Image of Takeshi Kitano

Takeshi Kitano

Takeshi Kitano (born January 18, 1947) is a Japanese filmmaker, comedian, singer, actor, tap dancer, film editor, presenter, screenwriter, author, poet, painter, and one-time video game designer who has received critical acclaim, both in his native Japan and abroad, for his highly idiosyncratic cinematic work. The famed Japanese film critic Nagaharu Yodogawa once dubbed him "the true successor" to influential filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. With the exception of his works as a film director, he is known almost exclusively by the name Beat Takeshi. Since April 2005, he has been a professor at the Graduate School of Visual Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. Kitano owns his own talent agency and production company, Office Kitano, which launched Tokyo Filmex in 2000. Some of Kitano's earlier films are dramas about Yakuza gangsters or the police. Described by critics as using an acting style that is highly deadpan or a camera style that approaches near-stasis, Kitano often uses long takes where nothing appears to be happening, or editing that cuts immediately to the aftermath of an event. Many of his films express a bleak or nihilistic philosophy, but they are also filled with a great deal of humor and affection for their characters. Kitano's films leave paradoxical impressions and can seem controversial. While formally disguised as dark comedies or gangster movies, his films raise moral questions and provide food for thought. The Japanese public knows him primarily as a TV host and comedian, and he is well remembered for the leading role of the comedy show Oretachi Hyōkin-zoku (1981–1989) and for the game show Takeshi's Castle (1986–1989). His portrayal of Zatōichi in the 2003 movie is his biggest domestic commercial success. He hosts a weekly television program called Beat Takeshi's TV Tackle, a kind of panel discussion among entertainers and politicians regarding controversial current events. In 2010 the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Paris held a one-man show displaying his paintings and installations. A room in the basement played a 12-hour loop of his work as a TV host.


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Born:
Jan 18, 1947 In Tokyo, Japan
Movie/TV Credits:
86
First Appeared:
In the movie Go, Go Second Time Virgin 1969-01-01
Latest Project:
Movie Kubi 2023-11-23
Known For
Filmography
Series Takeshi's Castle Japan 2023-04-21
Movie Kubi Hashiba Hideyoshi 2023-11-23
Series たけしのその時カメラは回っていた 2020-07-24
Movie Citizen Kitano Self 2020-10-16
Series Idaten: Tokyo Olympics Story 古今亭志生 2019-01-06
Series Kiseki taiken! Unbelievable Storyteller 2018-04-05
Movie Prison Break Urata 2017-04-12
Movie Ghost in the Shell Chief Daisuke Aramaki 2017-03-29
Movie Outrage Coda Otomo 2017-10-07
Movie Plankton Salesmen Self (archive footage) 2017-10-29
Movie A Living Promise Detective Koichiro Iwase 2016-01-09
Movie Doctor X: Gekai Daimon Michiko Special 2016-07-03
Movie While the Women Are Sleeping 2016-02-27
Movie Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen Detective Murakami 2015-04-25
Movie Aka Medaka Tatekawa Danshi 2015-12-28
Movie Mozu The Movie Daruma 2015-11-07
Movie Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel Rokuro Fujisawa 2014-01-19
Movie The 8th Floor Self 2014-05-10
Movie In Between Mountains and Oceans Himself 2014-04-11
Movie Trespassing Bergman Self 2013-08-28
Movie Miwa: A Japanese Icon Himself 2013-08-31
Movie A Special Day Self 2012-05-16
Movie Dearest Teruo Sugino 2012-08-25
Movie Beyond Outrage Otomo 2012-09-03
Movie Outrage Otomo 2010-05-17
Movie Kikoku Private First Class Oomiya 2010-08-12
Movie Achilles and the Tortoise Machisu 2008-09-20
Movie The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit Take-Majin (voice) 2008-10-26
Movie What the War Meant Hideki Tojo 2008-12-24
Movie Glory to the Filmmaker! Takeshi / Yakuza / Father / Ninja / Detective / Astronomer 2007-06-02
Movie To Each His Own Cinema The projectionist (segment "Rencontre unique") 2007-10-31
Movie Takeshis' Beat Takeshi / Mr. Kitano 2005-09-02
Movie Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell! Self 2004-02-22
Movie Arakimentari Self 2004-01-18
Movie Izo Chancellor 2004-09-07
Movie Blood and Bones Joon-pyong Kim 2004-11-06
Series MXC 2003-04-13
Series Musashi Munisai Shinmen 2003-01-05
Movie The Final Battleground — Making of Battle Royale II Self 2003-07-10
Movie Battle Royale II: Requiem Kitano 2003-07-05
Movie Zatoichi Zatoichi / Ichi 2003-09-06
Movie Kogoro Akechi vs Kaijin Nijyuu Menso Niju Menso 2002-08-27
Movie Kichiku 2002-10-15
Series Takeshi's Castle 2002-11-01
Movie Shooting Film is Battleground: Making of BATTLE ROYALE Self 2001-01-13
Movie Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano 2000-05-05
Series The Story of One Century 2000-08-28
Movie Brother Aniki Yamamoto 2000-12-13
Movie Making of 'Battle Royale' Self 2000-12-01
Movie Battle Royale Kitano 2000-12-16
Movie Kikujiro Kikujiro 1999-06-05
Movie Zankyo 1999-02-13
Movie Taboo Toshizo Hijikata 1999-12-18
Movie Tokyo Eyes Yakusa 1998-09-09
Series 加ト・けん・たけしの世紀末スペシャル!! 1998-12-19
Movie Fireworks Yoshitaka Nishi 1997-10-30
Movie Making-of Kids Return Himself 1996-12-31
Movie Getting Any? Scientist 1995-02-11
Movie Gonin Ichiro Kyoya 1995-09-23
Movie Johnny Mnemonic Takahashi 1995-05-26
Movie Sonatine Aniki Murakawa 1993-04-10
Movie Many Happy Returns Daisuke Shiba 1993-11-20
Movie Dioxin from Fish! 1992-02-22
Movie A Legend of Turmoil Kiichirou Yashiro 1992-01-15
Movie Erotic Liaisons Okuyama 1992-10-17
Movie Kim's War Kim Hyi-ro 1991-04-05
Movie Hoshi wo tsugu mono Yama no hito 1990-02-03
Movie KILL THEM ALL 1990-11-23
Movie Boiling Point Uehara 1990-09-15
Series Beat Takeshi Presents TV Tackle 1989-07-03
Movie Violent Cop Azuma Ryosuke 1989-08-12
Movie The Boss' Wife Shoji Sugimoto, Hitman 1988-11-19
Movie No More Comics! Police 1986-03-24
Movie Joke with a Sorrowful Heart Hiroshi Igarashi 1985-04-26
Movie Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto Hara (archive footage) 1985-04-09
Movie Demon Yajima 1985-08-31
Movie Jesus' Ark Takeyoshi Sengoku 1985-12-09
Movie Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence Hara 1983-05-28
Movie The Crimes of Kiyoshi Ōkubo Kiyoshi Ôkubo 1983-08-29
Movie The Mosquito on the Tenth Floor Man at Racetrack 1983-07-02
Movie Summer Secrets 1982-09-18
Movie Completely... With That Air! 1981-12-20
Movie The Dump Truck Rascal 1981-04-29
Movie Manon Shinobu 1981-09-26
Movie Makoto-chan 1980-07-26
Movie Go, Go Second Time Virgin Gang Member 1969-01-01