Actor
· Directing
Takeshi Kitano
Born 1947-01-18
📍 Tokyo, Japan
Takeshi Kitano (北野 武, Kitano Takeshi, born January 18, 1947), also known in Japan as Beat Takeshi (ビートたけし, Bīto Takeshi), is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host.
Kitano rose to prominence in the 1970s as one half of the comedy duo Two Beat, before going solo and becoming one of the three biggest comedians in the country. After several small acting roles, he made his directorial debut with 1989's Violent Cop and garnered international acclaim for Sonatine (1993). He was not widely accepted as an accomplished director in Japan until Hana-bi won the Golden Lion in 1997. In October 2017, Kitano completed his Outrage crime trilogy with the release of Outrage Coda. He is also known internationally for hosting the game show Takeshi's Castle (1986–1990) and starring in the film Battle Royale (2000).
Filmography 109
AUM: The Cult at the End of the World
as Self (archive footage)
2025
Broken Rage
as Nezumi
2024
Kubi
as Hashiba Hideyoshi
2023
Takeshi's Castle Japan
2023
Citizen Kitano
as Self
2020
たけしのその時カメラは回っていた
2020
Idaten: Tokyo Olympics Story
as 古今亭志生
2019
Why Are We Creative?
as Self
2018
Kiseki taiken! Unbelievable
as Storyteller
2018
Plankton Salesmen
as Self (archive footage)
2017
Outrage Coda
as Otomo
2017
Ghost in the Shell: Hard-Wired Humanity - Making Ghost in the Shell
as self
2017
Prison Break
as Urata
2017
Ghost in the Shell
as Aramaki
2017
Doctor X: Gekai Daimon Michiko Special
2016
While the Women Are Sleeping
as Sahara
2016
A Living Promise
as Detective Koichiro Iwase
2016
Aka Medaka
as Tatekawa Danshi
2015
Mozu The Movie
as Daruma
2015
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
as Detective Murakami
2015
たけしのこれがホントのニッポン芸能史
2015
オモクリ監督～O－Creator's TV Show～
2014
Morning
2014
The 8th Floor
as Self
2014
In Between Mountains and Oceans
as Himself
2014
Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel
as Rokuro Fujisawa
2014
Miwa: A Japanese Icon
as Himself
2013
Trespassing Bergman
as Self
2013
日曜ゴールデンで何やってんだテレビ
2012
Beyond Outrage
as Otomo
2012
Dearest
as Teruo Sugino
2012
A Special Day
as Self
2012
Kikoku
as Private First Class Oomiya
2010
Outrage
as Otomo
2010
Takeshi's Castle Vol. 1
2009
What the War Meant
as Hideki Tojo
2008
The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit
as Take-Majin (voice)
2008
Achilles and the Tortoise
as Machisu
2008
Yayoi Kusama: I Love Me
2008
Dots and Lines
as Jutaro Torikai
2007
To Each His Own Cinema
as The projectionist (segment "Rencontre unique")
2007
Glory to the Filmmaker!
as Takeshi / Yakuza / Father / Ninja / Detective / Astronomer
2007
Takeshis'
as Beat Takeshi / Mr. Kitano
2005
The Golden Cups: One More Time
as Himself
2004
Blood and Bones
as Joon-pyong Kim
2004
Izo
as Chancellor
2004
Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell!
as Self
2004
Arakimentari
as Self
2004
Zatoichi
as Zatoichi / Ichi
2003
The Final Battleground — Making of Battle Royale II
as Self
2003
Battle Royale II: Requiem
as Kitano
2003
MXC
2003
Musashi
as Munisai Shinmen
2003
Takeshi's Castle
2002
Kichiku
2002
Kogoro Akechi vs Kaijin Nijyuu Menso
as Niju Menso
2002
Shooting Film is Battleground: Making of BATTLE ROYALE
as Self
2001
The 300 million yen robbery
2000
Battle Royale
as Kitano
2000
Brother
as Aniki Yamamoto
2000
Making of 'Battle Royale'
as Self
2000
The Story of One Century
2000
Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano
as Self
2000
Taboo
as Toshizo Hijikata
1999
Kikujiro
as Kikujiro
1999
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: Kyōfu Eizō Kaiki Shashin Korekushon
1999
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: 1999 Nostradamus Senritsu no Daiyogen Mysterious Unbelievable
1999
The Unpredictable Takeshi Kitano
as Self
1999
Zankyo
1999
Tokyo Eyes
as Yakusa
1998
Fireworks
as Yoshitaka Nishi
1997
Hana-bi (1997) – Behind-the-scenes Footage
as Self - Himself
1997
Making-of Kids Return
as Himself
1996
Gonin
as Ichiro Kyoya
1995
Johnny Mnemonic
as Takahashi
1995
Getting Any?
as Scientist
1995
Many Happy Returns
as Daisuke Shiba
1993
Sonatine
as Aniki Murakawa
1993
Today's Close-Up
as 出演
1993
Erotic Liaisons
as Okuyama
1992
Dioxin from Fish!
as Azuma
1992
A Legend of Turmoil
as Kiichirou Yashiro
1992
Shoko Asahara with Takeshi
as Self
1991
Kim's War
as Kim Hyi-ro
1991
KILL THEM ALL
1990
Boiling Point
as Uehara
1990
Hoshi wo tsugu mono
as Yama no hito
1990
The Yagyu Code: Secret Scrolls
1990
Violent Cop
as Azuma Ryosuke
1989
Beat Takeshi Presents TV Tackle
1989
The Boss' Wife
as Shoji Sugimoto, Hitman
1988
雨の降る駅
as 演员
1986
Takeshi's Castle
as Count Takeshi
1986
No More Comics!
as Police
1986
Jesus' Ark
as Takeyoshi Sengoku
1985
Demon
as Yajima
1985
Joke with a Sorrowful Heart
as Hiroshi Igarashi
1985
Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto
as Hara (archive footage)
1985
The Crimes of Kiyoshi Ōkubo
as Kiyoshi Ôkubo
1983
The Mosquito on the Tenth Floor
as Man at Racetrack
1983
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
as Hara
1983
Summer Secrets
as Ramen shop owner
1982
Completely... With That Air!
1981
Manon
as Shinobu
1981
The Dump Truck Rascal
1981
Makoto-chan
1980
Go, Go Second Time Virgin
as Gang Member
1969
Golden Horse Awards
as Self
1962
In Your Blood: Hoki Naiden