GRUNTING & GROANING ACROSS THE DECADES! Saul Lockhart on Surviving as a Movie Voice Actor in Paris and Hong Kong!

Saul Lockhart in his office at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in 1998. Photo © FCC Correspondent. Saul Lockhart grunted and groaned his way from Paris to Hong Kong as a bit part player and character actor. An unexpected job dubbing a film in Paris in the mid-1960s led to an entertaining way of … Continue reading GRUNTING & GROANING ACROSS THE DECADES! Saul Lockhart on Surviving as a Movie Voice Actor in Paris and Hong Kong!

THE AUSTRALIAN IN JAPAN WHO STOOD UP TO GODZILLA AND THE YAKUZA! Nigel Reid on Playing a Russian Submarine Officer in ‘Godzilla 1985’ and Beyond!

Nigel Reid with a pamphlet for Godzilla 1985 (1984) in November 2023. Photo © Brett Homenick. Aussie Nigel Reid never dreamed that he would end up in Japan as an actor, performing in a Godzilla movie in front of worldwide audiences, but that's exactly how things worked out. Mr. Reid played the lieutenant commander of … Continue reading THE AUSTRALIAN IN JAPAN WHO STOOD UP TO GODZILLA AND THE YAKUZA! Nigel Reid on Playing a Russian Submarine Officer in ‘Godzilla 1985’ and Beyond!

Takehiro Murata in July 2023. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on March 18, 1960, Takehiro Murata became an actor at an early age and would go on to star in movies for some of Japan's most successful directors. In the U.S., Mr. Murata is most famous for his various turns in the Godzilla series. His … Continue reading GODZILLA’S MILLENNIUM MAN! Actor Takehiro Murata on His Memorable Roles in the Godzilla Series!

Machiko Naka in October 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Machiko Naka (October 12, 1936 - March 4, 2023) was an accomplished actress who appeared in many Toho films throughout the years. She was a regular actress in the popular Young Guy series and appeared in such movies as the Crazy Cats romp Las Vegas Free-for-All … Continue reading AN ACTRESS’ JOURNEY FROM TAKARAZUKA TO TOKUSATSU! Machiko Naka Remembers Her Acting Days at Toho!

Linda Masson with fellow voice actor Peter Gilchrist during their Hong Kong dubbing days. Photo © Linda Masson. California-born Linda Masson moved to Hong Kong in the early 1960s and quickly joined her then-husband Ted Thomas in the dubbing business at his company, Axis International. Ms. Masson's voice can be heard in a variety of … Continue reading HONG KONG’S HIDDEN VOICE-ACTING GEM! Linda Masson on Her Dubbing Career in the 1960s and ’70s!

Akira Takarada performs onstage in July 2015. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on April 29, 1934, in what is now Chongjin, North Korea, Akira Takarada joined Toho as a member of the studio’s sixth New Face class in 1953 and quickly established himself as one of its brightest stars. His big break came with the … Continue reading MY LIFE WITH GODZILLA! Toho Star Akira Takarada Reflects on His Decades-Long Association with Filmdom’s Mightiest Monster!

Yukiko Takayama in January 2016. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on April 4, 1940, to the famous Japanese painter Tatsuo Takayama (1912-2007), Yukiko Takayama studied screenwriting at the Scenario Center after graduating from Keio University's Faculty of Letters. The Scenario Center was launched in 1970 by prolific scriptwriter Hajime Arai, who was known for penning … Continue reading MECHAGODZILLA’S SEQUEL SECRETS! Yukiko Takayama on Writing the Screenplay for ‘Terror of Mechagodzilla’!

Fuchimu Shimakura in January 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on October 5, 1940, Fuchimu Shimakura began working at Toho in the late 1950s, creating or assisting in the creation of tokusatsu backdrops for the Showa era's most notable special effects movies, including Battle in Outer Space (1959), Mothra (1961), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), … Continue reading RECOLLECTIONS OF TOHO’S GOD OF CLOUDS! Fuchimu Shimakura on Painting the Studio’s Tokusatsu Backdrops!

Teruyoshi Nakano in December 2015. Photo © Brett Homenick. Teruyoshi Nakano is one of Japan’s masters of special effects. Born in what is now Dandong, China, on October 9, 1935, Mr. Nakano joined Toho in 1959 and quickly moved up the ranks in special effects, becoming chief assistant director under Eiji Tsuburaya by 1963. In … Continue reading MEMORIES OF MECHAGODZILLA! SFX Director Teruyoshi Nakano Reflects on 35 Years of ‘Terror of Mechagodzilla’!

David Milner poses with legendary film composer Akira Ifukube in his home. Photo © David Milner. Godzilla fandom in the U.S. began to take shape in the early 1970s, and David Milner was there to witness its growth. As a contributor to the various Japanese monster movie fanzines that existed at the time, Mr. Milner … Continue reading REVISITING GODZILLA FANDOM’S GLORY DAYS! David Milner on Writing for the Early Kaiju Fanzines and Interviewing Toho Icons!