Read about Hiroyuki Sanada net worth, age, wife, children, height, weight, family, parents, movies, tv shows as well as other information you need to know.
Introduction
Hiroyuki Sanada is a Japanese actor and martial artist. He is best known to international audiences for his roles as Genbu in Ninja in the Dragon’s Den (1982), Ryuji Takayama in Ring (1998), Seibei Iguchi in The Twilight Samurai (2002), Ujio in The Last Samurai (2003), Kenji in Rush Hour 3 (2007), and Scorpion in Mortal Kombat (2021). His role as ‘The Fool’ in the Shakespeare plays King Lear also gave him notable theatrical notice in the United Kingdom. In Japan, Sanada is also known for songs he recorded for movies he was in as well as songs he has performed for the public.
Sanada made his first major Hollywood appearance portraying Ujio in The Last Samurai (2003), later appearing in such films as Sunshine (2007), Speed Racer (2008), The Wolverine, 47 R onin (both 2013), Minions (2015), Life (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Army of the Dead (2021), and Bullet Train (2022). He also had a recurring role on the HBO series Westworld (2018-2020).
Early life
| Name | Hiroyuki Sanada |
| Net Worth | $10 million |
| Occupation | Actor, Martial artist |
| Age | 61 years |
| Height | 1.71m |
Hiroyuki Sanada MBE was born on October 12, 1960 (age 61 years) in Tokyo, Japan. He was scouted by an entertainer while playing with the son of the actor Kokichi Takada who lived in the same condominium, and after working as a model for a magazine for young children, he joined the Himawari Theatre Group at the age of five.
Career
Hiroyuki Sanada made his film debut in 1966 in the ninkyo yakuza film Game of Chance starring Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba, reprising his role as Chiba’s character’s son in 2 sequels released the following year. Originally planning to be an action movie star, he studied Shorinji Kempo and later took up Kyokushin kaikan karate.
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Sanada began playing baseball at age 8 as a catcher and started training at the age of 11 with Chiba’s Japan Action Club, where he developed good all-around martial arts ability and soon became Chiba’s protégé. After entering high school, following Chiba’s advice, he decided to devote himself to his studies and withdrew from performing arts activities.
In 1978, he resumed his performing arts activities in earnest after passing the audition for the movie Shogun’s Samurai. It was at this point that he changed his surname from Shimozawa to Sanada. Sanada’s martial arts film career introduced him to Hong Kong action cinema, portraying the ninja Genbu in Ninja in the Dragon’s Den (1982), then working with Michelle Yeoh, with whom he co-starred in Royal Warriors (1986), and then later starring in Danny Boyle’s Sunshine.
He has a long-standing friendship with Jackie Chan. Outside of Japan, Sanada was often credited in his younger days as Henry Sanada, Harry Sanada, or Duke Sanada. Hiroyuki Sanada received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nihon University. From 1980 to 1991, Sanada released a series of albums and singles in Japan as a singer; several of these were tied to films, TV shows, or stage productions he was starring in. In 2010 and 2011, compilations were released covering his songs for movies and pop hits respectively.
Hiroyuki Sanada has established himself as a character actor who is adept at playing a variety of roles. He was first noticed as a serious actor in the movie Mahjong Hourouki directed by Makoto Wada. Since then he has acted in Wada’s movies—works filled with humour and nostalgia for classic films.
In 1999 and 2000, he performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in their production of King Lear, for which he was awarded as an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2002, citing his “contribution to spreading British culture in Japan through his performance in a joint Shakespeare production.” Some media reports erroneously stated that Sanada received the honour for being the first Japanese actor to perform with the RSC, but Togo Igawa had joined the troupe much earlier, in 1986. Some of Sanada’s more famous movies are Tasogare Seibei (The Twilight Samurai), Ring, Kaitō Ruby, and The Last Samurai.
Sanada played Matsuda (the Japanese imperialist who befriends Ralph Fiennes’ character Todd Jackson) in the 2005 film The White Countess directed by James Ivory. He starred in the Chinese film T he Promise directed by Chen Kaige as General Guangming. Sanada has appeared in Rush Hour 3 in 2007 with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, and in The City of Your Final Destination in 2009 in which he plays the younger lover of Anthony Hopkins’ character Adam Gund. Sanada joined the cast of the ABC TV series Lost in 2010 during its sixth and final season. He portrayed Dogen, a high-ranking member of “The Others”.
In 2013, Hiroyuki Sanada appears in 47 Ronin (the first English-language adaptation of the Chushingura legend, Japan’s most famous tale of samurai loyalty and revenge) alongside Keanu Reeves, and as Shingen Yashida in The Wolverine opposite Hugh Jackman. Sanada was a guest star as Takehaya, a former Japanese Navy officer and legendary pirate captain in post-plague Asia, in the apocalyptic drama series The Last Ship.
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He also starred in the 2017 movie Life with Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds, and played the minor role of Akihiko in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame. In August 2019, Sanada was cast in the Mortal Kombat reboot as Scorpion. In 2021, Sanada was announced as part of the cast as well as a producer of the FX limited series Shogun, adapted from the James Clavell novel, playing the part of Lord Toranaga.
Wife
Hiroyuki Sanada is married to his wife Satomi Tezuka, they had their wedding in 1990. His wife is a private person and they have two children together. However, in 1997, Sanada and his wife Satomi Tezuka divorced. When it comes to the actor’s weight loss and height, Hiroyuki Sanada stands at an appealing height of 1.71m and has a good body weight which suits his personality.
Hiroyuki Sanada net worth
How much is Hiroyuki Sanada worth? Hiroyuki Sanada net worth is estimated at around $10 million. His source of income is from his working career as an actor and martial artist. Hiroyuki Sanada’s salary per month and other career earnings is over $1.5 million annually. His remarkable achievements have earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy car trips. He is one of the richest and most influential actors in Japan.