# Haruhiko Yamanouchi

Haruhiko Yamanouchi (山内 春彦, Yamanouchi Haruhiko, born 20 April 1946), also known as Hal Yamanouchi (ハル・ヤマノウチ, Haru Yamanouchi), is a Japanese-Italian actor, voice actor, dancer, choreographer, stunt performer, writer and former mime. Born in Tokyo, he has resided in Italy since 1975 and holds Italian citizenship.
Beginning his career as a mime, he has performed in and choreographed for numerous stage productions. Since 1976, he has acted in over 100 films and television series, including several 1980s genre films directed by the likes of Sergio Martino, Ruggero Deodato and Enzo G. Castellari. He is best known to international audiences for his villainous supporting roles in Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Wolverine. He has also translated and dubbed Japanese-language films into Italian.

## Early life and education

Yamanouchi was born in Tokyo. His grandfather, Akio Yamauchi, was a children's book writer. He grew up in Niigata Prefecture and graduated from Niigata High School and went on to study liberal arts at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. After graduation in 1971, he moved to London where he attended drama and dancing lessons. He was among the disciples of mime artist Lindsay Kemp.

## Career
### Theatre

While in London, he joined Stomu Yamashta's Red Buddha Theatre company, performing at the Roundhouse and the Piccadilly Theatre. He moved to Italy in 1975 and he began his career as an actor in experimental stage productions, appearing at pantomime festivals like the Festival Internazionale di mimo e pantomima in Florence and Settembre al Borgo in Campania. He was a regular guest on RAI programming, where he would demonstrate his various acts. He first gained recognition for his stage acting in a production of William Shakespeare's The Tempest where he played the role of Ariel in over 300 stagings and earned him a Premio Internazionale Guido d'Arezzo.
As a choreographer, Yamanouchi specializes in opera, collaborating with directors like Mauro Bolognini, Andrea Camilleri, Giancarlo Cobelli, Glauco Mauri, Mario Missiroli, Giuliano Montaldo and Luca Ronconi. He choreographed a production of Turandot held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

### Film and television

Yamanouchi is made his screen acting debut with an uncredited role in the 1975 Fantozzi, directed by Luciano Salce. He appeared in numerous erotic comedies and B-movies throughout the 1980s, including Crime at the Chinese Restaurant (1981), 2020 Texas Gladiators (1982), The Sword of the Barbarians (1982), 2019, After the Fall of New York (1983), Endgame (1983), Warriors of the Year 2072 (1984), Under the Chinese Restaurant (1987), Phantom of Death (1988). He was occasionally credited under the pseudonym Al Huang.
More high-profile roles taken by Yamanouchi include starring in Adriano Celentano's musical Joan Lui (1985) and in Gabriele Salvatores's science-fiction film Nirvana (1997). He also appeared in several American productions, such as Stuart Gordon's Robot Jox (1990), Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), Paul McGuigan's Push (2009) and Peter Weir's The Way Back (2010). He most notably portrayed the older Ichirō Yashida / Silver Samurai in The Wolverine (2013) (sharing the main antagonist's role with Ken Yamamura), starring opposite Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto and Hiroyuki Sanada and also dubbed over his own dialogue and Ken Yamamura's in the Italian-language version of the film.
As a voice actor, Yamanouchi has translated and dubbed numerous Japanese-language films and television series into Italian and occasionally vice versa. He typically provides the Italian voice of Asian characters in international productions and is the main Italian voice actor of Ken Watanabe, and in his animated roles, he voiced Floyd Eaglesan in the Italian dubbed version of Despicable Me 2 (2013) and Bernie Lumen in the Italian dubbed version of Elemental (2023).

### Teaching

Yamanouchi co-founded MDA Produzioni Danza, a dance and performing arts school in the Castelnuovo di Porto neighbourhood of Rome. He has also taught at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma and the Teatro Carlo Felice. He has also conducted numerous internships for mimes, dancers and actors for various associations, foundations and theater schools, on the themes of improvisation, spontaneous movements and acting with the kinesthetic approach.

