The man behind the monster has passed away: Haruo Nakajima, who wore the special bodysuit for each “Godzilla” movie, died at 88. While plenty of other actors have appeared as the monster in subsequent films, as well as the monster being rendered by computer animation, many people believe that Nakajima’s was the definitive Godzilla. Haruo Nakajima first wore the monster outfit in the 1972 film “Godzilla vs. Gigan” and received critical acclaim for his performance, Yahoo has reported. As the principal suit actor for Toho, he played King Kong in 1967’s film “King Kong Escapes,” and made the headlines for his incredible work.
The reason of his death is unknown
Until recently, Nakajima had continued to be a star guest at festivals and events. He had been scheduled to be featured at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2017. A couple of months ago, rumors surfaced online that he was fighting depression. Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. However, it not known if he had a major Depressive Disorder or a minor depressive disorder. The original monster costume was created from ready-mixed concrete. He wore an outfit that weighed over 110 kilos. Haruo was not given proper directions on how to play the monster, so he had to conduct his own research by studying animals in the zoo.
He began his career from samurai and war movies, notably “Eagle of the Pacific” and “Seven Samurai.” Haruo Nakajima got the chance to play a monster in 1953 when director Ishiro Honda contacted him and offered a role on “Godzilla, King of the Monsters.”
His movies and autobiography
In his later life, Nakajima played a variety of characters in Japanese films such as “War of the Gargantuas,” “Frankenstein Conquers the World,” and others.
He also attended monster conventions in the United States and Japan and wrote an autobiography “Monster Life: Haruo Nakajima,” which was published a few years ago. Born in January 1929, in Yamagata, Haruo established himself over the course of his career in the Japanese and American film industries as the best star to ever work for the Toho film studio.
It's safe to say that Haruo had an enduring legacy on the big screen; his most recent outing, “Shin Godzilla,” released months ago under original studio Toho. The last Hollywood outing was in 2014, with a sequel currently in works.
