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Takeshi Kitano

Directing 79 years old Tokyo, Japan ★ 2.4
Born: January 18, 1947

Biography

Takeshi Kitano (北野 武, Kitano Takeshi, born January 18, 1947), also known in Japan as Beat Takeshi (ビートたけし, Bīto Takeshi), is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host.

Kitano rose to prominence in the 1970s as one half of the comedy duo Two Beat, before going solo and becoming one of the three biggest comedians in the country. After several small acting roles, he made his directorial debut with 1989's Violent Cop and garnered international acclaim for Sonatine (1993). He was not widely accepted as an accomplished director in Japan until Hana-bi won the Golden Lion in 1997. In October 2017, Kitano completed his Outrage crime trilogy with the release of Outrage Coda. He is also known internationally for hosting the game show Takeshi's Castle (1986–1990) and starring in the film Battle Royale (2000).

External Links

🌐 Official Website 🎬 IMDb

Known For

Zatoichi
Zatoichi Director 2003
Brother
Brother Director 2000
Sonatine
Sonatine Director 1993
Fireworks
Fireworks Director 1997
Outrage
Outrage Director 2010

Jimmy's Seen (1)

Johnny Mnemonic
Johnny Mnemonic Takahashi 1995

Filmography

Acting Credits (114)

AUM: The Cult at the End of the World
AUM: The Cult at the End of the World Self (archive footage) 2025
Broken Rage
Broken Rage Nezumi 2024
Kubi
Kubi Hashiba Hideyoshi 2023
Takeshi's Castle Japan
Takeshi's Castle Japan 2023
Citizen Kitano
Citizen Kitano Self 2020
たけしのその時カメラは回っていた
たけしのその時カメラは回っていた 2020
Idaten: Tokyo Olympics Story
Idaten: Tokyo Olympics Story 古今亭志生 2019
Why Are We Creative?
Why Are We Creative? Self 2018
Kiseki taiken! Unbelievable
Kiseki taiken! Unbelievable Storyteller 2018
Plankton Salesmen
Plankton Salesmen Self (archive footage) 2017
Outrage Coda
Outrage Coda Otomo 2017
Ghost in the Shell: Hard-Wired Humanity - Making Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell: Hard-Wired Humanity - Making Ghost in the Shell self 2017
Prison Break
Prison Break Urata 2017
Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell Aramaki 2017
Doctor X: Gekai Daimon Michiko Special
Doctor X: Gekai Daimon Michiko Special 2016
While the Women Are Sleeping
While the Women Are Sleeping Sahara 2016
A Living Promise
A Living Promise Detective Koichiro Iwase 2016
Aka Medaka
Aka Medaka Tatekawa Danshi 2015
Mozu The Movie
Mozu The Movie Daruma 2015
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen Detective Murakami 2015
たけしのこれがホントのニッポン芸能史
たけしのこれがホントのニッポン芸能史 2015
オモクリ監督～O－Creator's TV Show～
オモクリ監督～O－Creator's TV Show～ 2014
Morning
Morning 2014
The 8th Floor
The 8th Floor Self 2014
In Between Mountains and Oceans
In Between Mountains and Oceans Himself 2014
Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel
Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel Rokuro Fujisawa 2014
Miwa: A Japanese Icon
Miwa: A Japanese Icon Himself 2013
Trespassing Bergman
Trespassing Bergman Self 2013
日曜ゴールデンで何やってんだテレビ
日曜ゴールデンで何やってんだテレビ 2012
Beyond Outrage
Beyond Outrage Otomo 2012
Dearest
Dearest Teruo Sugino 2012
A Special Day
A Special Day Self 2012
Kikoku
Kikoku Private First Class Oomiya 2010
Outrage
Outrage Otomo 2010
Takeshi's Castle Vol. 1
Takeshi's Castle Vol. 1 2009
What the War Meant
What the War Meant Hideki Tojo 2008
The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit
The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit Take-Majin (voice) 2008
Achilles and the Tortoise
Achilles and the Tortoise Machisu 2008
Yayoi Kusama: I Love Me
Yayoi Kusama: I Love Me 2008
Dots and Lines
Dots and Lines Jutaro Torikai 2007
To Each His Own Cinema
To Each His Own Cinema The projectionist (segment "Rencontre unique") 2007
Glory to the Filmmaker!
Glory to the Filmmaker! Takeshi / Yakuza / Father / Ninja / Detective / Astronomer 2007
Takeshis'
Takeshis' Beat Takeshi / Mr. Kitano 2005
The Golden Cups: One More Time
The Golden Cups: One More Time Himself 2004
Blood and Bones
Blood and Bones Joon-pyong Kim 2004
Izo
Izo Chancellor 2004
Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell!
Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell! Self 2004
Arakimentari
Arakimentari Self 2004
Zatoichi
Zatoichi Zatoichi / Ichi 2003
The Final Battleground — Making of Battle Royale II
The Final Battleground — Making of Battle Royale II Self 2003
Battle Royale II: Requiem
Battle Royale II: Requiem Kitano 2003
MXC
MXC 2003
Musashi
Musashi Munisai Shinmen 2003
Takeshi's Castle
Takeshi's Castle 2002
Kichiku
Kichiku 2002
Kogoro Akechi vs Kaijin Nijyuu Menso
Kogoro Akechi vs Kaijin Nijyuu Menso Niju Menso 2002
Shooting Film is Battleground: Making of BATTLE ROYALE
Shooting Film is Battleground: Making of BATTLE ROYALE Self 2001
The 300 million yen robbery
The 300 million yen robbery 2000
Battle Royale
Battle Royale Kitano 2000
Brother
Brother Aniki Yamamoto 2000
Making of 'Battle Royale'
Making of 'Battle Royale' Self 2000
The Story of One Century
The Story of One Century 2000
Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano
Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano 2000
Taboo
Taboo Toshizo Hijikata 1999
Kikujiro
Kikujiro Kikujiro 1999
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: Kyōfu Eizō Kaiki Shashin Korekushon
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: Kyōfu Eizō Kaiki Shashin Korekushon 1999
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: 1999 Nostradamus Senritsu no Daiyogen Mysterious Unbelievable
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: 1999 Nostradamus Senritsu no Daiyogen Mysterious Unbelievable 1999
The Unpredictable Takeshi Kitano
The Unpredictable Takeshi Kitano Self 1999
Jam Session (The Official Bootleg of Kikujiro)
Jam Session (The Official Bootleg of Kikujiro) 1999
Zankyo
Zankyo 1999
加ト・けん・たけしの世紀末スペシャル!!
加ト・けん・たけしの世紀末スペシャル!! 1998
Tokyo Eyes
Tokyo Eyes Yakusa 1998
Fireworks
Fireworks Yoshitaka Nishi 1997
Hana-bi (1997) – Behind-the-scenes Footage
Hana-bi (1997) – Behind-the-scenes Footage Self - Himself 1997
Making-of Kids Return
Making-of Kids Return Himself 1996
Gonin
Gonin Ichiro Kyoya 1995
Johnny Mnemonic
Johnny Mnemonic Takahashi 1995
Getting Any?
Getting Any? Scientist 1995
Many Happy Returns
Many Happy Returns Daisuke Shiba 1993
Sonatine
Sonatine Aniki Murakawa 1993
Today's Close-Up
Today's Close-Up 出演 1993
Erotic Liaisons
Erotic Liaisons Okuyama 1992
Dioxin from Fish!
Dioxin from Fish! Azuma 1992
北野ファンクラブ
北野ファンクラブ 1992
Kitano fan kurabu
Kitano fan kurabu Self 1992
A Legend of Turmoil
A Legend of Turmoil Kiichirou Yashiro 1992
Shoko Asahara with Takeshi
Shoko Asahara with Takeshi Self 1991
Kim's War
Kim's War Kim Hyi-ro 1991
KILL THEM ALL
KILL THEM ALL 1990
Boiling Point
Boiling Point Uehara 1990
Hoshi wo tsugu mono
Hoshi wo tsugu mono Yama no hito 1990
The Yagyu Code: Secret Scrolls
The Yagyu Code: Secret Scrolls 1990
Violent Cop
Violent Cop Azuma Ryosuke 1989
Beat Takeshi Presents TV Tackle
Beat Takeshi Presents TV Tackle 1989
The Boss' Wife
The Boss' Wife Shoji Sugimoto, Hitman 1988
雨の降る駅
雨の降る駅 演员 1986
Takeshi's Castle
Takeshi's Castle Count Takeshi 1986
No More Comics!
No More Comics! Police 1986
Jesus' Ark
Jesus' Ark Takeyoshi Sengoku 1985
Demon
Demon Yajima 1985
Joke with a Sorrowful Heart
Joke with a Sorrowful Heart Hiroshi Igarashi 1985
Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto
Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto Hara (archive footage) 1985
The Crimes of Kiyoshi Ōkubo
The Crimes of Kiyoshi Ōkubo Kiyoshi Ôkubo 1983
The Mosquito on the Tenth Floor
The Mosquito on the Tenth Floor Man at Racetrack 1983
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence Hara 1983
Summer Secrets
Summer Secrets Ramen shop owner 1982
Completely... With That Air!
Completely... With That Air! 1981
Manon
Manon Shinobu 1981
The Dump Truck Rascal
The Dump Truck Rascal 1981
Makoto-chan
Makoto-chan 1980
Go, Go Second Time Virgin
Go, Go Second Time Virgin Gang Member 1969
Golden Horse Awards
Golden Horse Awards Self 1962
In Your Blood: Hoki Naiden
In Your Blood: Hoki Naiden
Kodai bunmei Misuterī Takeshi no shin sekai nana fushigi dai hyakka
Kodai bunmei Misuterī Takeshi no shin sekai nana fushigi dai hyakka

Directing Credits (25)

Writing Credits (28)

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