Akihiko Hirata

**Akihiko Hirata** (平田昭彦, *Hirata Akihiko*, December 16, 1927 – July 25, 1984), born **Akihiko Onoda** (野田昭彦, *Onoda Akihiko*), was a Japanese film actor. While Hirata starred in many movies (including Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai trilogy), he is most well known for his work in the kaiju genre, including such films as King Kong vs. Godzilla, The Mysterians, Terror of Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and his most famous role of Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, the brilliant but disturbed young scientist in the original Godzilla, released in 1954.

Hirata was married to the popular actress Yoshiko Kuga from 1961 until his death. He died at age 56 in 1984 after a long battle with lung cancer.

## Career

Charismatic and handsome actor from Japan’s Golden Age of Filmmaking, highly regarded by his contemporaries. Vaguely reminiscent of Gregory Peck.

Hirata was distinguished from his fellow actors in that he had actually completed his college education (at Law school, no less) and had been working full time before he embraced acting. He joined Toho as part of the 5th New Face class. He met fellow actor Kenji Sahara at this time and the two remained close friends until Hirata’s death in 1984.

Hirata’s most iconic role was his early appearance as the tormented Dr. Serizawa in the original Godzilla film (1954). He wore the trademark eyepatch again for a villainous role in Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966), and during the press conference announcing production of The Return of Godzilla (1984). Serizawa was meant to play the scientist role in that film, but his failing health prevented him from doing so and the role went to Yosuke Natsuki instead. His final film role was as a doomed scientist in Sayonara, Jupiter (1984).

Hirata is also popular in Japan for playing the villain Mister K on the Rainbowman TV series in the 70s. He made a cameo appearance on the Star Wolf series as a commander in Earth’s space force. Star Wolf was later adapted into Fugitive Alien of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame; Hirata is the official being briefed by Joe “Captain Joe” Shishido on the new crew of the Bacchus 3. You can also see Hirata playing a doctor in Latitude Zero (1969) where he tries to deliver all his lines in English and, quite frankly, fails miserably.

## Biography

Hirata was born in Seoul, Korea in 1927, into a wealthy family. He was educated at the prestigious Tokyo University's School of Interior Design Before joining Shintoho as an assistant director (under his older brother, Yoshiki Onoda), Hirata moved into still photography, and eventually joined Toho in 1953, under the studio's "New Face" program, which would lead to his casting in Godzilla (although Hirata was originally intended for the part of Ogata, eventually played by another genre regular, Akira Takarada).

## Popular in Films

Hirata's film debut came in 1953, with The Last Embrace (directed by Masahiro Makino) as Yamaoka (3rd generation). Hirata would go on to play everything from snarling villains to government officials. His long face and intense features have earned the actor a cult following. Although Hirata earned lasting fame with his part in Godzilla, the role also typecast him, and the actor would go on to star in over 20 other sci-fi fantasy films for Toho (among them The H-Man, Gorath, and Prophecies of Nostradamus, as well as an important recurring role in the original Ultraman series. It is fitting that in both his first and final appearances in a Godzilla film, Hirata would play mysterious and disturbed scientists, as Hirata took on the role of the tragic Dr. Mafune in 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla.

## Death

Hirata died in 1984. The actor's association with the kaiju genre continued right until his death, as he helped announce the production of The Return of Godzilla at a Tokyo press conference, but unfortunately Hirata was too ill to appear in the film, and the part would eventually go to Yosuke Natsuki, who had appeared alongside Hirata in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster in 1964. Hirata died on the 25th of July, 1984, after a long battle with lung cancer at the young age of 56. His final film role was in the 1984 film Sayonara Jupiter. He is survied by his wife Yoshiko Kuga, whom they became a happy couple in 1961 until his death in 1984.