Ikebe Ryô

Born in Tokyo, Ikebe Ryô originally aspired to be a screenwriter but made his acting debut in 1941 due to limited opportunities during the war. He was soon drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army and spent nearly five years in China. In 1944, the transport ship he was on was sunk by a torpedo; he survived by clinging to debris in the ocean for ten hours before being rescued.

After the war, he was persuaded to return to acting by director Ichikawa Kon. He quickly established himself as a handsome leading man in the late 40s and 50s, starring in a wide range of genres from romances to war dramas. He is well known to sci-fi fans for his roles as the heroic astronaut Major Katsumiya in Battle in Outer Space (1959) and the dedicated scientist Dr. Tazawa in Gorath (1962).

In 1965, he became president of the Japan Actors Guild, where he navigated a major scandal involving actors and yakuza gun-running. That same year, he left Toho to start his own production company, a venture that ultimately failed and left him in debt. However, his career saw a major resurgence when superstar Takakura Ken invited him to co-star in the Brutal Tales of Chivalry (Showa Zankyo-den) series at Toei. His stoic, honorable yakuza character became iconic in the genre.

Outside of acting, he was an accomplished essayist and writer, publishing several books including an autobiography. He died of sepsis in 2010 at the age of 92.