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R.I.P. Original ‘Godzilla’ Suit Actor Haruo Nakajima
Before CGI came along and allowed for Godzilla to be brought to the screen in recent films like Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla and Toho’s Shin Godzilla, actors in costumes were tasked with bringing the massive monster to life. And nobody is more synonymous with the iconic character than Haruo Nakajima, an icon in his own right.
Today we’re very sad to report that Nakajima has passed away at 88.
The Japanese actor played Godzilla for 12 consecutive films, beginning with the original Godzilla in 1954. He subsequently played the character in Godzilla Raids Again, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah: the Three-Headed Monster, Invasion of the Astro-Monster, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, All Monsters Attack, Godzilla vs. Hedorah and Godzilla vs. Gigan.
The legendary Haruo Nakajima also played monsters in Mothra, Frankenstein vs. Baragon, The War of the Gargantuas and King Kong Escapes.
Nakajima retired from suit acting in 1972.
News
One of Clive Barker’s Final Convention Appearances Will Be at New Jersey’s Monster Mania in August
We told you earlier this month that horror legend Clive Barker is leaving the convention scene behind to focus entirely on his writing, with various upcoming projects in the works.
A series of final appearances from Barker will begin at Days of the Dead Chicago this month, and we’ve learned Barker will also be coming to Monster Mania in New Jersey.
Clive Barker will be signing at Monster Mania 59 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, which runs from August 2 – August 4, 2024. Stay tuned for more info from the convention.
Barker’s official statement earlier this month explained, “… it’s time to focus entirely on writing. I’m not stopping public events because I’ve lost delight in meeting you all over the years. I’m as passionate as ever about sharing my imagination with readers and moviegoers around the world. In the very room where I’m writing these words, I have the manuscripts for a very large number of projects (Thirty-one of them), some very close to completion, others still telling themselves. There are some wild projects in this collection of works, whether close to finished or done. There are also stories that you all knew I would be finishing.”
“Abarat IV and V are amongst the books at my feet,” he continued. “So is the Third and final book of The Art and the sequel to The Thief of Always. There are also return visits to characters and mythologies you may have thought I would never return to.
“I hope I am still able to surprise you in the decades ahead.”