Sessue Hayakawa

Biography

Sessue Hayakawa (June 10, 1889 – November 23, 1973) was a Japanese and American Issei (Japanese immigrant) actor who starred in American, Japanese, French, German, and British films. Hayakawa was the first and one of the few Asian actors to find stardom in the United States as well as Europe. Between the mid-1910s and the late 1920s, he was as well known as actors Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks. He was one of the highest paid stars of his time; making $5,000 a week in 1915, and $2 million a year via his own production company during the 1920s. He starred in over 80 movies and has two films in the U.S. National Film Registry. His international stardom transitioned both silent films and talkies. Of his English-language films, Hayakawa is probably best known for his role as Colonel Saito in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai, for which he received a nomination for Academy Award Best Supporting Actor in 1957. He also appeared as the pirate leader in Disney's Swiss Family Robinson in 1960. In addition to his film acting career, Hayakawa was a theatre actor, film and theatre producer, film director, screenwriter, novelist, martial artist, and an ordained Zen master.   Description above from the Wikipedia article Sessue Hayakawa, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Wagon Train

Taikouki

The Bridge on the River Kwai

Swiss Family Robinson

Asian Americans

Green Mansions

Tokyo Joe

The Daydreamer

All Movies (97)

• Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood2019 · as (archive footage)
• Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema2007 · as Self (archive footage)
• Swiss Family Robinson: Adventure in the Making2002 · as Self (archive)
• Lover's Duet1967 · as Tajima
• The Daydreamer1966 · as The Mole (voice)
• The Frozen Moment1964 · as Self
• The Big Wave1961 · as The Old Man
• Swiss Family Robinson1960 · as Kuala, Pirate Chief
• Escape to Paradise/Water Birds1960
• Hell to Eternity1960 · as General Matsui
• John Gunther's High Road1959 · as Self
• Green Mansions1959 · as Runi
• The Geisha Boy1958 · as Mr. Sikita
• The Rise and Fall of a Jungle Giant1958 · as Self
• The Bridge on the River Kwai1957 · as Col. Saito
• House of Bamboo1955 · as Inspector Kito
• 日本敗れず1954
• Kurama Tengu and Katsu Kaishū1953 · as Awanokami Katsu
• The Tragic General: Yamashita Tomoyuki1953 · as Tomoyuki Yamashita
• 47 Vendettas1953 · as Sakon Tachibana
• Les Miserables II: Banner of Love and Freedom1950
• Les Miserables I: God and the Devil1950
• The Motherland Far Far Away1950 · as Joe Hayami
• Three Came Home1950 · as Colonel Michio Suga
• Tokyo Joe1949 · as Baron Kimura
• Quartier chinois1947 · as Tchang
• Le Cabaret du Grand Large1946 · as Professeur Wang
• Le Soleil de minuit1943 · as Matsui
• Malaria1943
• Gambling Hell1942 · as Ying Tchaï
• Patrouille blanche1942
• Tempête sur l'Asie1938 · as Prinz Ling
• Forfaiture1937 · as Prince Hu-Long
• Yoshiwara1937 · as Ysamo, Kuli
• The Daughter of the Samurai1937 · as Iwao Yamato
• The Sun Rises from the East1932 · as Kenji
• Running Hollywood1932 · as Sessue Hayakawa
• Around the World in 80 Minutes with Douglas Fairbanks1931 · as Self
• Daughter of the Dragon1931 · as Ah Kee
• I Have Killed1924 · as Hideo
• Sen Yan’s Devotion1924 · as Sen Yan
• The Danger Line1924 · as Marquis Yorisaka
• The Great Prince Shan1924 · as Prince Shan
• The Battle1923 · as Le Marquis Yorisaka
• Night Life in Hollywood1922 · as Self
• Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 121922 · as Self
• The Vermilion Pencil1922 · as Tse Chan / The Unknown / Li Chan
• Five Days to Live1922 · as Tai Leung
• The Swamp1921 · as Wang
• Where Lights Are Low1921 · as T''Su Wong Shih
• Black Roses1921 · as Yoda
• Screen Snapshots (Series 1, No. 20)1921 · as Himself
• The First Born1921 · as Chan Wang
• An Arabian Knight1920 · as Ahmed
• Li Ting Lang1920 · as Li Ting Lang
• The Devil's Claim1920 · as Akbar Khan / Hassan
• The Brand of Lopez1920 · as Vasco Lopez
• The Beggar Prince1920 · as Nikki / Prince
• The Tong Man1919 · as Luk Chen
• The Illustrious Prince1919 · as Prince Maiyo
• Bonds of Honor1919 · as Yamashito / Sasamoto
• The Dragon Painter1919 · as Tatsu - the Dragon Painter
• The Gray Horizon1919 · as Yamo Masata
• The Man Beneath1919 · as Dr. Chindi Ashutor
• His Debt1919 · as Goto Mariyama
• The Courageous Coward1919 · as Suki Iota
• A Heart in Pawn1919 · as Tomaya
• The Temple Of Dusk1918 · as Akira
• Banzai1918 · as The American General
• His Birthright1918 · as Yukio
• The City of Dim Faces1918 · as Jang Lung
• The Bravest Way1918 · as Kara Tamura
• The White Man's Law1918 · as John A. Genghis
• The Honor of His House1918 · as Count Ito Onato
• Hidden Pearls1918 · as Tom Garvin
• The Secret Game1917 · as Nara-Nara
• The Call of the East1917 · as Arai Takada
• Hashimura Togo1917 · as Hashimura Togo
• Forbidden Paths1917 · as Sato
• The Jaguar's Claws1917 · as El Jaguar
• The Bottle Imp1917 · as Lopaka
• Each to His Kind1917 · as Rhandah
• The Victoria Cross1916 · as Azimoolah
• The Soul of Kura San1916 · as Toyo
• The Honorable Friend1916 · as Makino
• Alien Souls1916 · as Sakata
• Temptation1915 · as Opera Admirer
• The Cheat1915 · as Hishuru Tori [Haka Arakau]
• The Secret Sin1915 · as Lin Foo
• The Clue1915 · as Nogi
• The Chinatown Mystery1915 · as Yo Hong
• After Five1915 · as Oki - the Valet
• The Last of the Line1914 · as Tiah - Gray Otter's Son
• The Typhoon1914 · as Tokorama
• The Death Mask1914 · as Running Wolf
• The Wrath of the Gods1914 · as Lord Yamaki
• O Mimi san1914 · as Yorotomo

All TV Shows (3)

• Asian Americans2020 · as Self
• Taikouki1965 · as Takeda Shingen
• Wagon Train1957 · as Sakae Ito