Takeshi Kitano
Directing • Born 1947-01-18
Biography
Takeshi Kitano (北野 武, Kitano Takeshi, born January 18, 1947), also known in Japan as Beat Takeshi (ビートたけし, Bīto Takeshi), is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. Kitano rose to prominence in the 1970s as one half of the comedy duo Two Beat, before going solo and becoming one of the three biggest comedians in the country. After several small acting roles, he made his directorial debut with 1989's Violent Cop and garnered international acclaim for Sonatine (1993). He was not widely accepted as an accomplished director in Japan until Hana-bi won the Golden Lion in 1997. In October 2017, Kitano completed his Outrage crime trilogy with the release of Outrage Coda. He is also known internationally for hosting the game show Takeshi's Castle (1986–1990) and starring in the film Battle Royale (2000).
Filmography
115 credits
Zatoichi
Movie • 2003
Zatoichi / Ichi
Brother
Movie • 2000
Aniki Yamamoto
Battle Royale
Movie • 2000
Kitano
Battle Royale II: Requiem
Movie • 2003
Kitano
Kikujiro
Movie • 1999
Kikujiro
Takeshis'
Movie • 2005
Beat Takeshi / Mr. Kitano
Taboo
Movie • 1999
Toshizo Hijikata
Blood and Bones
Movie • 2004
Joon-pyong Kim
Glory to the Filmmaker!
Movie • 2007
Takeshi / Yakuza / Father / Ninja / Detective / Astronomer
Sonatine
Movie • 1993
Aniki Murakawa
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Movie • 1983
Hara
Achilles and the Tortoise
Movie • 2008
Machisu
Boiling Point
Movie • 1990
Uehara
Violent Cop
Movie • 1989
Azuma Ryosuke
Gonin
Movie • 1995
Ichiro Kyoya
Johnny Mnemonic
Movie • 1995
Takahashi
Outrage
Movie • 2010
Otomo
In Your Blood: Hoki Naiden
Movie
Kubi
Movie • 2023
Hashiba Hideyoshi
Getting Any?
Movie • 1995
Scientist
Tokyo Eyes
Movie • 1998
Yakusa
Morning
Movie • 2014
No More Comics!
Movie • 1986
Police
Jesus' Ark
Movie • 1985
Takeyoshi Sengoku
Arakimentari
Movie • 2004
Self
The Crimes of Kiyoshi Ōkubo
Movie • 1983
Kiyoshi Ôkubo
Beyond Outrage
Movie • 2012
Otomo
The Mosquito on the Tenth Floor
Movie • 1983
Man at Racetrack
Dearest
Movie • 2012
Teruo Sugino
Demon
Movie • 1985
Yajima
Doctor X: Gekai Daimon Michiko Special
Movie • 2016
Shooting Film is Battleground: Making of BATTLE ROYALE
Movie • 2001
Self
The Final Battleground — Making of Battle Royale II
Movie • 2003
Self
Kikoku
Movie • 2010
Private First Class Oomiya
Izo
Movie • 2004
Chancellor
Zankyo
Movie • 1999
Erotic Liaisons
Movie • 1992
Okuyama
The 300 million yen robbery
Movie • 2000
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: Kyōfu Eizō Kaiki Shashin Korekushon
Movie • 1999
Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: 1999 Nostradamus Senritsu no Daiyogen Mysterious Unbelievable
Movie • 1999
Hoshi wo tsugu mono
Movie • 1990
Yama no hito
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
Movie • 2015
Detective Murakami
Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel
Movie • 2014
Rokuro Fujisawa
Mozu The Movie
Movie • 2015
Daruma
The Boss' Wife
Movie • 1988
Shoji Sugimoto, Hitman
Aka Medaka
Movie • 2015
Tatekawa Danshi
Miwa: A Japanese Icon
Movie • 2013
Himself
While the Women Are Sleeping
Movie • 2016
Sahara
Jam Session (The Official Bootleg of Kikujiro)
Movie • 1999
Ghost in the Shell
Movie • 2017
Aramaki
The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit
Movie • 2008
Take-Majin (voice)
Ghost in the Shell: Hard-Wired Humanity - Making Ghost in the Shell
Movie • 2017
self
Many Happy Returns
Movie • 1993
Daisuke Shiba
A Legend of Turmoil
Movie • 1992
Kiichirou Yashiro
Broken Rage
Movie • 2024
Nezumi
The Unpredictable Takeshi Kitano
Movie • 1999
Self
Outrage Coda
Movie • 2017
Otomo
Makoto-chan
Movie • 1980
The Dump Truck Rascal
Movie • 1981
Manon
Movie • 1981
Shinobu
Completely... With That Air!
