James Shigeta dies at 81

James Shigeta was one of the first prominent Asian-American actors in the early 1960s

Die Hard actor James Shigeta has died at the age of 81.

James Shigeta was one of the first prominent Asian-American actors in the early 1960s.

He made his debut in 1959 as a detective in The Crimson Kimono and starred in Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation Flower Drum Song in 1961.

James Shigeta’s career later focused on the small screen, appearing in dozens of shows.

He is probably best remembered for his role in Die Hard as Mr. Takagi, the ill-fated boss of the Nakatomi corporation.

James Shigeta was one of the first prominent Asian-American actors in the early 1960s

After refusing to give up the security code to his company’s bank vault, the executive met a grisly end at the hands of villain Hans Gruber, played by Alan Rickman.

Born in Hawaii, James Shigeta studied acting at New York University before joining the Marines where he entertained troops during the Korean War.

He became a singing star in Japan before making his big screen debut, a talent which helped land him the lead role of Wang Ta in Flower Drum Song.

James Shigeta won the Golden Globe for most promising newcomer in 1960, sharing it with George Hamilton, Troy Donahue and Barry Coe.

Other films he appeared in the early 1960’s included Walk Like a Dragon opposite Jack Lord and Cry for Happy alongside Glenn Ford.

After bit parts in TV series such as I Spy, Hawaii Five-O, Mission: Impossible and Ironside, James Shigeta secured a recurring role as a doctor on drama Medical Center from 1969 to 1972.

He later appeared mainly as a character actor in shows including Kung Fu, Little House on the Prairie, Airwolf, Magnum PI and Dragnet, as well as the 1982 TV movie The Renegades opposite Patrick Swayze.

James Shigeta last appeared on screen in 2009 indie film The People I’ve Slept With.

His publicist Jeffrey Leavitt announced James Shigeta died in Los Angeles, but did not give the cause of death.

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Sonia Pantiss

Sonia is the heart and the artist of the team. She loves art and all that it implies. As Sonia says, good music, a well directed movie, or attending a music or film festival melts people’s heart and make them better. She is great at painting and photography. Working on scrapbooks is her favorite activity.