Takehiro Hira

Biography

Takehiro Hira (平 岳大, