I just woke up to a message from bframe that one of Japan's greatest actors has passed away. I am at a lost for words. At least he went out on top with the great Byplayers and Final Fantasy Daddy of Light. I doubt they will continue with Byplayers 2 since it can't work without him. I'm glad a lot of the non-Japanese watching people got to see him act in Daddy of Light besides the Beat Takeshi movies.
I'm trying to think of what other memorable roles he had and the one that comes to mind was his role in Boku no Aruku Michi as the kind boss of the zoo. It was probably the Ohsugi's first role where I really noticed him. 大杉連さんありがとうそしてお疲れ様です。
I was very shocked and saddened to read the news this morning... I don't watch Japanese dramas, but I have seen Osugi in many films, including those of Takeshi Kitano. He was a very gifted actor who gave his all to whatever role he was playing. My condolences to his family and friends.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked too - he was such a household name and I have seen him in countless dramas and movies. He will be missed.
ReplyDeleteAnother shock here -- I didn't know until now. It's like when Nogiwa Yoko died, I'm still devastated.
ReplyDeleteRIP. he was a good supporting actor in many a jdrama.
ReplyDeletedid bframe say how he died?
Shocked to learn this news. He played supporting roles in many many shows I've watched, especially police bureaucrats, or father of victims in episodic detective shows. I remember his role in Keishicho Zero Gakari since that's my guilty pleasure show.
ReplyDeleteOMG, I've learned that Yoko Nogiwa, the mother in Tricks died last year.
@dgundam - He died of heart failure.
ReplyDelete@Buck - I also came across the Nogiwa Yoko news recently, probably while reading about Ohsugi. Didn't know she was Sonny Chiba's ex-wife.
@Buck ah so thats why i randomly saw a jvariety show they were showing pics of her and her daughter. rip. what did she die off?
ReplyDeletethis year and last has been depressing years. a loved one died and sickness, plus all these actors and actress dying showing my my age and mortality :(
Damn 66 is way too young, he had so much more to give.
ReplyDeleteI first saw him at the cinema in the 90s - Kitano's 90s movies, Sabu's Postman Blues, small role in Kurosawa Kiyoshi's Cure. My favourite scene is from Sonatine, when he finally loosened up and put on a really loud red shirt (and got horribly ribbed by the Kitano character for it). More recently, he brightened up many of the dramas I watched - e.g. small town cop (I think) in Marks no Yama, the cop-turned-PI in Namonaki Doku, another ex-cop in (the rather silly) Joker. The last thing I saw him in was the very low-key film Nekonade, where he played a salaryman who falls in love with a tiny kitten.
I've just had a look at his filmography on Asianwiki, and I notice he played the role of the disabled girl's father in the film version of Lady Joker. Would love to see that. Another appearance I hadn't known about was in the Korean film The Tiger, with Choi Min Sik! I'll definitely check that out.
I'll miss you Ohsugi Ren. RIP.
r.i.p... of all the roles he played, his role as mob in My Boss My Hero sticks out as my favorite... 66 is way too young to die. :-/
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