Jiro Dan was a Japanese actor and voice actor. He was known for his role as Hideki Go, the protagonist of Return of Ultraman, a role he consistently reprised throughout the Ultraman Series. He used stage name "団 次郎" (same pronunciation) until 1984, and his real name was Hideo Murata .
Career[]
Prior to appearing in Return of Ultraman, Jiro Dan was a cover model for Japanese fashion magazines in the 1960s. He officially debuted as an actor in the 1968 Nikkatsu film Waga Inochi no Uta: Enka,[1] adopting the stage name "Jiro Dan" based on his character's name in the film. He debuted as a singer in the same year.
In 1971, Dan gained fame for his role as Hideki Go in Return of Ultraman. Following this, he took on leading and supporting roles in various television dramas and films. Known for his portrayal of villainous characters, he earned a reputation as one of Japan's prominent "villain actors." He also played the role of G-Guard Commander in the 1996 series Godzilla Island.
In 2006, he reprised his role as Go in Ultraman Mebius and its film, alongside other Showa Ultraman leading actors Susumu Kurobe, Kohji Moritsugu, and Keiji Takamine, who are collectively nicknamed the "Dandy 4".[2]
Dan frequently appeared in Ultraman Series events, such as at Ultraman Festival 2014.[3]
Personal Life[]
Jiro Dan was born to a Japanese mother and British-American father.[4]
Death[]
On March 24, 2023, Alpha Agency, of whom Jiro was under, announced that he had passed away at 4:14 a.m. on March 22 from lung cancer.[5] His condition was diagnosed back in 2017, but worsened in 2022. Despite this, Jiro remained upbeat about life and was dedicated to his work until the end.[4][6][7][8]
Following the news of his passing, several production staff members, Return of Ultraman co-star Rumi Sakakibara,[9] and former actors from the Ultraman Series expressed their condolences.[10][11][12] Tsuburaya Productions offered a tribute by streaming episode 51 "The 5 Ultra Oaths" for free on TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION and YouTube until April 30.[13][14]
At the end of the ULTRAMAN MUSIC LIVE event at TSUBURAYA CONVENTION 2023 on November 26, 2023, a photo of Jiro Dan was displayed as "Tatakae! Ultraman" and "Kaettekita Ultraman" played as a tribute.
Roles[]
Stage[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Ultraman Premier Stage 2 | Ultraman Jack | Voice |
Other Roles[]
- Robot 8-chan - Dr. Aoi
- Godzilla Island - G-Guard Commander
- Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger - Ikki Kasumi
- Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger - Elder of the Ryusoul Tribe
Discography[]
- Return of Ultraman
- Kaettekita Ultraman (Opening) (with Misuzu Children's Choir)
- MAT Team no Uta (with Misuzu Children's Choir)
- Tatakae! Ultraman (with Misuzu Children's Choir)
- Ultraman Mebius
- Ultraman Mebius (Opening) (with Project DMM, as member of Ultra Defense Force)
Gallery[]
Miscellaneous[]
![Dan doing his transformation pose with Ryu Manatsu, Susumu Kurobe, Kohji Moritsugu and Keiji Takamine at Ultraman Festival 2014[3]](/wiki/File:6777_623729991080196_560273325271993382_n.jpg "6777 623729991080196 560273325271993382 n.jpg (26 KB)")
![Jiro at a Return of Ultraman 50th anniversary event in 2021[16][17]](/wiki/File:Jiro_Dan_2021_1.jpeg "Jiro Dan 2021 1.jpeg (403 KB)")
Trivia[]
- His blood type is AB.
- Jiro Dan played Hideki Go at age 22, making him the youngest actor to play an Ultra's human host in the Showa period.
- Although Jiro Dan debuted with his real name, Hideo Murata, he was often confused with a singer of the same name.
- His stage name was formerly written in katakana, but was then changed to kanji.
- Dan appeared alongside Ultraman Jack's suit actor, Eiichi Kikuchi, in the tokusatsu film Planet Prince 2021.[18]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/202303240000274.html
- ↑ https://muuseo.com/migojiro/items/14
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://m-78.jp/news/n-2642
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://hochi.news/articles/20230324-OHT1T51357.html?page=1
- ↑ https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/bd4aeec1778a369412050a66bbae615931e2b00c
- ↑ https://www.sankei.com/article/20230324-Z7RX6WA3KVLMRLFL6PNHIU5LLI/
- ↑ https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/d336d35400792302dc9cb963f93d06ec01b03ce8
- ↑ https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/culture/tv/20230324-OYT1T50073/
- ↑ https://hochi.news/articles/20230324-OHT1T51224.html?page=1
- ↑ https://www.sanspo.com/article/20230325-ME4USULO55NVRHJK4PWD3L764Q/
- ↑ https://hochi.news/articles/20230324-OHT1T51184.html?page=1
- ↑ https://www.sanspo.com/article/20230325-D2NE4VKA6FOBPF63H5TJXPMYAY/
- ↑ https://x.com/tsuburayaprod/status/1639235660140916736
- ↑ https://x.com/tsuburayaprod/status/1640556875640082432
- ↑ http://ultra2008.jp/cast/dan/index.htm
- ↑ https://www.s40otoko.com/archives/98628
- ↑ https://x.com/takeshiyoshioka/status/1411890301602435074
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/eiga/news/430014