# Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada (Japanese: 真田 広之; né Shimozawa; born 12 October 1960) is a Japanese actor. He has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Japan Academy Film Prize, two Hochi Film Awards, a Mainichi Film Award, three Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor, four Kinema Junpo Awards, and honors from the Yokohama Film Festival. In 2018, he received the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon from the Japanese government for his "artistic developments, improvements, and accomplishments".
He began his career in the mid-1960s at the age of five, and was the protégé of actor Sonny Chiba. A black belt in Kyokushin Karate, he initially gained prominence for his roles in Japanese and Hong Kong action films, later establishing himself as a dramatic actor. He is best known to international audiences for his roles as Ryuji Takayama in Ring (1998) where he played alongside Nanako Matsushima, who was also his co-star in a 1997 television drama A Story of Love. His role as the Fool in a production of the Shakespeare play King Lear (1999–2000) gave him theatrical attention, and led to his appointment as an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2002. Beginning in the 2000s, Sanada grew his Hollywood presence with such roles as Seibei Iguchi in The Twilight Samurai (2002), Ujio in The Last Samurai (2003), and Kenji in Rush Hour 3 (2007).
Sanada's appearances in Hollywood films include Sunshine (2007), Speed Racer (2008), The Wolverine, 47 Ronin (both 2013), Minions (2015), Life (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Army of the Dead (2021), as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion in Mortal Kombat (2021), in Bullet Train (2022), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). He also had recurring roles on Lost (2010) and the HBO series Westworld (2018–2020). Sanada gained acclaim for his role in the FX historical drama series Shōgun (2024) as Yoshii Toranaga, the titular character, a fictionalized version of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Sanada won various best actor accolades for this role.

## Life and career
### 1966–1978: Child actor

Born in Tokyo, he was scouted by an entertainer while playing with the son of the actor Kokichi Takada who lived in the same condominium. After working as a model for a magazine for young children, he joined the Himawari Theatre Group at the age of five. Originally planning to be an action movie star, he studied Shorinji Kempo and later took up Kyokushin kaikan karate. He began playing baseball at age 8 as a catcher. Sanada was mentored by actor Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, and was a member of his Japan Action Club (JAC), becoming his protégé.
At the age of five, Sanada had his first role in the 1966 film Game of Chance (浪曲子守唄) as the son of Chiba's character. He had several roles in Japanese television and films, but quit temporarily so he could focus on living a normal childhood. He said this gave him "a good chance to watch movies as the audience", helping his perspective. By his teenage years he knew how to act, fight, sing, dance, perform stunts, ride horseback, and had developed versatility. Sanada had noticed that many popular actors would develop such skills, and felt it was "the best service for the audience" to do so himself before he practised acting again. He began acting again with a part in a film by Japanese director Kinji Fukasaku.

### 1982–1999: Japanese character roles

Sanada received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film Science from Nihon University in 1982. In 1984, Sanada starred with Sonny Chiba and Hiroko Yakushimaru in Legend of the Eight Samurai, which became the number one film in Japan, earning ¥2.3 billion, and was later released in foreign language versions. This film established Sanada as an 80's teen "idol" in Japan. In 1992, Sanada played Yoshinari, a stockbroker turned yakuza in the comedy film Keisho Sakazuki (Succession), with Ogata Ken. In 1997 Sanada starred in a television drama A Story of Love, also known by its Japanese title Konna Koi no Hanashi, where he played the role of Shuichiro Harashima, a wealthy but lonely upper-class businessman who falls in love with a decorating designer from a lower-class family played by Nanako Matsushima. The following year in 1998, Sanada once again co-starred with Nanako Matsushima in the mystery thriller Ringu (Ring) as Takayama Ryuji, the ex-husband of Matsushima's character Reiko, a journalist investigating the death of her niece. Also in 1998, Sanada starred as Asami in Jun Ichikawa's Tadon to Chikuwa. Sanada's role followed the story of a writer suffering from writer's block. In 1999, Sanada starred in Mayonaka Made (Round About Midnight) as Moriyama Koji, a confident jazz trumpet performer who performs at a club called Cotton Tail. In the film, Moriyama sees Michelle Reis's character being attacked by two murderers, who they proceed to chase throughout the film.

### 1999–2002: Royal Shakespeare Company

In 1999 and 2000, he performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in their production of King Lear. Producer Nigel Hawthorne personally invited Sanada to play the role, yet Sanada had doubts since he had not taken an English-language role before. Sanada was convinced after the producers assured him that he was "an actor first before [being] Japanese or Asian". For this role, he was appointed an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2002, citing his "contribution to spreading British culture in Japan." That year, Sanada played the lead role of the low-ranking Seibei Iguchi in The Twilight Samurai. It follows the turbulent life and times of the character, and documents the financial woes that a 19th-century Japanese warrior could have faced.

### 2003–2009: The Last Samurai and international breakthrough

In 2003, Sanada's role as Ujio, a master swordsman, opposite Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai, brought him praise. Sanada played Matsuda, a man who befriends Ralph Fiennes' character Todd Jackson, in The White Countess (2005) directed by James Ivory. He starred in the Chinese film The Promise directed by Chen Kaige as General Guangming. Sanada appeared in Rush Hour 3 (2007) with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, Danny Boyle's Sunshine (2007) as Kaneda, and The City of Your Final Destination (2009), in which he plays Pete, the younger lover of Anthony Hopkins's character Adam Gund.

### 2010–2020: Lost, Westworld, and Avengers: Endgame

Sanada joined the cast of the ABC TV series Lost in 2010 during its sixth and final season. He portrayed Dogen, a high-ranking member of "The Others". In 2013, he appeared in 47 Ronin (the first English-language adaptation of the Chushingura legend, Japan's most famous tale of samurai loyalty and revenge) alongside Keanu Reeves, as Shingen Yashida in The Wolverine opposite Hugh Jackman, and as Takashi Nagase in The Railway Man, a story of vengeance and reconciliation co-starring Stellan Skarsgård and Colin Firth. He voiced "Sumo Villain" in Minions, a master of strength and power who pursues the Minions.
Sanada was a guest star as Takehaya, a former Japanese Navy officer and legendary pirate captain in post-plague Asia, in the apocalyptic drama series The Last Ship. He also starred in the 2017 movie Life with Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds. In 2018, he began a recurring role as swordmaster Musashi on the HBO series Westworld and played the minor role of Akihiko in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame. That year, he received the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon from the Japanese government for his "artistic developments, improvements, and accomplishments" In August 2019, Sanada was cast in the Mortal Kombat reboot as Scorpion. In 2020, Sanada starred alongside Johnny Depp in the film Minamata. In 2021, he played the shrewd casino owner Bly Tanaka in Zack Snyder's action film Army of the Dead.

### 2021–present: Bullet Train, John Wick: Chapter 4, Shōgun

In 2022, Sanada took the major supporting role of the Elder in Bullet Train opposite Brad Pitt. In 2023, he portrayed Koji Shimazu, manager of the Osaka Continental Hotel, in John Wick: Chapter 4, and was featured in a multi-commercial campaign introducing Mazda CX-90.
In 2021, Sanada was announced as producer and part of the cast of the FX limited series Shōgun, adapted from the James Clavell novel, playing the part of Lord Toranaga. The series has received widespread global critical acclaim, with Sanada's role in the series considered a highlight among many reviewers. In 2024, Sanada became the first Japanese actor or actress to win any Primetime Emmy, and specifically the first Japanese winner of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, for his role in Shōgun. Sanada also was a recipient of the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series for his role as a producer for the series. Sanada received the inaugural award for best TV series performance at the EnergaCamerimage International Film Festival for the role. He was nominated for the Gotham TV Award for Outstanding Performance in a Limited Series, and the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama. Sanada won the prize for Best Actor – Television Series Drama at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, and received the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for the role.

## Honors

* 2002 Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire
* 2018 Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon

## Performances
### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Director(s) | Notes |
| 1966 | Game of Chance (浪曲子守唄) | Kenichi Endō | Ryūichi Takamori (鷹森立一) | |
| 1967 | Game of Chance 2 (続 浪曲子守唄) | Kenichi Endō | Ryūichi Takamori (鷹森立一) | |
| 1967 | Game of Chance 3: Lullaby for My Son (出世子守唄) | Kenichi Endō | Ryūichi Takamori (鷹森立一) | |
| 1969 | Abashiri Prison: Drifter at the Edge of the World (新網走番外地 さいはての流れ者) | Shōichi | Teruo Ishii (石井輝男) | |
| 1970 | Legacy of Honor (遊侠列伝) | Ichiro Kawamata | Shigehiro Ozawa (小沢 茂弘) | |
| 1970 | Brutal Tales of Chivalry 7 (昭和残侠伝 死んで貰います) | Yasuo Hanada | Masahiro Makino (マキノ雅弘) | |
| 1974 | The Executioner (直撃! 地獄拳) | Young Ryūichi Kōga | Teruo Ishii (石井輝男) | |
| 1978 | Shogun's Samurai (柳生一族の陰謀) | Hayate | Kinji Fukasaku (深作欣二) | |
| 1978 | Message from Space (宇宙からのメッセージ) | Shirō Hongō | Kinji Fukasaku (深作欣二) | |
| 1979 | Sanada Yukimura no Bōryaku (真田幸村の謀略) | Isa Nyūdō Miyoshi | Sadao Nakajima (中島貞夫) | |
| 1979 | G.I. Samurai (戦国自衛隊) | Takeda Katsuyori | Kōsei Saitō (斎藤光正) | |
| 1979 | Tonda Couple (翔んだカップル) | Hoshida | Shinji Sōmai (相米慎二) | |
| 1979 | Shogun's Ninja (忍者武芸帖 百地三太夫) | Takamaru Momochi | Norifumi Suzuki (鈴木則文) | |
| 1981 | Samurai Reincarnation (魔界転生) | Iga no Kirimaru | Kinji Fukasaku (深作欣二) | |
| 1981 | Roaring Fire (吼えろ鉄拳) | Jōji Hibiki/Tōru Hinohara | Norifumi Suzuki (鈴木則文) | |
| 1981 | The Kamikaze Adventurer (冒険者カミカゼ -ADVENTURER KAMIKAZE-) | Akira Hoshino | Ryūichi Takamori (鷹森立一) | |
| 1981 | The Blazing Valiant (燃える勇者) | Joe | Toru Dobashi (土橋亨) | |
| 1982 | Lovers Lost (道頓堀川) | Kunihiko Yasuoka | Kinji Fukasaku (深作欣二) | |
| 1982 | Ninja in the Dragon's Den (龍之忍者) | Genbu | Corey Yuen (元奎) | |
| 1982 | Fall Guy (蒲田行進曲) | Himself | Kinji Fukasaku (深作欣二) | Cameo appearance |
| 1982 | Ninja Wars (伊賀忍法帖) | Jōtarō | Kōsei Saitō (斎藤光正) | |
| 1983 | Kabamaru the Ninja (伊賀野カバ丸) | Shizune Mejiro | Norifumi Suzuki (鈴木則文) | |
| 1983 | Legend of the Eight Samurai (里見八犬伝) | Shinbei Inue | Kinji Fukasaku (深作欣二) | |
| 1984 | The Street of Desire (彩り河) | Jōji Tanaka | Haruhiko Mimura (三村晴彦) | |
| 1984 | Kōtarō Makaritōru! (コータローまかりとおる！) | Tatsuya Yoshioka | Norifumi Suzuki (鈴木則文) | |
| 1984 | Mahjong hōrōki (麻雀放浪記) | Tetsu Bōya | Makoto Wada (和田誠) | |
| 1985 | The Dagger of Kamui (カムイの剣) | Jiro (voice) | Rintaro (りんたろう) | |
| 1986 | House on Fire (火宅の人) | Chūya Nakahara | Kinji Fukasaku (深作欣二) | |
| 1986 | Inuji ni Seshi Mono (犬死にせしもの) | Shigesa | Kazuyuki Izutsu (井筒和幸) | |
| 1986 | Cabaret (キャバレー) | Tanokura | Haruki Kadokawa (角川春樹) | |
| 1986 | In the Line of Duty: Royal Warriors (皇家戰士) | Kenji "Peter" Yamamoto | David Chung (鍾志文) | |
| 1987 | Sure Death 4: Revenge (必殺IV 恨みはらします) | Ukyōnosuke Okuda | Kinji Fukasaku (深作欣二) | |
| 1988 | Kaitō Ruby (快盗ルビイ) | Tōru Hayashi | Makoto Wada (和田誠) | |
| 1989 | Who Do I Choose? (どっちにするの。) | Jun Yamamoto | Shusuke Kaneko (金子修介) | |
| 1990 | Yellow Fangs (リメインズ_美しき勇者たち) | Eiji | Sonny Chiba (千葉真一) | |
| 1990 | Let's Go to the Hospital (病院へ行こう) | Kōhei Shintani | Yōjirō Takita (滝田洋二郎) | |
| 1990 | Tsugumi (つぐみ) | Kyōichi | Jun Ichikawa (市川準) | |
| 1992 | Succession (継承盃) | Masakazu Yoshinari | Kazuki Ōmori (大森一樹) | |
| 1992 | Let's Go to the Hospital 2 (病は気から 病院へ行こう2) | Ichirō Katakura | Yōjirō Takita (滝田洋二郎) | |
| 1993 | We Are Not Alone (僕らはみんな生きている) | Keiichi Takahashi | Yōjirō Takita (滝田洋二郎) | |
| 1993 | Nemuranai Machi: Shinjuku Same (眠らない街 新宿鮫) | Takashi Samejima | Yōjirō Takita (滝田洋二郎) | |
| 1994 | Uneasy Encounters (怖がる人々) | Man | Makoto Wada (和田誠) | Anthology film |
| 1994 | Hero Interview (ヒーローインタビュー) | Jinta Todoroki | Michio Mitsuno (光野道夫) | |
| 1994 | Crest of Betrayal (忠臣蔵外伝 四谷怪談) | Takumi-no-kami Asano | Kinji Fukasaku (深作欣二) | Special appearance |
| 1994 | 119 (119) | Headquarters member | Naoto Takenaka (竹中直人) | |
| 1995 | Sharaku (写楽) | Tonbo | Masahiro Shinoda (篠田正浩) | |
| 1995 | East Meets West | Kenkichi Kamijō | Kihachi Okamoto (岡本喜八) | |
| 1995 | Emergency Call (緊急呼出し エマージェンシー・コール) | Hideyuki Harada | Kazuki Ōmori (大森一樹) | |
| 1998 | Ring (リング) | Ryūji Takayama | Hideo Nakata (中田秀夫) | |
| 1998 | Spiral (らせん) | Ryūji Takayama | George Iida (飯田譲治) | |
| 1998 | Murder on D Street (D坂の殺人事件) | Seiichirō Fukiya | Akio Jissoji (実相寺昭雄) | |
| 1998 | Tadon to Chikuwa (たどんとちくわ) | Asami | Jun Ichikawa (市川準) | |
| 1999 | Ring 2 (リング2) | Ryūji Takayama | Hideo Nakata (中田秀夫) | Special appearance |
| 2000 | First Love (はつ恋) | Shinichirō Fujiki | Tetsuo Shinohara (篠原哲雄) | |
| 2001 | Minna no Ie (みんなのいえ) | Bartender | Kōki Mitani (三谷幸喜) | |
| 2001 | Round About Midnight (真夜中まで) | Kōji Moriyama | Makoto Wada (和田誠) | |
| 2001 | Onmyōji (陰陽師) | Dōson | Yōjirō Takita (滝田洋二郎) | |
| 2002 | Vengeance for Sale (助太刀屋助六) | Sukeroku Sukedachiya | Kihachi Okamoto (岡本喜八) | |
| 2002 | The Twilight Samurai (たそがれ清兵衛) | Seibei Iguchi | Yoji Yamada (山田洋次) | |
| 2003 | The Last Samurai | Ujio | Edward Zwick | |
| 2005 | Aegis (亡国のイージス) | Hisashi Sengoku | Junji Sakamoto (阪本順治) | |
| 2005 | The White Countess | Matsuda | James Ivory | |
| 2005 | The Promise (無極) | General Guangming | Chen Kaige (陳凱歌) | |
| 2007 | Sunshine | Kaneda | Danny Boyle | |
| 2007 | Rush Hour 3 | Kenji | Brett Ratner | |
| 2008 | Speed Racer | Mr. Musha | The Wachowskis | |
| 2009 | The City of Your Final Destination | Pete | James Ivory | |
