, known professionally as , was a Japanese film actor.

He is known for his work in the kaiju genre, including such films as King Kong vs. Godzilla, The Mysterians, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Terror of Mechagodzilla, and his most famous role of Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, the brilliant but disturbed young scientist in the original Godzilla, released in 1954.A Kaiju film website , provides details of Hirata's filmography. He starred in many movies, including Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai trilogy.

Early life Hirata was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1927, into a wealthy family. He was educated at the prestigious Tokyo University's School of Law. Before joining Shintoho as an assistant director (under his older brother, Yoshiki Onoda), Hirata moved into still photography, and eventually joined Toho in 1953, under the studio's "New Face" program, which would lead to his casting in Godzilla (although Hirata was originally intended for the part of Ogata, eventually played by another genre regular, Akira Takarada).

Career

Hirata's film debut came in 1953, with The Last Embrace. Hirata would go on to play everything from snarling villains to government officials. His long face and intense features have earned the actor a cult following. Although Hirata earned lasting fame with his part in Godzilla, the role also typecast him, and the actor would go on to star in over 20 other sci-fi fantasy films for Toho among them The H-Man, Gorath, and Prophecies of Nostradamus, as well as an important recurring role in the original Ultraman series. In both his first and final appearances in a Godzilla film, Hirata played mysterious and disturbed scientists, as Hirata took on the role of the tragic Dr. Mafune in 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla.

Hirata's association with the kaiju genre continued right until his death, as he helped announce the production of The Return of Godzilla at a Tokyo press conference, but unfortunately Hirata was too ill to appear in the film, and the part would eventually go to Yosuke Natsuki, who had appeared alongside Hirata in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster in 1964. Hirata's final film role was in the 1984 film Sayonara Jupiter.

Personal life and death Hirata was married to actress Yoshiko Kuga from 1961 until his death.

On July 25, 1984, Hirata died from lung cancer at the age of 56.IMDB biography , fills in some details of Hirata's life. Selected filmography

