aimless Aegis)	Hisashi Sengoku
	Wuji - (The Promise)	General Guangming
2007	Rush Hour 3	Kenji
	The City of Your Final Destination	Pete
	Sunshine	Kaneda
2008	Speed Racer	Mr. Musha
2013	The Wolverine	Shingen
	47 Ronin	Ôishi
	The Railway Man	Takeshi Nagase
2015	Mr. Holmes	Tamiki Umezaki
	Minions	Dumo the Sumo (voice)

Television

Year	Title (Japanese/English)	Role	Notes
1977	J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai	Katsuya Nakayama	Guest star (episode 9)
1978	Yagyu Clan Conspiracy
	Abarenbo Shogun
	Seven Detectives
1979	Uchu Kara no Messeji: Ginga Taisen - (Message from Space: Galactic Battle)	Hayato Gen/Maboroshi
1980	Yagyu Abare Tabi
1981	Kage no Gundan II - (Shadow Warriors II)
1982	Kage no Gundan III - (Shadow Warriors III)
	Yagyu Jube Abare Tabi
1984	Sabarashiki Sakasu Yaro
	Chodenshi Bioman - (Super Electronic Bioman)
1985	Kage no Gundan IV - (Shadow Warriors IV)
	And Then, War is Over
	Ninja Akakage
1987	Dokuganryu Masamune - (One-Eyed Dragon Masamune)	Matsudaira Tadateru	Taiga drama
	Sweet Memories
	Dokyusei wa 13 sai
	Ore to Aneki - (Me and Sister)
1988	Tokugawa Ieyasu/Ieyasu Tokunaga	Ishida Mitsunari
	NY Love Story
	I Love You So Much
1989	Sakamoto Ryoma	Sakamoto Ryōma
	Oda Nobunaga	Matsudaira Motoyasu	TV movie
1990	Shingo Juban Shobu
1991	Taiheiki	Ashikaga Takauji	Taiga drama
1992	Seiteki Mokushi Roku
	Shimizu Jirocho
1993	Koko Kyoshi - (High School Teacher)	Takao Hamura
	Toyotomi Hideyoshi	Azai Nagamasa
1994	The Reason I Owed to Her
1995	Abe Ichizoku - (Abe Clan)		TV movie
	Seiya no Kiseki - (Miracles in the Holy Night)
1996	Hideyoshi	Ishida Mitsunari	Taiga drama
1997	Kon'na Koi no Hanashi - (The Story of Love)	Shuichiro Harashima	TV movie
	Shin Hanshichi Torimonocho	Hanshichi
1998	Tabuloido - (Tabloid)	Toshihito Manabe
	Sono Otoko no Kyofu - (That Man's Fear)
1999	Furuhata Ninzaburō
	Summer of Detectives
	Kujira o Mita hi
2001	Hikon Kazoku - (Unmarried Family)	Yousuke Matoba
2004	Locked-in Shokogun - (Locked-in Syndrome)
2010	Lost	Dogen
2011	Revenge	Satoshi Takeda
2014	Helix	Dr. Hiroshi Hatake
	Extant	Hideki Yasumoto

Theater

Year	Title (Japanese/English)	Role
1978	Yagyu Clan Conspiracy
1981	Yagyu Jube
1984	Yukai na Kaizoku Daiboken
1985	Tenshu Story
1986	Stuntman Story
	Romeo and Juliet
1987	Little Shop of Horrors
1988	Big River
1989	Broadway Bound
1993	Moonlit Club
1994	Paper Moon
1998	Hamlet
1999	King Lear
2000	Okepi! - (The Orchestra Pit)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]