Hiroyuki Sanada
Biography
Hiroyuki Sanada (真田 広之, Sanada Hiroyuki, born Hiroyuki Shimosawa (下澤 廣之, Shimosawa Hiroyuki); 12 October 1960) is a Japanese actor from Tokyo. Before breaking in to the movie business, he trained at Sonny Chiba’s Japan Action Club hoping to one day become a martial arts action film star. Sanada appeared in many action films in the 70s and early 80s, but as it became clear he was actually a talented and well-rounded actor, he was able to branch out into all different types of roles in every genre. Today he is best known in the west for his involvement in big-budget Hollywood productions such as The Last Samurai and Rush Hour 3.
Gallery
Known For
Acting History
2026
Mortal Kombat II as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion
2024Shōgun as Yoshii Toranaga
2023John Wick: Chapter 4 as Shimazu
2022Bullet Train as The Elder
2022Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye as Akihiko (archive footage)
2021Hawkeye as Akihiko (archive footage) (uncredited)
2021Army of the Dead as Bly Tanaka
2021Mortal Kombat as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion
2020Minamata as Mitsuo Yamazaki
2019The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
2019Avengers: Endgame as Akihiko
2018The Catcher Was a Spy as Kawabata
2017Life as Sho Murakami
2016Westworld as Musashi
2015The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
2015Mr. Holmes as Tamiki Umezaki
2015Minions as Sumo (voice)
2014Extant as Hideki Yasumoto
2014The Last Ship as Takehaya
2014Helix as Dr. Hiroshi Hataki
201347 Ronin as Kuranosuke Ôishi
2013The Wolverine: Path of a Ronin as Self
2013The Railway Man as Nagase
2013The Wolverine as Shingen Harada / Lord Shingen
2011Revenge as Satoshi Takeda
2009The City of Your Final Destination as Pete
2008Speed Racer as Mr. Musha
2007Rush Hour 3 as Kenji
2007Sunshine as Kaneda
2005The Promise as General Guangming
2005The White Countess as Matsuda
2005Aegis as Hisashi Sengoku
2004Lost as Dogen
2003The Last Samurai as Ujio
2002The Twilight Samurai as Seibei Iguchi
2002Vengeance for Sale as Sukeroku Sukedachiya
2001Onmyoji as Dōson
2001Unmarried Family as Yosuke Matoba
2001All About Our House as Bartender
2000First Love as Shinichirô Fujiki
1999Round About Midnight as Koji
1999Keijitachi no Natsu
1999Ring 2 as Ryuji Takayama
1998Tadon and Chikuwa
1998Tabloid
1998Murder on D Street as Seiichiro Fukiya
1998Ring as Ryuji Takayama
1998The Spiral as Ryûji Takayama
1997A Story of Love
1997こんな恋のはなし
1997Shin Hanshichi torimono chô as Hanshichi
1996Hideyoshi as Ishida Mitsunari
1995The Abe Clan as Emoto Matashichiro
1995Kinkyu Yobidashi: Emergency Call as Hideyuki Harada
1995East Meets West as Kamijo Kenkichi
1995Sharaku as Tonbo
1994119
1994Crest of Betrayal as Takuminokami Asano
1994Why I borrowed money from her as Kunihiko Yamanobe
1994Hero Interview as Jinta Todoroki
1994Uneasy Encounters
1994Furuhata Ninzaburo as 由良一夫
1993The City That Never Sleeps: Shinjuku Shark as Detective Same
1993We Are Not Alone
1993High School Teacher as Hamura Takao
1992Yamai wa kikara: Byôin e ikô 2
1992Succession as Masakazu Yoshinari
1992Oda Nobunaga
1991Taiheiki as Takauji Ashikaga
1990Tsugumi as Kyoichi Takahashi
1990Let's Go to the Hospital as Kohei Shintani
1990Yellow Fangs as Eiji
1990Shingo's Ten Duels as Aoi Shingo
1989Ryoma Sakamoto: Samurai Gunslinger as Ryoma Sakamoto
1989Who Do I Choose? as Jun Yamamoto
1989坂本龍馬
1989Oda Nobunaga
1988I Love You So Much
1988Kaito Ruby as Toru Hayashi
1988New York Love Story
1988Tokugawa Ieyasu – TBS Warlord Special
1988Tokugawa Ieyasu
1987Seiko Matsuda's Sweet Memories
1987Sure Death 4 as Ukyo
1987Masamune Shogun
1986Royal Warriors as Peter Yamamoto
1986Cabaret as Tanokura
1986One Who Died in Vain
1986House on Fire as Chuya Nakahara
1985The Dagger of Kamui as Jirô
1984Mahjong Horoki as Bouya Tetsu
1984Kotaro, An Audacious Karate Boy as Date Yoshioka
1984The Street of Desire as Joji Tanaka
1984The Awesome Circus Bastard as Satomi Go
1984Choudenshi Bioman as Ken Hayase
1983Legend of the Eight Samurai as Inue Shinbei Masashi
1983Kabamaru the Ninja Boy as Shizune Mejiro
1983ふぞろいの林檎たち as 本田 修一
1982Ninja Wars as Jotaro Fuefuki
1982Yagyu Jubei Secret Quest as Matahira
1982Fall Guy as Actor
1982Ninja in the Dragon's Den as Genbu
1982Lovers Lost as Kunihiko Yasuoka
1981The Blazing Valiant as Joe
1981Kamikaze, the Adventurer as Akira Hoshino
1981Roaring Fire as Joji
1981Samurai Reincarnation as Kirimaru Iga
1981Swords of the Space Ark
1980Shogun's Ninja as Momochi Takamaru
1980Yagyu's Secret Quest as Matabei
1980Dreamy Fifteen as Isozaki
1980Shadow Warriors
1979G.I. Samurai as Takeda Katsuyori
1979The Shogun Assassins as Monk Miyoshi Isa
1978Message from Space: Galactic Wars The Movie as Gen Hayato / Maboroshi
1978Message from Space: Galactic Wars as Hayato
1978Message from Space as Shiro Hongo
1978Shogun's Samurai as Hayate
1977J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai as Katsuya Nakayama
1974The Executioner as Ryuichi Koga (child)
1969New Prison Walls of Abashiri: The Vagrant Comes to a Port Town
1967Game of Chance 3
1967Game of Chance 2
1966Game of Chance as Kenichi Endo
1949The Emmy Awards as Self - Winner
1949The Emmy Awards as Self
1944Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee