# Hiro Kanagawa

Hironobu Kanagawa (金川 弘敦, Kanagawa Hironobu, October 13, 1963) is a Japanese-Canadian actor and playwright based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
He has appeared in numerous high-profile films and television series shot in the Vancouver area, including The X-Files, Smallville, Caprica, Godzilla, The Man in the High Castle, Altered Carbon, iZombie, Legends of Tomorrow, Heroes Reborn, Kim's Convenience, and Shōgun, and was a writer on Da Vinci's City Hall. As a voice-over artist, he was the original English-language voice of Gihren Zabi in the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise and played Reed Richards in Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes.
Kanagawa's play Indian Arm won the 2015 Jessie Richardson Theatre Award and the 2017 Governor General’s Literary Award for English-language Drama. He is also a four-time Leo Award nominee.

## Early life and education

Kanagawa was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan and grew up in Guelph, Ontario, Sterling Heights, Michigan, and Tokyo. He graduated from International Christian University High School. Prior to his acting career, he worked in Tokyo as a sculptor and rock musician.
Kanagawa conducted his undergraduate studies in sculpting at Middlebury College, where he graduated in 1986. He also attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. After dropping out of his initial graduate program, he re-enrolled at Simon Fraser University, where he completed his first play and completed his MFA in 1994.

## Career

Kanagawa played Principal Kwan in TV series Smallville. He also voiced Gihren Zabi from Mobile Suit Gundam. He was also the voice of Mister Fantastic on Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes. Kanagawa has the distinction of having played three different characters in the TV series The X-Files, appearing independently in seasons 2, 4 and 10.
Besides acting, Kanagawa is also a playwright and screenwriter and teaches creative writing in the English department at Capilano University. He is an Associate Member of the Playwrights’ Theatre Centre.
In 2015, he won the Jessie Richardson Theatre Award for Outstanding Script for his play Indian Arm, an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's Little Eyolf. In 2017, Indian Arm won the Governor General's Award for English-language drama.

## Personal life

Kanagawa has lived in British Columbia since 1990. He resides in Port Moody, B.C. with his wife, artist Tasha Faye Evans. They have two children together.