Film

The Last Embrace (1953) as Yamaoka, alias Sandaime Pu-san (1953) Girls Amongst the Flowers (1953) as Takamaro Kitaôji Even the Mighty Shed Tears (1953) Farewell Rabaul (1954) as First lieutenant Noguchi Itsuko to sono haha (1954) as Kozo Miyoshi Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954) as Seijuro Yoshioka Godzilla (1954) as Dr. Daisuke Serizawa Sanjusan go sha otonashi (1955) Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955) as Seijūrō Yoshioka The Lone Journey (1955) as Horikoshi no Masakichi Natsume Sôseki no Sanshirô (1955) as Sugimoto Kaettekita wakadan'na (1955) as Mochizuki Kuro-obi sangokushi (1956) as Shunsuke Iba Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956) as Dr. Serizawa Furyô shônen (1956) Harikiri shacho (1956) Ani to sono musume (1956) as Michio Nisshokû no natsu (1956) Rodan (1956) as Professor Kyouichiro Kashiwagi Taian kichijitsu (1957) Arashi no naka no otoko (1957) Ôban (1957) Nemuri Kyôshirô burai hikae dainibu (1957) Ninjitsu (1957) as Tomonori Wakare no chatsumi-uta (1957) Waga mune ni niji wa kiezu (1957) as Tokuoka Koto no tsume (1957) Zoku Ôban: Fûun hen (1957) as Count Arishima Saigo no dasso (1957) as Son Wakare no chatsumi-uta shimai-hen: Oneesan to yonda hito (1957) Kottaisan yori: Nyotai wa kanashiku (1957) as Sashichi Zokuzoku Ôban: Dotô hen (1957) as Arishima The Mysterians (1957) as Ryōichi Shiraishi Yagyû bugeichô: Sôryû hiken (1958) as Tomonori Kiuchi yasuto (1958) Kanai anzen (1958) as Yôtarô Ibuki The H-Man (1958) as Inspector Tominaga Hitokui ama (1958) as Detective Makino Hana no bojô (1958) as Seigetsu Izumida Josei SOS (1958) Varan the Unbelievable (1958) as Dr. Fujimura Ankokugai no kaoyaku (1959) Daigaku no oneechan (1959) as Iwafune Aru kengo no shogai (1959) as Akaboshi Submarine I-57 Will Not Surrender (1959) Sengoku gunto-den (1959) as Jiro Hidekuni The Three Treasures (1959) as Kibino Takehiko The Last Gunfight (1960) as Susumu Tendo, the killer Kuroi gashû: Aru sarariman no shôgen (1960) Sarariman shussetai kôki daigobu (1960) The Secret of the Telegian (1960) as Detective Kobayashi Dâisan hâtobanô kêtto (1960) Storm Over the Pacific (1960) as an Officer Daigaku no sanzôkutachi (1960) as Marukyû Department Store Manager Man Against Man (1960) as Torimi Dokuritsu gurentai nishi-e (1960) Minagoroshi no uta' yori kenjû-yo saraba! (1960) as Kozo Kinugawa The Story of Osaka Castle (1961) as Hayatonosho (Hayato) Susukida Ankokugai no dankon (1961) Nasake muyo no wana (1961) as Morishima Kaoyaku akatsukini shisu (1961) Ai to honoho to (1961) as Kyo Sawada Dangai no ketto Mothra (1961) as Doctor Kurenai no umi (1961) Onna bakari no yoru (1961) Kuroi gashû dainibu: Kanryû (1961) Sanjuro (1962) as Samurai Gorath (1962) as Spaceshop Otori [J-X Eagle] Captain Endo Dobunezumi sakusen (1962) King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) as Doctor Shigesawa Yama-neko sakusen (1962) Wakai kisetsu (1962) Chūshingura: Hana no Maki, Yuki no Maki (1962) as Yasoemon Okajima Varan the Unbelievable (1962) as Observer Ankokugai no kiba (1962) Ai no uzu shio (1962) Attack Squadron! (1963) as Senda's Aide Onna ni tsuyoku naru kufû no kazukazu (1963) as Rokusuke Sakai Nippon jitsuwa jidai (1963) Chintao yôsai bakugeki meirei (1963) Hawai no wakadaishô (1963) Norainu sakusen (1963) Eburi manshi no yûga-na seikatsu (1963) Atragon (1963) as Mu Agent #23 Whirlwind (1964) as Ryutaro Inoue Kyô mo ware ôzora ni ari (1964) Garakuta (1964) Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964) as Chief Detective Okita Samurai Assassin (1965) as Sohei Masui Ankokugai gekitotsu sakusen (1965) as Shimada Fûrai ninpôchô (1965) Taiheiyô kiseki no sakusen: Kisuka (1965) as Dr. Kudo Honkon no shiroibara (1965) as Asano 100 Shot, 100 Killed (1965) as Komori Baka to Hasami (1965) Musekinin Shimizu Minato (1965) Rise Against the Sword (1966) as Asakura Kiganjô no bôken (1966) as Chamberlain Ja ja umanarashi (1966) Doto ichiman kairi (1966) as Nozaki Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) as Captain Yamoto The Killing Bottles (1967) as Man With Turkish Hat Japan's Longest Day (1967) as Commander Sugahara - 302nd Air Group Son of Godzilla (1967) as Fujisaki Ultraman (1968) as Professor Iwamoto Isoroku (1968) as Staff Officer Watanabe Dai bakuhatsu (1969) as W Latitude Zero (1969) as Dr. Sugata; Doctor of Latitude Zero Battle of the Japan Sea (1969) as Staff Officer Tsunoda Mito Kômon man'yûki (1969) as Geki Kurokawa Dai Nippon suri shûdan (1969) as Furansu Nagurikomi Shimizu Minato (1970) Kigeki: Makete tamaru ka! (1970) Gekido no showashi 'Gunbatsu (1970) as Tomita (uncredited) Kigeki kinô no teki wa kyô mo teki (1971) Ningen kakumei (1973) Karei-naru Ichizoku (1974) (1974) as Haruta Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) as Professor Hideto Miyajima Prophecies of Nostradamus (1974) as Environmental Scientist 1 Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) as Dr. Shinji Mafune Dômyaku rettô (1975) as Tanemura Ôzora no samurai (1976) Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajirô to tonosama (1967) as Munemichi Kamen Rider X: Five Rider vs King Dark (1974) as Dr. Wisut The War in Space (1977) as Commander Oishi, Japan Defence Forces Godzilla (1977) as Dr. Serizawa Ôgon no inu (1979) as Kan Aizawa Ah! Nomugi toge (1979) as Prince Fushiminomiya Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive Battle (1979) Port Arthur (1980) as Gaishi Nagaoka Imperial Navy (1981) Eki (1981) Chikagoro naze ka Charusuton (1981) Suparuta no umi (1983) Sayonara Jupiter (1984) as Doctor Inoue Ryutarou

Television Ultra Q (1966) as Chief Hanazawa Ultraman (1966-1967) as Dr. Iwamoto Ultraseven (1967) as Staff Officer Yanagawa Taiyō ni Hoero! (1972–83) as Takayuki Nishiyama(Semi-regular) Warrior of Love Rainbowman (1972) AS Mr. K Shinsho Taikōki (1973) as Hosokawa Fujitaka Onihei Hankachō (1975) as Kyōgoku Bizen Daitetsujin 17 (1977) as Captain Gomez Kusa Moeru (1979) as Yoshiyasu Ichijo

References