Yoshio Harada
| Yoshio Harada | |
|---|---|
| Born |
29 February 1940 Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | 19 July 2011 (aged 71) Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1968–2011 |
Yoshio Harada (原田 芳雄 Harada Yoshio?, 29 February 1940 – 19 July 2011) was a Japanese actor best known for playing rebels in a career that spanned six decades.
Born in Tokyo, Harada joined the Haiyūza theater troupe in 1966 and made his television debut in 1967 with "Tenka no seinen" and his film debut in 1968 with Fukushū no uta ga kikoeru. He came to fame appearing in New Action films at Nikkatsu playing youthful rebels. Among his features for Nikkatsu was the 1971 exploitation film, Stray Cat Rock: Crazy Riders '71 (aka Alleycat Rock: Crazy Riders '71) for director Toshiya Fujita where he played the son of a yakuza boss.
Leaving the Haiyūza in 1971, he appeared in films made by many directors, including Seijun Suzuki, Shūji Terayama, Azuma Morisaki, Kihachi Okamoto, Rokurō Mochizuki, Jun Ichikawa, Hirokazu Koreeda and Kōji Wakamatsu, but he was particularly favored by Kazuo Kuroki and Junji Sakamoto. He starred in many independent films, including those of the Art Theatre Guild. According to the critic Mark Schilling, Harada was "a favorite of generations of Japanese helmers for his rugged features, low, rumbling voice and distinctive presence, with shades of darkness and wildness that made him a natural for antihero roles in his youth." Harada also appeared in many television dramas.
He died of pneumonia on 19 July 2011 while battling cancer. His last starring film was Someday, and it was at a press conference for that film on 11 July that he made his last public appearance.
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