Tetsuo Kurata

, better known under his stage name is a Japanese actor best known for his portrayal of Kohtaro Minami in both Kamen Rider Black and Kamen Rider Black RX, with his most recent reprisal of the role in the film Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3.
==Biography==
After high-school graduation, Kurata had failed his entrance exams into college. He then instead began attending acting school where a friend told him about an upcoming audition for the next Kamen Rider series. In 1987, Kurata began attending auditions but felt he didn't impress the producers enough and didn't think he'd get the role. However to his surprise, Kurata was personally cast into the role by Shotaro Ishinomori himself, beating over 8000 other contestants. To prepare for his role, Kurata began physical training and took on additional acting and singing lessons. The role of Kohtaro Minami would mark Kurata's debut acting role. After the success of Kamen Rider Black and Toei's approval for a second season, Kurata renewed his contract with Toei and starred in Black RX, which was not as successful. Kurata later stated in an interview that he always preferred Black over Black RX, quoting the comedy from the latter as "excessive". 
Following the end of Black RX, Kurata began appearing in other television dramas but took a brief hiatus from entertainment. He periodically returned to the role of Kohtaro through voice-over such as in the video game Kamen Rider: Seigi No Keifu. He made a physical comeback in the role in Kamen Rider Decade where he played both his Black and Black RX incarnations at the same time. He returned to the role once again in Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3.
On February 13, 2024 Kurata was revealed to be a guest at Power Morphicon 8, making his first convention appearance in the United States.https://officialpowermorphicon.com/2024/02/12/pmc-guest-announcement-tetsuo-kurata-kamen-rider-black-black-rx/?amp=1
==Personal Life==
*Aside from acting, Kurata owns and operates a steakhouse in Koto, Tokyo called "Billy the Kid". In 2024, his steakhouse has a new branch in the Philippines and it was currently operated in Solaire.
*Kurata has a son, Kotaro Kakimoto, who is also an actor and was named after Kurata's character in Kamen Rider.
==Controversies==
In 2021, allegations against Kurata surfaced dating backing from 2018 where he was gifted a full-sized figure of Kamen Rider Black by an artist under the condition he would not monetize or commercialize it.https://twitter.com/Saegusa61587590/status/1357313428650479620 However, Kurata used it inside his restaurant for three years to attract customers, thereby ignoring the artist's request.
During a live broadcast, Kurata expressed he was experiencing financial difficulties and asked fans for donations. He allegedly contacted the fans who donated to him for more money frequently and blocked those who didn't or were unable to.https://lovetokusatsu.com/2021/03/07/more-allegations-come-forward-regarding-kamen-rider-blacks-tetsuo-kurata/https://lovetokusatsu.com/2021/04/06/tetsuo-kurata-makes-controversial-remarks-regarding-his-kamen-rider-black-role-on-kamen-rider-series-50th-anniversary/
Kurata also made controversial remarks towards the celebration of the franchise's 50th anniversary as well as the announcement of Kamen Rider Black Sun, going so far as to claim he hated working on Kamen Rider.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWu-jVfH9Qk
A number of fans later came to Kurata's defense as the allegations against him were inconsistent with their own experiences with the actor. Many fans visited Kurata's restaurant, expressing him to reprise his role as Kohtaro. Furthermore, Kurata named his own son after the character he portrayed. 
Because of this, his fanbase internationally have mockingly given him the derogatory nickname "Kamen Rider Block", a pun based off of his Rider character. 
Kurata later apologized and expressed regret over his previous remarks, going on to say that Kotaro is "a close friend for more than three decades" and "a life partner". He admitted that his recent behavior was "childish and irresponsible" and vowed to never disappoint his fans again and hoped for forgiveness.https://www.instagram.com/p/CNWtTYaDhlw/
==Filmography==
*Kamen Rider Black (1987) - Kohtaro Minami/Kamen Rider Black
*Kamen Rider Black RX (1988) - Kohtaro Minami/Kamen Rider Black RX
*Kamen Rider Decade (2009) - Kohtaro Minami (RX)/Kamen Rider Black RX, Kohtaro Minami (Black)/Kamen Rider Black
*Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker (2009 Toei) - Kohtaro Minami/Kamen Rider Black RX (cameo)
* (2014-2015) - 
* (2015) - Kohtaro Minami/Kamen Rider Black/Kamen Rider Black RX
*Kamen Rider: Battride War Genesishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVyv3HbKYRU - Kamen Rider Black (voice)
==Discography==
*Kamen Rider Black Opening Theme
*Ore no Seishun 1st Movie Closing Theme
*Kuroi Yuusha Insert Theme
==Notes==
*Kurata is the only Showa-era Rider to reprise his role in Kamen Rider Decade.
*The youngest actor to be cast as a Rider at the time, Kurata was notably the first leading Rider actor in the Kamen Rider Series to have started playing the role while under the age of 20, paving the way for under-20 actors to be cast as the lead in the Heisei Kamen Rider series and beyond.
*As Kamen Rider Black and Kamen Rider Black RX, Tetsuo Kurata has the distinction of being the only actor to be the star of two shows in the Kamen Rider Series. This was highlighted in his return to the franchise in Kamen Rider Decade (2009), with the mythology of that particular series (that of a multiverse containing realities home to alternate versions of past Kamen Riders) allowing him to appear as both his Black and Black RX incarnations at the same time. The alternate RX appeared first appeared in episode 26, RX! Dai-Shocker Attack, then joining forces with the A.R. Black in the next, Black × Black RX. That same year, he had a cameo as the original Kotaro Minami, untransformed from Black RX, in the movie, Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker.
==References==
==External links==
*Tetsuo Kurata at Wikipedia
*Tetsuo Kurata at the Internet Movie Database
*Official website
*Billy the Kid Steakhouse
*Aromametarupendanto - Metal Aromatic Pendant
*Twitter
*Instagram
*YouTube
Category:Actors
Category:Singers