Movie • 1981
Joke with a Sorrowful Heart
Movie • 1985
Hiroshi Igarashi
Kim's War
Movie • 1991
Kim Hyi-ro
Dioxin from Fish!
Movie • 1992
Azuma
Kichiku
Movie • 2002
Prison Break
Movie • 2017
Urata
What the War Meant
Movie • 2008
Hideki Tojo
A Living Promise
Movie • 2016
Detective Koichiro Iwase
Go, Go Second Time Virgin
Movie • 1969
Gang Member
Trespassing Bergman
Movie • 2013
Self
A Special Day
Movie • 2012
Self
The Golden Cups: One More Time
Movie • 2004
Himself
To Each His Own Cinema
Movie • 2007
The projectionist (segment "Rencontre unique")
The 8th Floor
Movie • 2014
Self
Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell!
Movie • 2004
Self
Making-of Kids Return
Movie • 1996
Himself
Kogoro Akechi vs Kaijin Nijyuu Menso
Movie • 2002
Niju Menso
Making of 'Battle Royale'
Movie • 2000
Self
In Between Mountains and Oceans
Movie • 2014
Himself
Shoko Asahara with Takeshi
Movie • 1991
Self
KILL THEM ALL
Movie • 1990
Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto
Movie • 1985
Hara (archive footage)
Fireworks
Movie • 1997
Yoshitaka Nishi
Citizen Kitano
Movie • 2020
Self
Takeshi's Castle Vol. 1
Movie • 2009
Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano
Movie • 2000
Summer Secrets
Movie • 1982
Ramen shop owner
School in the Crosshairs
Movie • 1982
Why Are We Creative?
Movie • 2018
Self
AUM: The Cult at the End of the World
Movie • 2025
Self (archive footage)
雨の降る駅
Movie • 1986
演员
Plankton Salesmen
Movie • 2017
Self (archive footage)
Yayoi Kusama: I Love Me
Movie • 2008
The Yagyu Code: Secret Scrolls
Movie • 1990
Hana-bi (1997) – Behind-the-scenes Footage
Movie • 1997
Self - Himself
MXC
TV • 2003
Takeshi's Castle
TV • 2002
北野ファンクラブ
TV • 1992
Kitano fan kurabu
TV • 1992
Self
Musashi
TV • 2003
Munisai Shinmen
Takeshi's Castle Japan
TV • 2023
Beat Takeshi Presents TV Tackle
TV • 1989
たけしのその時カメラは回っていた
TV • 2020
加ト・けん・たけしの世紀末スペシャル!!
TV • 1998
Kodai bunmei Misuterī Takeshi no shin sekai nana fushigi dai hyakka
TV
Golden Horse Awards
TV • 1962
Self
たけしのこれがホントのニッポン芸能史
TV • 2015
Today's Close-Up
TV • 1993
出演
The Story of One Century
TV • 2000
Idaten: Tokyo Olympics Story
TV • 2019
古今亭志生
オモクリ監督～O－Creator's TV Show～
TV • 2014
日曜ゴールデンで何やってんだテレビ
TV • 2012
Takeshi's Castle
TV • 1986
Count Takeshi
Kiseki taiken! Unbelievable
TV • 2018
Storyteller
Dots and Lines
TV • 2007
Jutaro Torikai