THE LOST LEGEND
Monster sadness as Godzilla icon Akira Takarada dies
The man forever connected with Hollywood monster Godzilla for so many, actor Akira Takarada has died aged 87.
He apparently died in Japan.
The actor appeared in the 1956 movie Godzilla: King of the Monsters with Raymond Burr.
He was also in the 1992 sequel, and the 2004 film Godzilla: Final Wars.
Toho Studios said: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Akira Takarada. May his memory continue to inspire the lives of many Godzilla fans.”
Film-maker Yoko Higuchi said: “The love this man felt for Godzilla was immense and I felt it every time he talked about the series. He loved Godzilla. Godzilla misses him.”
Fans online said Takarada’s “will forever go down as a legend”.
Takarada was born in Korea while it was under Japanese rule in 1934.
He made appearances in the movies Half-Human, The Last War, and King Kong Escapes.
Godzilla is a fictional monster – or kaiju – from Japanese films and became a worldwide pop culture icon in the 1950s. Godzilla has been dubbed the “King of the Monsters”, a phrase first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters!(1956), the Takarada’s version.
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