James Shigeta
Known for: Acting
Born: June 17, 1929
Died: July 28, 2014
Place of birth: Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA
James Saburo Shigeta (June 17, 1929 – 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 – 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.
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Filmography
43 movies · 43 TV shows, newest first
6.0
Beam Me Up, Sulu
2025
NR
Yorktown: A Time to Heal
2022
5.7
Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood
2019
4.5
The People I've Slept With
2009
NR
Hollywood Chinese
2007
10.0
The Slanted Screen
2006
8.8
Avatar: The Last Airbender
2005
6.1
Threat Matrix
2003
7.1
Brother
2000NR
Qigong: Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century
1999
7.9
Mulan
1998
6.1
Drive
1997
7.2
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
1996
3.5
Space Marines
1996
5.2
Midnight Man
1995
5.9
Cybill
1995
3.3
Cage II: The Arena of Death
1994
6.8
Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die
1994
8.0
Babylon 5
1994
7.1
seaQuest DSV
1993
6.7
Renegade
1992
6.4
China Cry
1990
7.3
Beverly Hills, 90210
1990NR
Home from the Eastern Sea
1990
4.0
Cage
1989
8.0
Slaying the Dragon
1988
7.8
Die Hard
1988
6.2
Jake and the Fatman
1987
7.5
Murder, She Wrote
1984
7.6
Airwolf
1984
7.5
Masquerade
1983
6.3
The Hitchhiker
1983
6.3
Matt Houston
1982
6.6
The Renegades
1982
4.3
Tomorrow's Child
1982
6.5
T. J. Hooker
1982
6.7
Simon & Simon
1981
7.3
Magnum, P.I.
1980
6.0
Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb
1980
9.0
Samurai
1979
6.3
The Love Boat
1977
7.1
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977
6.8
Once an Eagle
1976
6.6
Midway
1976
7.0
The Killer Who Wouldn't Die
1976
7.5
Ellery Queen
1975
NR
Matt Helm
1975
7.1
S.W.A.T.
1975
7.1
The Yakuza
1974
6.4
Police Woman
1974
7.6
The Rockford Files
1974
8.0
Little House on the Prairie
1974
5.9
The Questor Tapes
1974
5.4
Lost Horizon
1973
7.7
Kung Fu
1972
7.1
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
8.0
Emergency!
1972
10.0
The Young Lawyers
1969
6.4
Medical Center
1969
8.0
Operation Heartbeat
1969
9.0
Escape to Mindanao
1968
7.2
Hawaii Five-O
1968
8.5
Manila, Open City
1968
6.3
Nobody's Perfect
19686.3
The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
1967
6.8
Ironside
1967
7.2
Death Walks in Laredo
1967
7.6
Mission: Impossible
1966
5.2
Paradise, Hawaiian Style
1966
5.9
Carol for Another Christmas
1964
6.0
The Bing Crosby Show
1964
6.3
Burke's Law
1963
7.8
The Outer Limits
1963
7.0
The Lieutenant
1963
6.3
Flower Drum Song
1961
6.9
Bridge to the Sun
1961
5.9
Ben Casey
1961
5.7
Dr. Kildare
1961
7.2
Kraft Mystery Theatre
1961
5.4
Cry for Happy
1961
6.3
Walk Like a Dragon
1960
6.6
The Crimson Kimono
1959
5.7
Naked City
1958
7.7
Perry Mason
1957
6.4
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
7.0
Golden Globe Awards
1944