James Shigeta

James Shigeta (June 17, 1929 – July 28, 2014) was an American actor, singer, musician, musical theatre/nightclub performer, and recording artist. He was best known for his roles in the movies Flower Drum Song (1961) with Nancy Kwan and Die Hard (1988) with Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman. He started his career in the early 1960s and his last role was in 2009.

He shared the 1960 Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Male Newcomer with actors George Hamilton, Troy Donahue and Barry Coe.

Shigeta was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was a Sansei or third-generation American of Japanese ancestry. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for two-and-a-half years during the Korean War.

Shigeta died on July 28, 2014 in Los Angeles, California from respiratory failure, aged 85.