Actor

Utaemon Ichikawa

Acting

Career Snapshot

Explained

These indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.

Acting credits

101

Prolific

Very extensive acting filmography.

TMDB popularity

1.5

Low visibility

TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.

Movies: 97Series: 4

TMDB ID: 134368

IMDb ID: nm0406743

Known for: Acting

Born: February 11, 1904

Died: September 16, 1999

Age: 95

Place of birth: Marugame, Kagawa, Japan

Gender: Male

Adult content flag: No

Career span: 1932 - 1992

Years active: 61

Average TMDB rating: 6.9

Wikidata: Q4205284

Also known as

Утаэмон Итикава

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Biography

Utaemon Ichikawa was a Japanese film actor famous for starring roles in Jidaigeki from the 1920s to the 1960s. Trained in kabuki from childhood, he made his film debut in 1925 at Makino Film Productions under Shōzō Makino. Quickly gaining popularity, he followed the example of Makino stars such as Tsumasaburō Bandō in starting his own independent production company, Utaemon Ichikawa Productions, in 1927. It was there he first began the "Idle Vassal" (Hatamoto taikutsu otoko) series, which would become his signature role. When his company folded in 1936 as sound film came to the fore, he moved to Shinkō Kinema and then Daiei Studios before helping form the Toei Company after World War II. He served on the board of directors along with fellow samurai star Chiezō Kataoka. Utaemon appeared in over 300 films during his career. His son, Kin'ya Kitaōji, is also a famous actor in film and television.