| 2012 | Tenchi: The Samurai Astronomer (天地明察) | Narrator | Yōjirō Takita (滝田洋二郎) | |
| 2013 | The Wolverine | Shingen Yashida | James Mangold | |
| 2013 | The Railway Man | Takashi Nagase | Jonathan Teplitzky | |
| 2013 | 47 Ronin | Ōishi Yoshio | Carl Rinsch | |
| 2015 | Mr. Holmes | Tamiki Umezaki | Bill Condon | |
| 2015 | Minions | Dumo the Sumo (voice) | Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda | |
| 2017 | Life | Sho Murakami | Daniel Espinosa | |
| 2018 | The Catcher Was a Spy | Kawabata | Ben Lewin | |
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Akihiko | Russo brothers | |
| 2020 | Minamata | Mitsuo Yamazaki | Andrew Levitas | |
| 2021 | Mortal Kombat | Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion | Simon McQuoid | |
| 2021 | Army of the Dead | Bly Tanaka | Zack Snyder | |
| 2022 | Bullet Train | The Elder | David Leitch | |
| 2023 | John Wick: Chapter 4 | Shimazu Koji | Chad Stahelski | |
| 2025 | Mortal Kombat 2 | Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion | Simon McQuoid | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 1966 | Freezing Point (氷点) | | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | JNR Inspector No. 36 (鉄道公安36号) | | 2 episodes |
| 1967 | Special Tactical Police (特別機動捜査隊) | | 1 episode |
| 1968–69 | Ahirugaoka 77 (あひるヶ丘77) | Tahei Danno | |
| 1970 | Mito Kōmon (水戸黄門) | Kanta | 1 episode |
| 1970–73 | Key Hunter (キイハンター) | | 3 episodes |
| 1975 | The Gorilla Seven (ザ★ゴリラ7) | | 1 episode |
| 1977 | J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai (ジャッカー電撃隊) | Katsuya Nakayama | 1 episode |
| 1977 | Shinkansen Kōankan (新幹線公安官) | Yasuo | 1 episode |
| 1978–79 | Message from Space: Galactic Wars (宇宙からのメッセージ・銀河大戦) | Hayato Gen/Maboroshi | 27 episodes |
| 1978–79 | The Yagyu Conspiracy (柳生一族の陰謀) | Hyōma Hattori Sasuke | 13 episodes |
| 1978 | Seven Detectives (七人の刑事) | | 1 episode |
| 1979 | The Unfettered Shogun (吉宗評判記 暴れん坊将軍) | Otome Moroki | 1 episode |
| 1980 | Roar! Doberman Cop (爆走！ドーベルマン刑事) | Hiroshi Sawaki | 1 episode |
| 1980–81 | Yagyu Abaretabi (柳生あばれ旅) | Matahei | 10 episodes |
| 1981–82 | Shadow Warriors II (影の軍団II) | Hayate Kozō | 10 episodes |
| 1982 | Shadow Warriors III (影の軍団III) | Sasuke | 13 episodes |
| 1982–83 | Yagyu Jubei Abaretabi (柳生十兵衛あばれ旅) | Matahei | 9 episodes |
| 1984 | Wonderful Circus Guy (素晴らしきサーカス野郎) | Tsuyoshi Satomi | TV film |
| 1984 | Chōdenshi Bioman (超電子バイオマン) | Ken Hayase | 1 episode |
| 1985 | Shadow Warriors IV (影の軍団IV) | Katsu Rintarō | 18 episodes |
| 1985 | And Then the War is Over (そして戦争が終った) | Tetsutarō Suzuki | TV film |
| 1985 | Kamen no Ninja Akakage (仮面の忍者赤影) | Genji | TV film |
| 1985 | Shadow Warriors: The End of An Era (影の軍団 幕末編) | Katsu Rintarō | 3 episodes |
| 1986 | Interviewer Saeko: A Returnless Journey (インタビュアー・冴子 〜もどらない旅へ〜) | | TV film |
| 1987 | Classmate is 13-years-old (同級生は13歳) | Kenkō Inawashiro | |
| 1987 | Dokuganryu Masamune (独眼竜政宗) | Matsudaira Tadateru | 9 episodes |
| 1987 | Sweet Memories (松田聖子のスイート・メモリーズ) | Kiyoshi Ishihara | TV film |
| 1987 | Me and Sister (俺と姉貴) | | TV film |
| 1988 | Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) | Ishida Mitsunari | TV film |
| 1988 | Love Story in New York (ニューヨーク恋物語) | Masahiro Sakairi | |
| 1988 | I Love You So Much (あなたが大好き) | Seiichi | TV film |
| 1989 | Oda Nobunaga (織田信長) | Tokugawa Ieyasu | TV film |
| 1989 | Sakamoto Ryoma (坂本龍馬) | Sakamoto Ryōma | TV film |
| 1990 | Shingo's Ten Duels (新吾十番勝負) | Aoi Shingo | TV film |
| 1991 | Taiheiki (太平記) | Ashikaga Takauji | 49 episodes |
| 1991 | Fall Guy: Gin-chan Goes (続・蒲田行進曲 銀ちゃんが行く) | | TV film |
| 1992 | Seiteki Mokushi Roku (性的黙示録) | Mitsuo Wada | TV film |
| 1992 | Seizoroi Shimizu Ikka: Jirocho Uridasu (勢揃い清水一家 次郎長売り出す) | Shinya no Asakichi | TV film |
| 1993 | Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Conqueror of a Nation (天下を獲った男 豊臣秀吉) | Azai Nagamasa | TV film |
| 1993 | Kōkō Kyōshi (高校教師) | Takao Hamura | 11 episodes |
| 1994 | The Reason I Owed to Her (僕が彼女に、借金をした理由。) | Kunihiko Yamanobe | 11 episodes |
| 1995 | The Abe Clan (阿部一族) | Matashichirō Emoto | TV film |
| 1995 | Miracles in the Holy Night: Santa Claus is Coming to Town (聖夜の奇跡 聖者が街にやってくる -Santa Claus is Coming to town-」) | Yūji Nonomura | TV film |
| 1996 | Hideyoshi (秀吉) | Ishida Mitsunari | |
| 1997 | Shin Hanshichi Torimonocho (新・半七捕物帳) | Hanshichi | 18 episodes |
| 1997 | A Story of Love (こんな恋のはなし) | Shūichirō Harashima | 12 episodes |
| 1998 | That Man's Fear (その男の恐怖) | Keisuke Kishikawa | TV film |
| 1998 | Tabloid (タブロイド) | Toshihito Manabe | 10 episodes |
| 1999 | Summer of Detectives (刑事たちの夏) | Kazuki Kurokawa | TV film |
| 1999 | Furuhata Ninzaburō (古畑任三郎) | Kazuo Yura | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Kujira o Mita hi (鯨を見た日) | Tamio Ōba | TV film |
| 2001 | Unmarried Family (非婚家族) | Yōsuke Matoba | 12 episodes |
| 2004 | Locked-in Syndrome (ロックド・イン症候群) | Shunsuke Kōsaka | TV film |
| 2010 | Lost | Dogen | 5 episodes |
| 2011–12 | Revenge | Satoshi Takeda | 4 episodes |
| 2014–15 | Helix | Dr. Hiroshi Hatake | 15 episodes |
| 2014 | Extant | Hideki Yasumoto | 13 episodes |
| 2016 | The Last Ship | Takehaya | 9 episodes |
| 2018 | Westworld | Musashi | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Westworld | Dolores "Sato" Abernathy | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Hawkeye | Akihiko | 1 episode (archive footage) |
| 2024–present | Shōgun | Yoshii Toranaga | Also producer |

