Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada OBE (真田 広之, Sanada Hiroyuki, né Shimozawa; 12 October 1960) is a respected and versatile Japanese actor who has garnered numerous accolades. These include two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Hochi Film Awards, two Japan Academy Film Prizes, a Mainichi Film Award, three Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Actor, four Kinema Junpo Awards, and honors from the Yokohama Film Festival. A distinguished career starting in the mid-1960s, saw him become a protégé of actor Sonny Chiba. Beyond his strong roots in Japanese and Hong Kong action films, he has steadily established himself as a dramatic actor with roles in productions like King Lear and Ring.

He has gained international recognition through roles in Western films like The Twilight Samurai, The Last Samurai, and Rush Hour 3. His Hollywood presence has expanded to include roles in Avengers: Endgame, Army of the Dead, and Mortal Kombat. He also secured recurring roles in TV series such as Lost and Westworld. His role as Yoshii Toranaga in the FX historical drama series Shōgun earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Additionally, he served as a producer for the series, which secured him another Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.