ACTOR

Ken Takakura

1931 - 2014

Photo of Ken Takakura

Icon of person Ken Takakura

Ken Takakura (Japanese: 高倉 健, Hepburn: Takakura Ken), born Goichi Oda (小田 剛一, Oda Gōichi, February 16, 1931 – November 10, 2014), was a Japanese actor and singer who appeared in over 200 films. Affectionately referred to as "Ken-san" by audiences, he was best known for his brooding style and the stoic presence he brought to his roles. He won the Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role four times, tied with Koji Yakusho for the most ever. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Ken Takakura has received more than 798,049 page views. His biography is available in 22 different languages on Wikipedia. Ken Takakura is the 1,417th most popular actor (down from 1,216th in 2019), the 579th most popular biography from Japan (down from 462nd in 2019) and the 19th most popular Japanese Actor.

Memorability Metrics

  • 800k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 56.52

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 22

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 2.28

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.61

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among ACTORS

Among actors, Ken Takakura ranks 1,417 out of 13,578. Before him are DeForest Kelley, Martin Freeman, Joss Ackland, Will Ferrell, Ulrich Mühe, and Claire Bloom. After him are Lil Dagover, Craig T. Nelson, Jon Favreau, Joan Bennett, Tony Sirico, and Sean Harris.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1931, Ken Takakura ranks 133. Before him are Haya Harareet, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Uri Orlev, Colin Wilson, Shadia, and Claire Bloom. After him are Rip Torn, John Milnor, Pierre Nora, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Kang Song-san, and Yevdokiya Mekshilo. Among people deceased in 2014, Ken Takakura ranks 110. Before him are Ramón José Velásquez, Leo Tindemans, Manitas de Plata, Serge Moscovici, Vasily Petrov, and Shulamit Aloni. After him are Marina Ginestà, Alice Herz-Sommer, Alice Babs, Carlos Páez Vilaró, Igor Mitoraj, and Edward Herrmann.

Others Born in 1931

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Others Deceased in 2014

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In Japan

Among people born in Japan, Ken Takakura ranks 579 out of 6,245. Before him are Emperor Murakami (926), Masaaki Hatsumi (1931), Koji Funamoto (1942), Yasukazu Tanaka (1933), Masako Nozawa (1936), and Mitsuko Uchida (1948). After him are Kinjiro Shimizu (null), Eiji Tsuburaya (1901), Yamada Nagamasa (1590), Ōtani Yoshitsugu (1559), Nitobe Inazō (1862), and Kenwa Mabuni (1889).

Others born in Japan

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Among ACTORS In Japan

Among actors born in Japan, Ken Takakura ranks 19. Before him are Akiko Wakabayashi (1941), Kōji Yakusho (1956), Victoria Principal (1950), Momoko Kōchi (1932), Hibari Misora (1937), and Masako Nozawa (1936). After him are Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (1933), Kinuyo Tanaka (1909), Machiko Kyō (1924), Mayumi Tanaka (1955), Shintaro Katsu (1931), and Mie Hama (1943).

Japanese born Actors

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Television and Movie Roles

Black Rain
Masahiro
Two New York cops get involved in a gang war between members of the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia. They arrest one of their killers and are ordered to escort him back to Japan. However, in Japan he manages to escape, and as they try to track him down, they get deeper and deeper into the Japanese Mafia scene and they have to learn that they can only win by playing the game—the Japanese way.
Sep 22nd 19896.589 / 10
The Yakuza
Tanaka Ken
American private eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza.
Dec 21st 19747.1 / 10
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
Gou-ichi Takata
Takada, a Japanese fisherman has been estranged from his son for many years, but when the son is diagnosed with terminal cancer his daughter-in-law, Rie, summons him to the hospital. Through a series of obstacles and relationships, he is brought unexpectedly closer to both an understanding of himself and of his son.
Dec 22nd 20057.1 / 10