### Stage appearances

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1981 | Yagyu Jubei Makai Tensho | Iga no Kirimaru |
| 1981 | Stuntman Story | Hiroyuki |
| 1982–84 | The Big Adventure of The Fantastic Pirates | Icarus (Young Pirate)/Eagle Spirit |
| 1984 | Little Shop of Horrors | |
| 1985 | The Drunken Duke | Napoleon Bonaparte |
| 1985 | Tenshu Story | |
| 1986 | Adventure Youth Departure | |
| 1986 | Stuntman Love Story | |
| 1986 | Romeo and Juliet | Romeo |
| 1987 | Biloxi Blues | Eugene |
| 1988 | Big River | Huckleberry |
| 1989–90 | Broadway Bound | Eugene |
| 1993 | Moonlit Club | |
| 1995–98 | Hamlet | Hamlet |
| 1999–2000 | King Lear | The Fool |
| 2000 | The Orchestra Pit | Conductor |

## Accolades

| Institution | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
| Astra TV Awards | 2024 | Best Actor in a Streaming Drama Series | Shōgun | Won | |
| Blue Ribbon Awards | 1993 | Best Actor | We Are Not Alone | Won | [57] [58] [59] |
| Blue Ribbon Awards | 1995 | Best Actor | Sharaku East Meets West Kinkyu yobidashi - Emâjenshî kôru | Won | [57] [58] [59] |
| Blue Ribbon Awards | 2005 | Best Actor | Aegis | Won | [57] [58] [59] |
| Camerimage | 2024 | Best Performance in a TV Series | Shōgun | Won | |
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | 2025 | Best Actor in a Drama Series | Shōgun | Won | |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2025 | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Shōgun | Won | |
| Gotham TV Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Performance in a Limited Series | Shōgun | Nominated | |
| Hochi Film Awards | 1988 | Best Actor | Kaitō Ruby | Won | [61] [62] |
| Hochi Film Awards | 1995 | Best Actor | Sharaku East Meets West Kinkyu yobidashi - Emâjenshî kôru | Won | [61] [62] |
| Japan Academy Film Prize | 1982 | Newcomer of the Year | Samurai Reincarnation Roaring Fire Bôkensha kamikaze | Nominated | [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] [68] |
| Japan Academy Film Prize | 1985 | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Mahjong hōrōki The Street of Desire Legend of the Eight Samurai | Nominated | [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] [68] |
| Japan Academy Film Prize | 1991 | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Tugumi Byôin e ikô Rimeinzu: Utsukushiki yuusha-tachi | Nominated | [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] [68] |
| Japan Academy Film Prize | 1994 | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Nemuranai Machi: Shinjuku Same We Are Not Alone | Nominated | [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] [68] |
| Japan Academy Film Prize | 2003 | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | The Twilight Samurai | Won | [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] [68] |
| Japan Academy Film Prize | 2006 | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Aegis | Nominated | [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] [68] |
| Kinema Junpo Awards | 1989 | Best Actor | Kaitō Ruby | Won | |
| Kinema Junpo Awards | 1994 | Best Actor | Nemuranai Machi: Shinjuku Same We Are Not Alone | Won | |
| Kinema Junpo Awards | 1996 | Best Actor | Sharaku East Meets West Kinkyu yobidashi - Emâjenshî kôru | Won | |
| Kinema Junpo Awards | 2003 | Best Actor | The Twilight Samurai Vengeance for Sale | Won | |
| Mainichi Film Awards | 2003 | Best Actor | The Twilight Samurai Vengeance for Sale | Won | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Drama Series | Shōgun | Won | [34] [69] |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Shōgun | Won | [34] [69] |
| Television Critics Association Awards | 2024 | Individual Achievement in Drama | Shōgun | Nominated | |
| Yokohama Film Festival | 1989 | Best Actor | Kaitō Ruby | Won | |
| Yokohama Film Festival | 1994 | Best Actor | Nemuranai Machi: Shinjuku Same We Are Not Alone Yamai wa kikara: Byôin e ikô 2 | Won | |