Tetsuya Watari

Tetsuya Watari (渡 哲也, Watari Tetsuya, born Michihiko Watase (渡瀬 道彦, Watase Michihiko)) (December 28, 1941 – August 10, 2020)[2][3] was a Japanese film, stage, and television actor.

Tetsuya Watari
渡 哲也
Born
Michihiko Watase (渡瀬 道彦)[1]

(1941-12-28)December 28, 1941[1]
Awaji, Hyōgo, Japan[1]
DiedAugust 10, 2020(2020-08-10) (aged 78)[2][3]
Tokyo, Japan[2]
OccupationActor
Years active1964-2020
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)

Life

He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University. He made his screen debut in 1964, in Isamu Kosugi's Abare Kishidō and won Elan d'or Awards.[4][1] At Nikkatsu, Watari appeared in such films as Tokyo Drifter and the Outlaw series.[4]

Watari was mentored at Nikkatsu by Yujiro Ishihara. When Nikkatsu shifted to focusing on Roman Porno films in the early seventies, Watari was one of their many actors who left the studio.[5]

Watari was due to play main role in Kinji Fukasaku’s Battles Without Honor and Humanity, but because of his illness he was not able to appear in the film.[6][7] In 1974, Watari was forced to step down from the role of Katsu Kaishū (lead role) in the Taiga drama Katsu Kaishū on NHK because of his illness, He appeared in only first 9 episodes.[8] In 1976, Watari won best actor of Blue Ribbon Award for his role in Kinji Fukasaku`s film Yakuza Graveyard.[4]

In Japan, he is best known for his role Keisuke Daiomon in the detective television drama "Seibu Keisatsu" series on TV Asahi. He also appeared in popular detective television drama "Taiyō ni Hoero!" as a replacement for Yujiro Ishihara in 1986.[9]

He was the president of Ishihara Promotion after Yujiro's death in 1987[10] but in 2011 he resigned due to his health conditions.[4]

On June 10, 2015 he was hospitalised after suffering a heart attack and underwent surgery. Seven days later it was announced that he was in rehabilitation and would be discharged from hospital in about a month.

He had a younger brother, Tsunehiko Watase, who was also an actor.[11] As a singer, Watari is known for his hit song "Kuchinashi no Hana" [12] and he appeared in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 1974 and 1993.

He died of pneumonia on August 10, 2020, at the age of 78.[13]

Filmography

Films
YearTitleRoleDirectorOther notes
1965Abare Kishidō (あばれ騎士道)TetsuyaIsamu Kosugi
NakaseruzeAkinori Matsuo
1966Tokyo DrifterTetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" HondoSeijun SuzukiLead role
Ai to Shi no KirokuKoreyoshi KuraharaLead role
1967Kurenai no NagareboshiToshio MasudaLead role
1968Outlaw: Gangster VIPGorō FujikawaToshio MasudaLead role
Moeru TairikuKeiichi IsomuraShōgorō NishimuraLead role
Higashi ShinakaiTadahiki Isomi
1969Arai UmiYamazaki TokujirōLead Role
1970Shinjuku outlaw: Step On the GasYuji Nishigami(Shinigami)Toshiya FujitaLead role
Fuji sanchōTetsutaro Murano
1971Kantō ExileKeiichi OzawaLead role
1973Gokiburi KeijiDetective NarugamiTsugunobu KotaniLead role
Za GokiburiDetective NarugamiTsugunobu KotaniLead role
Ningen KakumeiKumichō ShimataniToshio Masuda
1975Graveyard of HonorRikio IshikawaKinji FukasakuLead role
1976Yakuza GraveyardDetective KuroiwaKinji FukasakuLead role
1986Tokei – Adieu l'hiverSō KuramotoSpecial appearance
1993Kinchan no Cinema Jack "Minato"Kinichi Hagimoto
1996Waga Kokoro no Ginga Tetsudō Miyazawa Kenji MonogatariSeijirōKazuki Ōmori
1997YūkaiInspector TsunamiTakao OkawaraLead role
1998Diary of Early Winter ShowerShinichiro SawaiLead role
2000Nagasaki Burabura bushiGakusha (Koga, Jûjirô)Yukio FukamachiLead role
2001BrotherJinseikai KumichōTakeshi Kitano
2002Shura no Mure[14]Old Hiroyuki InaharaHiroyuki Tsuji
2004Lady JokerSeizo MonoiHideyuki HirayamaLead role
2005YamatoVice-Admiral Seiichi ItōJunya Sato

Television
YearTitleRoleOther notes
1971DaichūshinguraHoribe Yasubei
1974Katsu KaishūKatsu KaishūLead role, Taiga drama
1976-79Daitokai SeriesRaisuke KuroiwaLead role
1979-84Seibu KeisatsuKeisuke DaimonLead role
1986Taiyō ni Hoero!Hiyogo Tachibana
1996HideyoshiOda NobunagaTaiga drama
1998Shinsengumi KeppūrokuIsami KondoLead role
2004Seibu Keisatsu SpecialKeisuke Daimon
2005YoshitsuneTaira no KiyomoriTaiga drama
2009-2011Saka no Ue no KumoTōgō Heihachirō
201335-sai no KoukouseiYukinobu Asada

Video games
YearTitleRoleOther notes
2005Ryū ga GotokuShintaro Kazama
2006Ryū ga Gotoku 2Shintaro Kazama
2009Ryū ga Gotoku 3Jōji Kazama
2014Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin!Yoshida Tōyō
2015Ryū ga Gotoku 0: Chikai no BashoShintaro Kazama
2016Ryū ga Gotoku: KiwamiShintaro Kazama
2017Ryū ga Gotoku: Kiwami 2Shintaro Kazama

Honours

References
  1. "Tetsuya Watari official profile" (in Japanese). Ishihara Promotion. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  2. "俳優 渡哲也さんが死去 78歳 肺炎のため". NHKニュース (in Japanese). 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  3. "俳優の渡哲也さんが死去 肺炎、78歳、家族葬…故人の遺志によりお別れ会なし". デイリースポーツ (in Japanese). 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  4. "Tetsuya Watari biography". Kinema Junpo. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  5. Mes, Tom, Graveyard of Honor DVD booklet, 2004, Home Vision Entertainment. Retrieved 2014-08-29
  6. 杉作J太郎、植地毅「日下部五朗インタビュー　インタビュアー・高平哲郎」『仁義なき戦い 浪漫アルバム』徳間書店、1998 p.128-134 ISBN 978-4198608460
  7. 渡哲也インタビュー　高平哲郎」『渡哲也 さすらいの詩』芳賀書店〈シネアルバム(67)〉、1978 P.153-168 ISBN 4-8261-0067-1
  8. "74年勝海舟は渡哲也から松方弘樹／大河ドラマ代役". Nikkan sports. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  9. "太陽にほえろ! 1986" (in Japanese). Amazon. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  10. "Ishihara Promotion company profile" (in Japanese). Ishihara Promotion. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  11. "Office Kitano: Brother". Office Kitano. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  12. "【1974年２月】くちなしの花／渡哲也 本人不在も大ヒット 紅白に出場したワケ" (in Japanese). スポニチ. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  13. "渡哲也さん、１０日に肺炎で死去していた". SANSPO.COM（サンスポ） (in Japanese). 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  14. 修羅の群れ〈2001年〉 (in Japanese). PIA Corporation. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.