Hiroyuki Sanada’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

Hiroyuki Sanada is one of the best Japanese actors of all time, and one of just a handful that has found incredible success outside the Japanese film industry. Sanada began his acting career at an early age, appearing in his first role at just five years old in the 1966 film, Game of Chance. Throughout the first four decades of his career, Hiroyuki Sanada worked primarily in Japan, with a variety of incredible movies and TV shows to his name, including Kaitō Ruby, The Twilight Samurai, and Ringu, the film that ushered in a new era of J-horror in the late-90s and early-2000s.

In 2003, Hiroyuki Sanada successfully emerged from the Japanese film industry into the international spotlight with his role in The Last Samurai, alongside Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. Since then, Sanada has enjoyed international acclaim with roles in a number of massive projects that include, Rush Hour 3, The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Bullet Train, and Mortal Kombat. His most recent role, and the culmination of his career up to this point, was in the record-breaking TV series Shōgun.

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10

Kaitō Ruby (1988)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Tōru Hayashi

Released in 1988, Kaitō Ruby feels like an underrated gem in Hiroyuki Sanada’s impressive filmography. The movie is incredibly charming as Sanada plays a young, socially awkward salaryman until he meets a pretty, young woman who moves into the apartment upstairs. After proclaiming that she is a thief, she enlists Sanada’s help to get her career officially started. It’s quirky and fun, showing another side to the actor.

What works so well about Kaitō Ruby is how incredibly charming it is and how it allows Hiroyuki Sanada to play against type a bit more than usual. Because of this, Sanada’s immense talent is able to be on full display in the film, stepping into his character with ease. The film is also quite funny, and Hiroyuki Sanada’s performance is perfect for the tone it is going for.

9

Sunshine (2007)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Kaneda

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Sunshine

R
Thriller Sci-Fi

Sunshine, directed by Danny Boyle, follows a team of astronauts on a mission to reignite a dying sun with a massive nuclear bomb. Set in 2057, the film stars Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, and Michelle Yeoh, encapsulating their struggle against both physical and psychological challenges. As the crew ventures deeper into space, they confront unexpected dangers that threaten the mission and their survival.

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Release Date

July 27, 2007

Runtime

107 minutes

Cast

Cillian Murphy
, Rose Byrne
, Michelle Yeoh
, Chris Evans
, Cliff Curtis

Director

Danny Boyle

Writers

Alex Garland

Website

https://www.searchlightpictures.com/sunshine/

Cinematographer

Alwin H. Küchler

Producer

Andrew Macdonald

Production Company

Ingenious Film Partners, UK Film Council, DNA Films, Moving Picture Company

Sfx Supervisor

Tom Wood, Richard Conway

Budget

$40 Million

Expand

Directed by Danny Boyle, Sunshine is a science fiction thriller about a group of astronauts sent on a mission to reignite the sun in the year 2057. A bit underrated upon release, the movie has aged well, containing all the quirks that make Boyle such a fascinating director. The scope of the narrative and the atmosphere present throughout makes it an incredible watch, with mind-bending twists along the way. It was also one of the earliest films that Alex Garland wrote, following up on his fantastic zombie film script, 28 Days Later.

Related

Sunshine: Cillian Murphy’s Sci-Fi Movie Writer Reflects On Conflicting With Director On 1 Theme

Sunshine screenwriter Alex Garland reflects on the one philosophical argument he had with the director of the Cillian Murphy sci-fi film.

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Hiroyuki Sanada is incredible in Sunshine, playing Kaneda, the captain of the Icarus II, the spaceship the crew uses during their mission. Kaneda is such a great character throughout the film, embodying all the qualities that make him such a great captain. Hiroyuki Sanada is able to give the character an impressive amount of depth and when he makes the ultimate sacrifice, it is heavily felt.

8

Succession (1992)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Masakazu Yoshinari

Not to be confused with the acclaimed HBO drama, Japan’s 1992 film, Succession, is incredible in its own right. The film revolves around a former stockbroker who becomes a member of the yakuza, tasked with making sure his boss is up to the task of swearing in the next leader. The movie is impressive in the way it is able to blend its comedy with poignant moments of drama. It’s offbeat and sometimes silly, but always enjoyable.

Much like his performance in Kaitō Ruby, Hiroyuki Sanada is once again able to show his acting range, tapping into more of a comedic role than most of his filmography, and it is all the better for it. The film is at its best when Sanada is able to take full control of a scene, playing up the absurdness of each scenario that he finds himself in.

7

Lost (2010)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Dogen

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9/10

64

8.7/10

Lost

TV-14
AdventureDramaMystery Sci-FiSupernatural

Lost is a mystery drama series created for TV that follows a group of survivors of a plane crash and tells its story between the past, present, and future via flashbacks. When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes and lands on a mysterious island in the pacific ocean, the castaways discover their new temporary home may have a mind of its own, as strange supernatural events keep them locked to the island. From an unknown black smoke creature to dangerous islanders, the passengers must work together to survive the island’s seemingly deadly intentions.

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Release Date

September 22, 2004

Main Genre

Mystery

Network

ABC

Cast

Evangeline Lilly
, Naveen Andrews
, Henry Ian Cusick
, Daniel Dae Kim
, Harold Perrineau
, Dominic Monaghan
, Emilie de Ravin
, Jorge Garcia
, Josh Holloway
, Michael Emerson
, Terry O’Quinn
, Matthew Fox
, Ken Leung
, Elizabeth Mitchell
, Yunjin Kim

Creator(s)

J.J. Abrams
, Damon Lindelof
, Jeffrey Lieber

Seasons

6

Writers

Jeffrey Lieber
, J.J. Abrams
, Damon Lindelof

Directors

Jack Bender
, Stephen Williams

Showrunner

Damon Lindelof
, Carlton Cuse

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It’s hard to overstate just how monumental Lost was during its 6-season run. It wasn’t like anything seen on TV before it and the central mystery, combined with characters with an impressive amount of depth, kept people talking about the show week after week. It’s one of the most popular shows ever made and although the ending was a bit divisive, it doesn’t stop it from being one of the best TV shows of all time.

Sanada plays a pivotal character who debuted in the show’s final season.

Despite running for six seasons, Hiroyuki Sanada only appeared in five episodes, relegated to the beginning of the sixth and final season. Despite that, Sanada had an important role on the show, playing Dogen, a member of the Others and guardian of the Temple, the only person who was able to keep the Man in Black out of it. There is a mysterious quality to Dogen during his appearances, and Hiroyuki Sanada’s performance elevates that even more.

6

The Last Samurai (2003)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Ujio

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9.4/10

The Last Samurai

R
ActionDrama

The Last Samurai is a historic epic directed by Edward Zwick, starring Tom Cruise as Captain Nathan Algren, a disillusioned American military officer who finds himself in Japan. Tasked with suppressing the Samurai rebellion, Algren is captured and ultimately assimilates into their way of life. In doing so, he gains profound insights into their culture and honor. The film explores themes of conflict, identity, and cultural transformation in late 19th-century Japan.

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Release Date

December 5, 2003

Runtime

154 minutes

Main Genre

Action

Cast

Shin Koyamada
, Ken Watanabe
, Koyuki Kato
, Tom Cruise
, Tony Goldwyn

Director

Edward Zwick

Writers

Edward Zwick
, John Logan
, Marshall Herskovitz

Website

https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/last-samurai

Cinematographer

John Toll

Producer

Paula Wagner, Tom Engelman, Edward Zwick, Tom Cruise, Marshall Herskovitz, Scott Kroopf

Production Company

Warner Bros., Cruise/Wagner Productions, Radar Pictures, The Bedford Falls Company

Sfx Supervisor

Cosmas Paul Bolger Jr., Steve Ingram

Budget

$140 million

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The Last Samurai is a historical epic that tells the story of an American soldier tasked with training the Japanese army in modern warfare. Instead, he learns the way of the Samurai, choosing to protect their way of life. The Last Samurai is a beautiful looking film with a fantastic central performance by Tom Cruise. It is equal parts thrilling and heartbreaking with an impressive cast all around.

Related

Is The Last Samurai Real At All? True Story Explained

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Hiroyuki Sanada is a central figure in The Last Samurai, playing Ujio, a master swordsman who eventually teaches Tom Cruise’s character the art of sword fighting despite initially having a disdain for him. Like Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai was a major breakout role for Hiroyuki Sanada outside the Japanese film industry, marking a significant shift in his entire career, as he is now one of the most prominent Japanese actors working in Hollywood today.

5

Round About Midnight (1999)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Kōji Moriyama

There is just something undeniably cool about Round About Midnight. The movie revolves around a jazz musician who witnesses a murder and meets a beautiful woman, as the two of them attempt to evade the killers and clear their names, given that they become the prime suspects. It’s a bit of an absurd plot, but the heightened sense of reality mixed with an incredible jazz score and Tokyo shot at night, makes Round About Midnight a special film.

Sanada is a movie star and shows it here, making Koji an incredibly nuanced character that is just trying to make it through the night.

Hiroyuki Sanada plays jazz musician Koji, whose charisma throughout the film is impressive. His chemistry with Michelle Reis’ character is arguably the greatest aspect of the film, as the two of them go on a neo-noir journey through the neon city. Sanada is a movie star and shows it here, making Koji an incredibly nuanced character that is just trying to make it through the night. It’s one of Hiroyuki Sanada’s best.

