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Sonny Chiba

Sonny Chiba

Director & actor · born 23 January 1939 · Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

Sonny Chiba (born January 23, 1939 - August 19, 2021), also known as Shin'ichi Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience. Born in Fukuoka, Chiba played a variety of sports in high school, including baseball and volleyball. He also practiced gymnastics and participated at the National Sports Festival of Japan in his third year. When he was a university student, he learned martial arts, earning a black belt in Kyokushin Karate in 1965 and later receiving a fourth degree in 1984.

Chiba's career began in the 1960s, when he starred in two tokusatsu superhero shows. In his first role, he replaced Susumu Wajima as the main character Kōtarō Ran/Seven Color Mask in Seven Color Mask (Nana-iro Kamen) in the second half of the series. However, his breakthrough role was in the 1974 film The Street Fighter. Before retiring, Chiba had also appeared in a number of English language American films, including Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Fast & Furious 3: Tokyo Drift (2006).

Where to start: Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2011).

As director 3

As actor 154

TV shows 24

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Sonny Chiba movie?

By viewer score, Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2011) at 8.1/10.

What are Sonny Chiba’s most popular movies?

Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

How many movies has Sonny Chiba made?

157 films on TMDB, 3 as director, 154 as actor.

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