## Filmography
### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Born Too Soon | Resident | |
| 1994 | My Name is Kate | Doctor | |
| 1994 | Voices from Within | Medical Examiner | |
| 1995 | A Child Is Missing | Agent Kurosaka | |
| 1995 | Cyberjack | Kenji | |
| 1997 | Bliss | Emergency Doctor | |
| 1997 | Excess Baggage | Jon | |
| 1998 | Futuresport | Otomo Akira | |
| 1999 | Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying | Controller | |
| 1999 | Resurrection | Tech #2 | |
| 2000 | The Guilty | Police Detective | |
| 2000 | Protection | Don | |
| 2000 | Best in Show | Pet Shop Owner | |
| 2001 | Josie and the Pussycats | Japanese Delegate | |
| 2005 | Hiro | Hiro | |
| 2005 | Best Friends | Detective Miyashiro | |
| 2006 | Family in Hiding | Kanagawa | |
| 2007 | War | Yoshido | |
| 2008 | The Day the Earth Stood Still | Dr. Ikegawa | |
| 2009 | Hardwired | Dr. Steckler | |
| 2009 | Girlfriend Experience | John | |
| 2010 | The King of Fighters | Saisyu Kusanagi | |
| 2011 | Doomsday Prophecy | Dr. Yates | |
| 2011 | Earth's Final Hours | Tech | |
| 2013 | Down River | Aki's Father | |
| 2013 | Grave Halloween | Jin | |
| 2014 | Godzilla | Hayato | |
| 2015 | The Age of Adaline | Kenneth | |
| 2018 | Fifty Shades Freed | Detective Clark | |
| 2019 | Midway | Commander Isamu Fujita | |
| 2020 | Deeper I Go | | Short film |
| 2021 | Crisis | Dr. Ishiyama | |
| 2021 | iDorothy | Sal | Short film |
| 2021 | Hiro and the Emerald Lady | Hiro | Short film |
| 2021 | Needle in a Timestack | Tattersal | |
| 2021 | Every Breath You Take | Dr. Toth | |
| 2022 | Orphan: First Kill | Detective Donnan | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Madison | Teacher | |
| 1994 | Highlander: The Series | Akira Yoshida | |
| 1994 | M.A.N.T.I.S. | Yakuza Translator | |
| 1994, 1997, 2016 | The X-Files | Dr. Yonechi, Peter Tanaka, Garner | 3 episodes |
| 1998, 2000 | The Outer Limits | Ron Hikida / Tali | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Sliders | Henry | Episode: "Obsession" |
| 1998 | Cold Squad | | |
| 1998 | The Inspectors | Polygraph Tech | Television film |
| 1999 | The Net | Frank | Episode: "Y2K - Total System Failure" |
| 2000 | Seven Days | Mr. Kim / Dr. Oshima | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Dark Angel | Theo | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2000 | The Linda McCartney Story | Senior Narcotics Officer | Television film |
| 2001–02 | Smallville | Principal James Kwan | 5 episodes |
| 2002 | Damaged Care | Dr. Kitano | |
| 2002 | Living with the Dead | Frank the Business Consultant | |
| 2003 | Betrayed | Dr. Tanaka | Television film |
| 2005 | The 4400 | Agent Park | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Criminal Minds | Seattle ASAC | Episode: "Extreme Aggressor" |
| 2005 | Steklo | Akira | |
| 2005 | Andromeda | Burma | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Stargate SG-1 | Mr Wayne | Episode: "Full Alert" |
| 2005 | Da Vinci's City Hall | Fire Captain Roy Komori | 9 episodes |
| 2006 | Blade: The Series | Taka | Episode: "The Sacrifice" |
| 2007 | Intelligence | Detective Ogawa | 7 episodes |
| 2008 | Heroes and Villains | Mitsunari Ishida | Episode: "Shogun" |
| 2008 | What Color Is Love? | Henry Wong | Episode: |
| 2008 | The Story of Saiunkoku | Kaku | Episode: "It's the Company That Makes Travel Unpleasant" |
| 2009 | Supernatural | Game Show Host | Episode: "Changing Channels" |
| 2009 | Reaper | Morris | 3 episodes |
| 2009 | Sanctuary | Ark-Fong Li | Episode: "Eulogy" |
| 2010 | Caprica | Cyrus Xander | 13 episodes |
| 2010 | Human Target | Lt. Peale | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2010 | Fringe | Lawyer | Episode: "The Box" |
| 2011–12 | The Secret Circle | Calvin Wilson | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Continuum | Dr. Ted Gibson | Season 1 episode 3 |
| 2012–14 | Blackstone | Harold | 4 episodes |
| 2013 | The Tomorrow People | Corbin | Episode: "All Tomorrow's Parties" |
| 2013 | Bates Motel | Dr. Kurata | 2 episodes |
| 2013-14 | Almost Human | Recollectionist | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | The 100 | Council Member #3 | 3 episodes, season 1 |
| 2015 | The Returned | Dr. Hiromoto | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | The Magicians | Professor March | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | The Whispers | Team Member 1 Brent | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Dark Matter | Emperor Ishida Tetsuda | 2 episodes |
| 2015–16 | The Man in the High Castle | Taishi Okamura | 5 episodes |
| 2015–16 | Heroes Reborn | Hachiro Otomo/Red Samurai | 8 episodes |
| 2015, 2018 | iZombie | Lieutenant Suzuki | 8 episodes, Recurring season 1; guest season 4 |
| 2016 | Timeless | Agent Kondo | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2016 | Zoo | Curtis | Episode: "The Moon and the Star" |
| 2016 | Kim's Convenience | Pastor Choi | 2 episodes |
| 2017–18 | Legends of Tomorrow | Director Wilbur Bennett | 4 episodes, season 3 |
| 2018 | Altered Carbon | Captain Tanaka | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | Salvation | Chief Justice Martin Cheng | 4 episodes |
| 2018 | Designated Survivor | NASA Liaison to the President Richard Kim | Episode: "The Final Frontier" |
| 2019 | The Order | Detective Hayashi | Episode: "Hell Week, Part One" |
| 2019 | Warigami | James Ohata | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | The Terror | Dr. Kitamura | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Limetown | R.B. Villard | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | See | Lord Unoa | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist | Dr. Hamara | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | Charmed | Dr. Tanaka | Episode: "Unsafe Space" |
| 2020 | Helstrom | Father Sean Okamoto | Episode: "Viaticum" |
| 2021 | Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan | Narrator | Voice role; 6 episodes |
| 2021 | The Good Doctor | Dr. Paul Nakano | Episode: "Letting Go" |
| 2022 | Star Trek: Discovery | Dr. Hirai | 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Pachinko | Goto-San | Episode: "Chapter One" |
| 2022–23 | Upload | Sato | 4 episodes |
| 2022–23 | So Help Me Todd | Alistair Song | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | The Night Agent | FBI Director Willet | 3 episodes |
| 2023–24 | Percy Jackson and the Olympians | Headmaster / Kronos | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Fire Lord Sozin | Episode: "Aang" |
| 2024 | Shōgun | Igarashi Yoshitomo | 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Family Law | | 1 episode |

### Voice acting

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Mobile Suit Gundam | Gihren Zabi | English-language dub |
| 2001 | Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat | The Foolish Magistrate | |
| 2003 | Master Keaton | Fumio Hisayama | English-language dub |
| 2004 | InuYasha | Saint Hakushin | English-language dub |
| 2006–2007 | Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes | Mister Fantastic | |
| 2007 | Black Lagoon | Col. Matsuto | English-language dub |
| 2020 | Monster Beach | Stress Leave | |
| 2021 | Future Boy Conan | Dr. Briac Lao | English-language dub |
| 2022 | Team Zenko Go | Mr. Tanaka | |
| 2024 | Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction | Katsuaki Ognio | English-language dub |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front | Gihren Zabi | English version |
| 2001 | Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon | Gihren Zabi | English version |
| 2003 | Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space | Gihren Zabi | English version |
| 2023 | Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest - The Adventures of Dai | Matoriv | English version |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2006 | Leo Awards | Best Performance by a Male in a Short Drama | Hiro | Nominated |
| 2021 | Leo Awards | Best Performance by a Male in a Short Drama | The Tailor | Nominated |
| 2021 | Leo Awards | Best Performance by a Male in a Short Drama | Deeper I Go | Nominated |
| 2021 | Vancouver Short Film Festival | Best Performance by a Man | Deeper I Go | Won |
| 2021 | UBCP/ACTRA Awards | Best Supporting Performance, Male | Deeper I Go | Won |
| 2022 | Leo Awards | Best Performance by a Male in a Short Drama | iDorothy | Nominated |