Kobayashi Tetsuko
Overview
小林哲子
12 Mar 1941
Tokyo, Japan
9 Dec 1994 (53)
Lung Cancer
Born in Tokyo, Kobayashi Tetsuko is best known to international audiences for her commanding performance as the Empress of Mu in the 1963 Toho sci-fi film Atragon. Director Honda Ishirô reportedly cast her after spotting her working diligently on a television production at the studio, impressed by her energy and work ethic. She notably applied her own makeup for the iconic role.
Her other credits include Samurai Rebellion (1967) and The Blazing Sword (1966). After a hiatus from acting between 1967 and 1982, she returned to the screen for a brief second phase of her career. Kobayashi passed away from lung cancer in 1994 at the age of 53.
Selected Works
