Actor Ken Ogata dies at 71

Celebrated actor Ken Ogata suddenly passed away on Sunday, it has been revealed. The cause of death has not been publicly announced yet. Ogata, whose real first name was Akinobu, turned 71 this past July.

A veteran of film, stage, and television, Ogata had been acting for 50 years. He joined the Shinkokugeki theater troupe in 1958, becoming an apprentice of actor Ryutaro Tatsumi, and he made his film debut two years later. In 1965, he rose to fame when he starred as Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the NHK taiga drama “Taikouki.” His lengthy filmography includes Yoshitaro Nomura’s “Kichiku” (“The Demon”) in 1978, Shohei Imamura’s “The Ballad of Narayama” in 1983, and Paul Schrader’s “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” in 1985. In 2000, he was awarded the Shiju Hosho.

Most recently, Ogata barely finished filming for Fuji TV’s drama “Kaze no Garden” on September 28. The show begins airing on the 9th.

Ogata is survived by his wife, actress Norie Takakura, and his two sons, Kanta and Naoto, who are both actors.

Source:
Sankei Sports