4

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Shimazu Koji

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8/10

9/10

John Wick: Chapter 4

R
ThrillerCrimeAction

Following the events of Chapter 3 – Parabellum, John Wick Chapter 4 will see the titular character battle against some of his most dangerous foes yet. With a bounty on his head that continues to skyrocket, John decides to take the fight to the High Table on a global scale and battles across areas like Osaka and Paris to wipe out some of the strongest players in the underworld.
 

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Release Date

March 24, 2023

Runtime

169 minutes

Franchise(s)

John Wick

Cast

Hiroyuki Sanada
, Clancy Brown
, Scott Adkins
, Keanu Reeves
, Ian McShane
, Bill Skarsgard
, Laurence Fishburne
, Rina Sawayama
, Donnie Yen
, Lance Reddick
, Shamier Anderson

Director

Chad Stahelski

Writers

Shay Hatten
, Michael Finch

Prequel(s)

John Wick
, John Wick: Chapter 2
, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

Studio(s)

Lionsgate

Expand

When the first John Wick came out, it stunned everybody. Not only was it a slick and stylish revenge film, but it also reignited Keanu Reeves’ legacy as an action star. It became a massive franchise and its latest main installment, John Wick: Chapter 4, is one of the best in the series, and one of the best American action films of the last several decades. Pushing the stunt team to their absolute limit, John Wick: Chapter 4 is stunning on every level.

John Wick Franchise
John Wick	2014
John Wick: Chapter 2	2017
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum	2019
John Wick: Chapter 4	2023
The Continental: From the World of John Wick	2023
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina	2025

With John Wick: Chapter 4 featuring a section of the film that takes place at another Continental hotel in Osaka, it only felt natural to have Hiroyuki Sanada appear as the manager, Koji Shimazu. Hiroyuki Sanada has always been an action star, and finally getting him in a John Wick film, fighting Donnie Yen, was something special. Sanada has always been able to be effortlessly cool and his character in the film perfectly embodies that.

3

The Twilight Samurai (2002)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Seibei Iguchi

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The Twilight Samurai

DramaRomance

The Twilight Samurai is a Japanese historical drama directed by Yoji Yamada. Set in mid-19th century Japan, it follows Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai and widower, as he struggles to balance his duties and care for his young daughters and aging mother. Stars Hiroyuki Sanada and Rie Miyazawa. The film captures the complexities of samurai life during the twilight of the Edo period.

Release Date

November 2, 2002

Runtime

129 Minutes

Main Genre

Drama

Cast

Hiroyuki Sanada
, Rie Miyazawa
, Nenji Kobayashi
, Mitsuru Fukikoshi
, Min Tanaka

Director

Yoji Yamada

Writers

Yoshitaka Asama
, Yoji Yamada
, Shûhei Fujisawa

Budget

5000000.0

Studio(s)

Shochiku
, Sumitomo Corporation
, Hakuhodo
, Nippan Group Holdings
, Eisei Gekijo
, Nippon Television Network Corporation

IMDb ID

tt0351817

TMDB User Rating

7
.738

Expand

Released in 2002, The Twilight Samurai is a masterpiece, telling the story of Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai who struggles to provide for his two daughters and ailing mother. Told in such a tender way, The Twilight Samurai is one of the finest samurai films ever made, with an emphasis on honor as the world around begins to crumble. It’s reflective and poignant, focusing on the intimate drama at hand rather than the epic action the genre excels at.

The movie was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 76th Academy Awards.

Hiroyuki Sanada is mesmerizing as Seibei Iguchi, showing a complex range of emotions as the character is conflicted about his duty as a samurai as well as his duty as a father. Sanada is quietly powerful in The Twilight Samurai, allowing his facial expressions to do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of revealing who he is as a character. It’s easily one of Hiroyuki Sanada’s best performances and a testament to his talent.

2

Ringu (1998)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Ryūji Takayama

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Ringu

Not Rated
HorrorSupernaturalThriller

Based on the Japanese horror novel by Koji Suzuki, Ringu is a supernatural horror film directed by Hideo Nakata and was released in 1998. Reporter Reiko Asakawa is prompted to investigate a strange videotape that supposedly led to the death of her niece and her friends. However, after Reiko finds and views the tape, she too becomes cursed and must solve the case behind the tape within a week before meeting her fate.