## Personal life

From his relationship with TG3 journalist Teresa Piazza, he has a son, Taiyo Yamanouchi, who is an actor and hip hop artist who performs under the stage name 'Hyst'. He has also served as a secondary father figure to Jesto, Taiyo's half-brother from Piazza's relationship with Stefano Rosso.
Yamanouchi has resided in Rome since emigrating to Italy in 1975. He became a naturalized citizen in 1992. He is fluent in Japanese, Italian and English and has performed in all three languages. He has penned a number of essays on Italian and Japanese culture for Italian literary magazines and has contributed to UNESCO's International Theatre Institute.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 1975 | Fantozzi | Asian Cook | Uncredited |
| 1976 | Basta che non si sappia in giro | Japanese Sailor | Uncredited |
| 1977 | Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals | Manolo | |
| 1979 | Gardenia | Courier | |
| 1979 | Saturday, Sunday and Friday | Japanese passenger | |
| 1980 | I'm Photogenic | Simoni's butler | |
| 1980 | The Last Hunter | Vietcong | |
| 1981 | Crime at the Chinese Restaurant | Corpse | |
| 1982 | 2020 Texas Gladiators | Red Wolfe | |
| 1982 | The Sword of the Barbarians | Li Wo Twan | |
| 1983 | 2019, After the Fall of New York | Rat Eater King | |
| 1983 | Hearts and Armour | Samurai | |
| 1983 | Sing Sing | Chu Lai | |
| 1983 | Endgame | Ninja | |
| 1984 | Warriors of the Year 2072 | Akira | |
| 1985 | Anche lei fumava il sigaro | Bongo | |
| 1985 | Nell'acqua | | |
| 1985 | Joan Lui | Jarak | |
| 1986 | Lone Runner | Nimbus | |
| 1986 | 7 chili in 7 giorni | Chinese waiter | |
| 1987 | Under the Chinese Restaurant | Chinese chef | |
| 1988 | Phantom of Death | Swordmaster | |
| 1988 | Cream Train | Carmal | |
| 1989 | Sinbad of the Seven Seas | Cantu | |
| 1990 | Robot Jox | Tubie #1 | |
| 1990 | Blue Dolphin | Banzai Samurai | |
| 1992 | A Bear Called Arthur | Ohnishi | |
| 1992 | Genghis Khan | | Unfinished |
| 1993 | Craving Desire | | |
| 1995 | The Fishmen and Their Queen | Priest | |
| 1996 | We Free Kings | | |
| 1997 | Il tocco - La sfida | | |
| 1997 | Nirvana | Okasama Starr | |
| 1997 | Banzai | Policeman | |
| 1999 | All the Moron's Men | Yakuza boss | |
| 1999 | The Fish in Love | Korea consul | |
| 2001 | Tutta la conoscenza del mondo | | |
| 2004 | Movimenti | Japanese writer | |
| 2004 | Last Food | Takano | |
| 2004 | The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou | Chief Pirate | |
| 2007 | Tutte le donne della mia vita | Sakè | |
| 2008 | The Rage | Asian character | |
| 2008 | This Night Is Still Ours | Laowang | |
| 2009 | Push | Pop Father | |
| 2010 | The Way Back | Official | |
| 2010 | Gorbaciof | Lila's father | |
| 2010 | Late Summer | Kenji | |
| 2011 | All at Sea | Confù | |
| 2012 | Sins Expiation | Hal | |
| 2012 | The Day of the Siege: September Eleven 1683 | Murad Giray | |
| 2013 | Niente può fermarci | Mr. Lee | |
| 2013 | The Wolverine | Ichirō Yashida / Silver Samurai | Also dubbed in Italian |
| 2013 | Something Good | Laboratory chemist | |
| 2013 | The Girl from Nagasaki | Gardner | |
| 2013 | Colpi di fortuna | Arrambator | |
| 2014 | A Boss in the Living Room | Meditation master | |
| 2015 | Ebola | | |
| 2016 | Zoolander 2 | Wise village man | |
| 2016 | The Confessions | Emperor of Japan | |
| 2016 | Al posto tuo | Dr. Shimura | |
| 2017 | Grain | Leon | |
| 2017 | The Slider | Goro Nagano | |
| 2017 | Addio fottuti musi verdi | Yang | |
| 2018 | Vanishing Balances: Mafia vs Yakuza | Yutaka Zenshin | |
| 2018 | San Valentino Stories | Monaco Buddhist | |
| 2019 | Hard Night Falling | | |
| 2020 | Romantic Guide to Lost Places | | |
| 2020 | Defectum | | |
| 2021 | They Talk | Professor Hasegawa | |
| 2021 | Medium | Hung | |
| 2023 | Luka | | |
| 2023 | Land of Women | | |
| 2023 | Diabolik: Who Are You? | Chen-Fu | |
| 2024 | Iron Fighter | Alpha | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 1985 | Christopher Columbus | Guacanabo | 4 episodes |
| 1986 | Atelier | Kosci Kissaraghi | 1 episode ("Computer Fashion") |
| 1986 | I figli dell'ispettore | Japanese terrorist | TV film |
| 1987 | Treasure Island in Outer Space | Shadow | 5 episodes |
| 1987 | Tutti in palestra | Kung fu master | TV mini-series |
| 1988 | Una casa a Roma | | TV film |
| 1989 | The House of Lost Souls | Buddhist monk | TV film |
| 1991 | I ragazzi del muretto | | 1 episode ("Il ritorno di Massimo") |
| 1992 | Un inviato molto speciale | Butler | 1 episode ("Se lo dice Giuditta") |
| 1994 | Italian Restaurant | | |
| 1998 | Il mastino | Pao Cheng Fu | 1 episode ("Shangai") |
| 1998 | The White Elephant | Lo Yan | TV film |
| 1999 | Shadows | | TV film |
| 2001 | L'impero | Chinese mafia boss | TV mini-series |
| 2001 | Don Matteo | Guillermo Rivarola | 1 episode ("Il morso del serpente") |
| 2006 | La moglie cinese | Lao Xiao | TV mini-series |
| 2006 | L'ispettore Coliandro | Lu Yang | 1 episode ("Vendetta cinese") |
| 2011 | Dove la trovi una come me? | Mister Woo | TV film |
| 2011–2014 | Inspector Rex | Shop owner / Hiroshi Watanabe | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist | Senzô | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Il bosco | Miong | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Strike Back | | |
| 2016 | Zio Gianni | Anzin | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Squadra mobile | | |
| 2023 | The Swarm | Akito Nakamura | 8 episodes |

## Voice work

| Year| | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 2015 | Mokusatsu | Doctor | Short film |
| 2015 | Fukushima: A Nuclear Story | Italian and English voice-over | Documentary |

### Dubbing
#### Films (Animation, Italian dub)

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Ref |
| 2013 | Despicable Me 2 | Floyd Eaglesan | |
| 2023 | Elemental | Bernie Lumen | |

#### Films (Live action, Italian dub)

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Original actor |
| 2003 | The Last Samurai | Lord Moritsugu Katsumoto | Ken Watanabe |
| 2005 | Batman Begins | Ra's al Ghul decoy | Ken Watanabe |
| 2007 | Silk | Hara Jubei | Koji Yakusho |
| 2008 | Speed Racer | Mr. Musha | Hiroyuki Sanada |
| 2008 | The Ramen Girl | Maezumi | Toshiyuki Nishida |
| 2009 | The Hedgehog | Kakuro Ozu | Togo Igawa |
| 2009 | G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | The Hard Master | Gerald Okamura |
| 2010 | Inception | Saito | Ken Watanabe |
| 2010 | True Grit | Mr. Lee | Peter Leung |
| 2012 | Paulette | Chang | Bing Yin |
| 2013 | The Wolverine | Young Yashida | Ken Yamamura |
| 2014 | Godzilla | Dr. Ishirō Serizawa | Ken Watanabe |
| 2014 | Dumb and Dumber To | Harry’s adoptive father | Michael Yama |
| 2015 | Pixels | Tōru Iwatani | Denis Akiyama |
| 2016 | Silence | Ichizo | Yoshi Oida |
| 2016 | Arrival | General Shang | Tzi Ma |
| 2016 | USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage | Mochitsura Hashimoto | Yutaka Takeuchi |
| 2017 | Death Note | Watari | Paul Nakauchi |
| 2018 | Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again | Mr. Tatyama | Togo Igawa |
| 2018 | Second Act | Philip Jiang | Phil Nee |
| 2019 | Pokémon Detective Pikachu | Hideo Yoshida | Ken Watanabe |
| 2019 | Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Dr. Ishirō Serizawa | Ken Watanabe |
| 2019 | Midway | Isoroku Yamamoto | Etsushi Toyokawa |
| 2022 | Bullet Train | The Elder | Hiroyuki Sanada |
| 2023 | The Creator | Harun | Ken Watanabe |

#### Television (Live action, Italian dub)

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | Original actor | Ref |
| 2016–2018 | The Man in the High Castle | Nobusuke Tagomi | Main cast (seasons 1–3) | Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa | |

#### Video games (Italian dub)

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Ref |
| 2020 | Cyberpunk 2077 | Goro Takemura | |