Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada (Oct. 12, 1960 in Tokyo) has starred in more than 50 films and earned Japan’s top film award for his role in The Twilight Samurai. He has been nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in Shogun.

Sanada appeared in Sony Pictures’ action feature Bullet Train opposite Brad Pitt, directed by David Leitch. He also stars in the action franchise John Wick: Chapter 4.

In 2021, Sanada appeared in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead for Netflix, playing casino boss Bly Tanaka. He also appeared in the James Wan-produced fantasy-action film Mortal Kombat for Warner Bros., playing the part of Scorpion. Sanada appeared in MGM’s Minamata opposite Bill Nighy and Johnny Depp, directed by Andrew Levitas.

Sanada’s first major Hollywood appearance was in The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise. He later appeared in such films as The Wolverine, 47 Ronin and Avengers: Endgame. On the small screen, he has appeared in dozens of shows, including Lost for its sixth and final season as well as Westworld in season two.

On stage, he has worked in Japanese and British plays, including roles as Hamlet, Huckleberry Finn, Napoleon and Romeo. His performance as The Fool in Shakespeare’s King Lear led to his being named as an honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for being the first Japanese actor to perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Sanada’s career in film, television and theater has spanned more than 50 years.