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Release Date

January 31, 1998

Runtime

95 Minutes

Cast

Nanako Matsushima
, Hiroyuki Sanada
, Rikiya Otaka
, Miki Nakatani
, Yûko Takeuchi
, Hitomi Sato
, Yutaka Matsushige

Director

Hideo Nakata

Writers

Hiroshi Takahashi

Sequel(s)

Spiral

Budget

$1.5 Million

Studio(s)

Ringu/Rasen Production Committee

Distributor(s)

Toho

Expand

It’s hard to overstate just how important Ringu (Ring) is to modern day horror as a whole, ushering in a new era of J-horror in the late-90s and into the early-2000s. With the central premise of a VHS tape that kills someone seven days after watching it, Ringu was able to tap into the fears of Japanese society at the time and the anxiety of the impending millennium as Japan marches on into the future. The atmosphere is unrivaled and the central, tragic mystery at the center is superb.

Hiroyuki Sanada plays Ryūji Takayama, former husband of Nanako Mitsushima’s Reiko Asakawa, and a university professor. The two of them investigate the mysterious videotape, trying to figure out what happened to Reiko’s niece. As the two characters’ desperation begins to grow over the course of a week, Sanada is able to tap into that feeling, showing just how dire of a situation they find themselves in.

1

Shōgun (2024)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga

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8/10

14

9.9/10

Shogun

TV-MA
AdventureDramaHistoryWar & Politics

Shōgun, released in 2024, is set in Japan during 1600 at the onset of a significant civil war. It follows Lord Yoshii Toranaga as he battles political adversaries on the Council of Regents, while a European ship mysteriously appears in a nearby fishing village, complicating the tides of power.

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Release Date

February 27, 2024

Finale Year

November 30, 2025

Network

FX
, Hulu

Cast

Hiroyuki Sanada
, Cosmo Jarvis
, Anna Sawai
, Tadanobu Asano
, Takehiro Hira
, Tommy Bastow
, Fumi Nikaido
, Nestor Carbonell
, Tokuma Nishioka
, Hiroto Kanai
, Yasunari Takeshima
, Moeka Hoshi
, Yuki Kura
, Ned Dennehy
, Ako
, Hiromoto Ida
, Toshi Toda
, Takeshi Kurokawa
, Yuka Kouri
, Hiro Kanagawa
, Paul Moniz de Sa
, Jared Ager-Foster
, Kaiden Berge
, Dakota Daulby
, Manami Hara

Character(s)

Yoshii Toranaga
, John Blackthorne
, Toda Mariko
, Kashigi Yabushige
, Ishido Kazunari
, Father Martin Alvito
, Ochiba No Kata / Ruri
, Rodrigues
, Toda Hiromatsu
, Kashigi Omi
, Muraji / Tonomoto Akinao
, Usami Fuji
, Yoshii Nagakado
, Captain of the Erasmus
, Daiyoin / Lady Iyo
, Kiyama Ukon Sadanaga
, Sugiyama Josui
, Ohno Harunobu
, Kiku
, Igarashi Yoshimoto
, Father Sebastio
, Pieterzoon
, Delirious Man
, Salamon
, Kashigi Saki

Creator(s)

Rachel Kondo
, Justin Marks

Producers

Allon Reich
, Andrew Macdonald
, Edward McDonnell
, Erin Smith
, Hiroyuki Sanada
, Michaela Clavell
, Eriko Miyagawa
, Justin Marks
, Jamie Vega Wheeler
, Michael De Luca
, Shannon Goss

Seasons

1

Writers

Rachel Kondo

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu

Directors

Fred Toye
, Jonathan van Tulleken
, Charlotte Brändström
, Takeshi Fukunaga
, Hiromi Kamata

Expand

Based on James Clavell’s novel of the same name, Shōgun is one of the best shows out right now, telling the story of an English pilot washed up on shore in Japan, finding himself in the middle of a blossoming civil war. Tragic, beautiful, and epic, Shōgun set the record for most Emmy wins for a single season of television, taking home 18, including an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series award for Hiroyuki Sanada.

Despite initially being created as a miniseries and telling the entire novel’s story, Shōgun was renewed for two more seasons.

Hiroyuki Sanada plays Lord Yoshii Toranaga, the Lord of Kantō and one of the five Regents of Japan, tasked with ruling the country until the new emperor comes of age. Sanada’s role in Shōgun feels like the culmination of his entire career up to this point, with him showing how immensely talented he is as an actor. With Toranaga holding a lot back from both the viewers and the characters in the series. Hiroyuki Sanada is able to do so much acting just from his expressions and little facial ticks, making it arguably the finest performance of his career.

Hiroyuki Sanada

Discover the latest news and filmography for Hiroyuki Sanada, known for The Last Samurai and Mortal Kombat.

Birthdate

October 12, 1960

Birthplace

Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan

Notable Projects

The Wolverine
, 47 Ronin
, Rush Hour 3

Professions

Actor
, Singer
, Martial Artist

Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment