, better known by his stage name , was a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 50 movies and 25 television series. For his merits and contribution to arts in 2000 received Japan's Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon.
Among many movie awards and nominations, he received three times Japan Academy Film Prize award for Best Actor for The Demon (1978), The Ballad of Narayama (1983) and House on Fire (1986), and in addition Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor for The Catch and Okinawan Boys (1983). Other notable roles were in Shohei Imamura's Vengeance Is Mine (1979), Paul Schrader's Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985), Peter Greenaway's The Pillow Book (1996).
Life Ogata was born on July 20, 1937 in Tokyo, Japan. He started his acting career in 1958 as part of the Shinkokugeki theater troupe.
His movie debut was 1960s Tooi Hitotsu No Michi, but his starring role as Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 1965 NHK Taiga drama Taikōki catapulted him to fame. Ken went on to many prominent roles in subsequent programs. The following year, he portrayed Benkei in Minamoto no Yoshitsune. The network tapped him again for the role of Fujiwara no Sumitomo in the 1976 Kaze to Kumo to Niji to. He returned to playing Hideyoshi in the 1978 Ōgon no Hibi, and returned to the lead as Ōishi Kuranosuke in Tōge no Gunzō, the 1982 Chūshingura. Another featured appearance in a Taiga drama was in Taiheiki (1991, as Ashikaga Sadauji, father of Takauji). His final appearance in the taiga drama was Fūrin Kazan in 2007. Besides the taiga drama series, Ogata portrayed Fujieda Baian in the Hissatsu series Hissatsu Shikakenin, he reprised the character twice in the film series later.
His last lead role was in A Long Walk (2006). Mr. Ogata died of liver cancer on October 5, 2008, just days after finishing his role in the production of the Fuji TV drama Kaze no Garden (Garden of the Winds).
Ogata was a talented calligrapher and held a public exhibition in 1991. His sons Kanta and Naoto are actors as well.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1968The Sex Check1969Samurai BannersFarewell, My BelovedLady with Seven Faces1973Professional Killers: Assassin’s QuarryFujieda Baian Lead role, Hissatsu series1974Hissatsu Shikakenin Shunsetsu shikakebariFujieda BaianLead role, Hissatsu seriesCastle of SandKen'ichi MikiThe Last Samurai1977Mount Hakkoda1978The DemonLead role1979Vengeance Is MineLead role1980Virus1981Samurai ReincarnationMiyamoto MusashiEijanaikaEdo PornTetsuzōLead role1982Yaju-dekaLead role1983The Ballad of NarayamaLead roleThe CatchLead roleOkinawan BoysThe GeishaLead role1985Mishima: A Life in Four ChaptersYukio MishimaLead roleOarLead roleTrackedLead role1986House on FireLead role1987ZegenLead role1988A Chaos of FlowersOracion1989Shogun's ShadowLead roleShasoLead roleZatoichi, Darkness Is His AllyRônin/Masterless samurai1991Rainbow KidsDaigoro IgariMy Soul Is SlashedLead role1992Dreams of RussiaDaikokuya KōdayūLead role1996The Pillow Book1999Shooting StarKikujirō YamamotoLead role2000Film NoirIchihara2001Man Walking on SnowNobuo HonmaLead role200211'09"01 September 11Episode 11: "Japan"2004The Hidden BladeIzoLast Quarter of the MoonThe Man Who Wipes MirrorsLead role2005The Samurai I LovedMaki Sukezaemon2006Love and HonorA Long WalkLead role2008Kitaro and the Millennium CurseNurarihyonFinal film role
Television Year Title Role Notes1965TaikōkiToyotomi HideyoshiLead role, Taiga drama1966Minamoto no YoshitsuneBenkeiTaiga drama1972Shin Heike MonogatariDr. Abe no AsadoriTaiga dramaHissatsu ShikakeninFujieda BaianLead role, Hissatsu series1975Hissatsu Hitchuu Shigotoya KagyōHanbeiLead role, Hissatsu seriesTsūkai! Kōchiyama SōshunChōjiEpisode 151976Kaze to Kumo to Niji toFujiwara no SumitomoTaiga dramaHissatsu KarakurininYumeya TokijirōLead role, Hissatsu seriesZatoichi Season 2GonnosukeEpisode 12 "Money And Hell"1977–78Shin Hissatsu KarakurininHiroshige, narratorHissatsu series1978Ōgon no HibiToyotomi HideyoshiTaiga drama1979Ashura no Gotoku Part 1Satomi TakaoZatoichi Season 4HikotarōEpisode 6 "The Spinning Wheel"1982Tōge no GunzōŌishi KuranosukeLead role, Taiga drama1985HagokuSeitarō SakumaLead role, television film1988Tokugawa IeyasuToyotomi HideyoshiTelevision film1991TaiheikiAshikaga SadaujiTaiga drama1997Mōri MotonariAmago TsunehisaTaiga dramaGiftYujiro KishiwadaThe final episode1998The Scorching Silk RoadDocumentary1999Furuhata NinzaburōKengo KuroiwaEpisode 27Dear FriendKiichi SatakeTelevision film2003Say Hello to Black JackOsamu Hattori2005Ruri's IslandYūzō Nakama2006Sailor Suit and Machine GunHajime SandaijiSpecial appearance2007Fūrin KazanUsami SadamitsuTaiga drama2008BōshiShunpei TakayamaLead roleGarden of BreezeTeizō Shiratori
Japanese dub The Golden Compass – Iorek Byrnison (2008)
Honours Medal with Purple Ribbon (2000) Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2008)
References
External links
Ken Ogata at BAFTA Ken Ogata's Blog, hara8bunme (in Japanese)