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Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada

Actor, also producer · Born October 12, 1960 (66) · Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan

2 Primetime Emmys · Golden Globe winner · BAFTA Award winner · 4 other major award bodies

Hiroyuki Sanada (真田 広之, Sanada Hiroyuki, born Hiroyuki Shimosawa (下澤 廣之, Shimosawa Hiroyuki); 12 October 1960) is a Japanese actor from Tokyo. Before breaking in to the movie business, he trained at Sonny Chiba’s Japan Action Club hoping to one day become a martial arts action film star. Sanada appeared in many action films in the 70s and early 80s, but as it became clear he was actually a talented and well-rounded actor, he was able to branch out into all different types of roles in every genre. Today he is best known in the west for his involvement in big-budget Hollywood productions such as The Last Samurai and Rush Hour 3.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 12, 1960 (66)
From
Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
50 on MovieCove · 123 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 3% in 30 days

What are Hiroyuki Sanada's films like?

Across their 38 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 7 · Dark 16

A split, not a type: Grounded 11 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 13

Gentle 2 · Charged 11 · Intense 21

Steady 11 · Shifting 22 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced 22 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 4

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 11

Casual 6 · Engaged 20 · Full focus 8

Easy watch 11 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 11

Resolved 24 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

16 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 7 of 16 analyzed roles.

Hero
7 of 16
Mentor
3 of 16
Shadow
2 of 16
Threshold guardian
2 of 16
Ally
1 of 16
Trickster
1 of 16
Show the 16 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
26
Thrilling
16
Melancholic
19
Dread
7
Contemplative
7
Other
28

How their films end · 11 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet21
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Hiroyuki Sanada's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 37 of their 50 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Subscription and free streaming for Hiroyuki Sanada's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

123 credits, 50 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Mortal Kombat II(2026)

    as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
  • Shōgun(2024)

    Show 10 episodes · Producer · as Yoshii Toranaga

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
  • John Wick: Chapter 4(2023)

    as Shimazu

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • Bullet Train(2022)

    as The Elder

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Akihiko (archive footage)

  • Hawkeye(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Akihiko (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows
  • Army of the Dead(2021)

    as Bly Tanaka

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • Mortal Kombat(2021)

    as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
  • Minamata(2020)

    as Mitsuo Yamazaki

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
  • Avengers: Endgame(2019)

    as Akihiko

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • The Catcher Was a Spy(2018)

    as Kawabata

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
  • Life(2017)

    as Sho Murakami

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
  • Westworld(2016)

    Show 4 episodes · as Musashi

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
  • Mr. Holmes(2015)

    as Tamiki Umezaki

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
  • Minions(2015)

    as Sumo Villain (voice)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
  • Extant(2014)

    Show 13 episodes · as Hideki Yasumoto

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
  • The Last Ship(2014)

    Show 9 episodes · as Takehaya

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
  • Helix(2014)

    Show 26 episodes · as Dr. Hiroshi Hataki

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows
  • 47 Ronin(2013)

    as Kuranosuke Ôishi

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
  • The Railway Man(2013)

    as Nagase

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
  • The Wolverine(2013)

    as Shingen Harada / Lord Shingen

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
  • Revenge(2011)

    Show 4 episodes · as Satoshi Takeda

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
  • Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
  • Speed Racer(2008)

    as Mr. Musha

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Rush Hour 3(2007)

    as Kenji

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
  • Sunshine(2007)

    as Kaneda

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
  • The Promise(2005)

    as General Guangming

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • The White Countess(2005)

    as Matsuda

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
  • Aegis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Hisashi Sengoku

  • Lost(2004)

    Show 5 episodes · as Dogen

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
  • The Last Samurai(2003)

    as Ujio

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • The Twilight Samurai(2002)

    as Seibei Iguchi

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Vengeance for Sale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Sukeroku Sukedachiya

  • Onmyoji (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Dōson

  • Unmarried Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 12 episodes · as Yosuke Matoba

  • All About Our House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Bartender

  • First Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Shinichirô Fujiki

  • Round About Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Koji

  • Keijitachi no Natsu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Actor

  • Ring 2(1999)

    as Ryuji Takayama

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
  • Tadon and Chikuwa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Actor

  • Tabloid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 10 episodes · Actor

  • Murder on D Street(1998)

    as Seiichiro Fukiya

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
  • Ringu(1998)

    as Ryuji Takayama

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • Spiral(1998)

    as Ryûji Takayama

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
  • A Story of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 12 episodes · Actor

  • こんな恋のはなし (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 12 episodes · Actor

  • Shin Hanshichi torimono chô (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 18 episodes · as Hanshichi

  • Hideyoshi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 49 episodes · as Ishida Mitsunari

  • The Abe Clan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Emoto Matashichiro

  • Kinkyu Yobidashi: Emergency Call (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Hideyuki Harada

  • East Meets West(1995)

    as Kamijo Kenkichi

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
  • Sharaku (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Tonbo

  • 119 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Actor

  • Crest of Betrayal(1994)

    as Takuminokami Asano

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
  • Why I borrowed money from her (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 11 episodes · as Kunihiko Yamanobe

