People

Hiroyuki Sanada

Acting · follow into films and chains

Biography

Hiroyuki Sanada (真田広之, Sanada Hiroyuki, born Hiroyuki Shimosawa (下澤廣之, Shimosawa Hiroyuki); 12 October 1960) is a Japanese actor from Tokyo. Before breaking in to the movie business, he trained at Sonny Chiba’s Japan Action Club hoping to one day become a martial arts action film star. Sanada appeared in many action films in the 70s and early 80s, but as it became clear he was actually a talented and well-rounded actor, he was able to branch out into all different types of roles in every genre. Today he is best known in the west for his involvement in big-budget Hollywood productions such as The Last Samurai and Rush Hour 3.

Notable films

Where to start

Highlights from credits and KinoChain journeys.

Bullet Train

Appears in a KinoChain journey

Sunshine

Appears in a KinoChain journey

Mortal Kombat II

As Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion

John Wick: Chapter 4

As Shimazu

The Last Samurai

As Ujio

Minions

As Sumo Villain (voice)

Life

As Sho Murakami

Army of the Dead

As Bly Tanaka

Chains

KinoChain journeys

Public chains that pass through their films — or name them as a bridge.

Browse all chains

Solar Cinema: From Dawn to Destruction

A curated journey through cinema's most radiant and ruthless suns, from the cosmic dawn of 2001 to the scorching end of Sunshine.

5 films

Criminal Alliances

A chain tracing the anti-hero ensemble film from its war-movie origins through heist, western, and genre mutations to the modern comic-book iteration, examining...

8 films

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