Ôtomo Shin

Japanese name

大友伸

Born

12 Apr 1919

Akita, Japan

Died

Unknown date

Bio

Ôtomo Shin was a Japanese supporting actor distinguished by his receding hairline, large nose, and squinting glare. He was born in Akita, Japan.

As an exclusive contract actor for Toho, Ôtomo played a variety of tough-guy roles throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including gangsters, policemen, convicts, and soldiers. He frequently appeared in the films of Kurosawa Akira, such as Seven Samurai (1954), Throne of Blood (1957), The Hidden Fortress (1958), Yojimbo (1961), and Sanjuro (1962). He also had prominent roles as a police chief in Invisible Man (1954) and as the first victim in The Secret of the Telegian (1960).

Ôtomo is particularly memorable to genre fans as Malmess’ boss in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), where he was almost unrecognizable under a huge mustache. He also found work on television in series like Ultra Q (1966).

It is presumed that Ôtomo retired from acting after his contract with Toho expired in the early 1970s, and he has not been seen publicly since.

Selected Works