Biography
James Saburo Shigeta (June 17, 1929 β July 28, 2014) was an American actor, singer, and musician of Japanese descent. He was noted for his roles in The Crimson Kimono (1959), Walk Like a Dragon (1960), Flower Drum Song (1961), Bridge to the Sun (1961), Die Hard (1988), and Mulan (1998). In 1960, he won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer β Male, along with three other actors.
In his early career, Shigeta often played romantic male lead roles, which were almost nonexistent for an actor of Asian descent during his time, making him a trailblazer in Asian American representation in media. The Goldsea Asian-American Daily magazine listed him as one of the "Most Inspiring Asian-Americans Of All Time".
Before his Hollywood career he found success as a pop singer and performer abroad, especially in Japan and Australia.
Filmography (86)
Beam Me Up, Sulu
2025
Yorktown: A Time to Heal
2022
Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood
2019
The People I've Slept With
2009
Hollywood Chinese
2007
The Slanted Screen
2006
Avatar: The Last Airbender
2005
Threat Matrix
2003
Brother
2000
Qigong: Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century
1999
Mulan
1998
Drive
1997
Space Marines
1996
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
1996
Midnight Man
1995
Cybill
1995
Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die
1994
Cage II: The Arena of Death
1994
Babylon 5
1994
seaQuest DSV
1993
Renegade
1992
Home from the Eastern Sea
1990
China Cry
1990
Beverly Hills, 90210
1990
Cage
1989
Die Hard
1988
Slaying the Dragon
1988
Jake and the Fatman
1987
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Airwolf
1984
The Hitchhiker
1983
Masquerade
1983
Tomorrow's Child
1982
The Renegades
1982
T. J. Hooker
1982
Matt Houston
1982
Simon & Simon
1981
Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb
1980
Magnum, P.I.
1980
Samurai
1979
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977
The Love Boat
1977
Midway
1976
The Killer Who Wouldn't Die
1976
Once an Eagle
1976
Matt Helm
1975
S.W.A.T.
1975
Ellery Queen
1975
The Yakuza
1974
The Questor Tapes
1974
Little House on the Prairie
1974
Police Woman
1974
The Rockford Files
1974
Lost Horizon
1973
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Emergency!
1972
Kung Fu
1972
Operation Heartbeat
1969
The Young Lawyers
1969
Medical Center
1969
Escape to Mindanao
1968
Nobody's Perfect
1968
Manila, Open City
1968
Hawaii Five-O
1968
Death Walks in Laredo
1967
The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
1967
Ironside
1967
Paradise, Hawaiian Style
1966
Mission: Impossible
1966
Carol for Another Christmas
1964
The Bing Crosby Show
1964
Burke's Law
1963
The Lieutenant
1963
The Outer Limits
1963
Flower Drum Song
1961
Cry for Happy
1961
Bridge to the Sun
1961
Ben Casey
1961
Dr. Kildare
1961
Kraft Mystery Theatre
1961
Walk Like a Dragon
1960
The Crimson Kimono
1959
Naked City
1958
Perry Mason
1957
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
Golden Globe Awards
1944
English
EspaΓ±ol
Russian