  • Hero Interview (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Jinta Todoroki

  • Uneasy Encounters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Actor

  • Furuhata Ninzaburo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as 由良一夫

  • The City That Never Sleeps: Shinjuku Shark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Takashi Samejima

  • We Are Not Alone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • High School Teacher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 11 episodes · as Hamura Takao

  • Yamai wa kikara: Byôin e ikô 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • Succession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Masakazu Yoshinari

  • Oda Nobunaga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • Taiheiki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 49 episodes · as Takauji Ashikaga

  • Tsugumi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Kyoichi Takahashi

  • Let's Go to the Hospital (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Kohei Shintani

  • Yellow Fangs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Music Director · as Eiji

  • Shingo's Ten Duels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Aoi Shingo

  • Ryoma Sakamoto: Samurai Gunslinger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Ryoma Sakamoto

  • Who Do I Choose? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Jun Yamamoto

  • 坂本龍馬 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Oda Nobunaga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • I Love You So Much (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • Kaito Ruby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Toru Hayashi

  • New York Love Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 11 episodes · Actor

  • Tokugawa Ieyasu – TBS Warlord Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • Tokugawa Ieyasu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Seiko Matsuda's Sweet Memories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Actor

  • Sure Death 4 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Ukyo

  • Masamune Shogun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 50 episodes · Actor

  • Royal Warriors(1986)

    as Peter Yamamoto

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • Cabaret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Tanokura

  • One Who Died in Vain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Actor

  • House on Fire(1986)

    as Chuya Nakahara

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
  • The Dagger of Kamui (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Jirô

  • Mahjong Horoki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Bouya Tetsu

  • Kotaro, An Audacious Karate Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Date Yoshioka

  • The Street of Desire(1984)

    as Joji Tanaka

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • The Awesome Circus Bastard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Satomi Go

  • Choudenshi Bioman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Ken Hayase

  • Legend of the Eight Samurai(1983)

    as Inue Shinbei Masashi

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • Kabamaru the Ninja Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Shizune Mejiro

  • ふぞろいの林檎たち (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 47 episodes · as 本田 修一

  • Death of a Ninja(1982)

    as Jotaro Fuefuki

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
  • Yagyu Jubei Secret Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 26 episodes · as Matahira

  • Fall Guy(1982)

    as Actor

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
  • Lovers Lost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Kunihiko Yasuoka

  • The Blazing Valiant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Joe

  • Kamikaze, the Adventurer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Akira Hoshino

  • Roaring Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Theme Song Performance · as Joji

  • Samurai Reincarnation(1981)

    as Kirimaru Iga

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
  • Swords of the Space Ark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Hayato

  • Shogun's Ninja(1980)

    as Momochi Takamaru

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
  • Yagyu Abaretabi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Actor

  • Yagyu's Secret Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 26 episodes · as Matabei

  • Dreamy Fifteen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Isozaki

  • Shadow Warriors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 27 episodes · Actor

  • G.I. Samurai(1979)

    as Takeda Katsuyori

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
  • The Shogun Assassins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Monk Miyoshi Isa

  • Message from Space: Galactic Wars The Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Gen Hayato / Maboroshi

  • Uchu kara no messeji: Ginga taisen(1978)

    Show 27 episodes · as Hayato

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
  • Message from Space(1978)

    as Shiro Hongo

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
  • Yagyu Clan Conspiracy(1978)

    as Hayate

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Katsuya Nakayama

  • The Executioner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Ryuichi Koga (child)

  • New Prison Walls of Abashiri: The Vagrant Comes to a Port Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Actor

  • Game of Chance 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Actor

  • Game of Chance 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Actor

  • Game of Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Kenichi Endo

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 123 titles from 1966 to 2026; peak year 2014.

Film career

19662026

Peak 2014 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 16 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1974Screen debut· The Executioner
  • 1982First top-billed film· Ninja Wars
  • 2002Career best· The Twilight Samurai
  • 2024Best so far· Shōgun

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting123 of 123: 120 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndProducing1 of 123: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 123: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

123 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and other crew overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1960s4 · acting1970s8 · acting1980s40 · 40 acting · 1 crew1990s33 · 33 acting · 1 crew2000s16 · acting2010s13 · acting2020s9 · 9 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 11% of 37 roles
7484040919

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

2 Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA Award, 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards and 2 other major awards from 9 major nominations, 2024–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series - Drama
    • BAFTA Award, won · International
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
    • +3 other major bodies · 2 wins and 1 nomination
      • Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Actor in a Drama Series
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series
  2. 2024
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Hiroyuki Sanada's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 41; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 50 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th17
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th3

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 29 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Hiroyuki Sanada's work okay for kids?

Across up to 19 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films and sex & nudity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore16 titles44–93 · median 79 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity19 titles8–53 · median 20 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity16 titles22–83 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs16 titles4–38 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense16 titles49–86 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Hiroyuki Sanada work with?

People who share at least 2 of Hiroyuki Sanada's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kinji Fukasaku shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles