Actor Kinya Kitaoji, who is celebrating his 70th year in show business this year, will appear on the 90-minute special of TV Asahi's news and information program "Udo Times," airing on April 5th at 8:56 PM. He will appear as a guest in the "Legend & Star" segment, an interview with Caster Yumiko Udo, where he will talk about his 70-year career in entertainment, including anecdotes about his friendships with stars who graced the Showa era.
Born in 1943 as the second son of period drama star Ichikawa Utaemon, Kitaoji made his debut in 1956 at the age of 13 in the film "Father and Son Hawk," co-starring with Utaemon. Since then, he has appeared in numerous films and television dramas over the past 70 years.
He says that the people who supported his acting career were "three legendary men" who represent their respective fields. The first person he mentioned as his benefactor was Ken Takakura. He recalls that he was able to overcome the grueling filming of the masterpiece "Mount Hakkoda" (1977) and successfully play a difficult role thanks to the training he received from Takakura.
He reveals that when he was younger, one morning Takakura suddenly took him to an athletic club and urged him to do the same training routine that Takakura practiced every day. That was the beginning of him continuing to train with Takakura, and he recalls, "If it weren't for that training, I don't think I could have played the role of Captain Kanda in 'Mount Hakkoda'."
The second person he mentioned as a benefactor was Yukio Mishima. He said that the year before Mishima committed suicide, he wrote his last play, "The Terrace of the Leper King," specifically for Kitaoji. He also mentioned that there was one pose in the play that Mishima insisted on, saying, "I want you to protect this one thing."
He also revealed a secret story about Shigeo Nagashima, a legend in the sports world, whom he became acquainted with after being introduced by Takakura. He confessed that he was deeply moved by two letters that Nagashima sent him, saying, "They gave me great strength."
Upon hearing the many precious anecdotes, Caster Udo exclaimed, "Wow, that's amazing... all the stars are connected!" Kitaoji then spoke thoughtfully, "Looking back on my life from childhood until now, I truly feel that I was raised by wonderful encounters."
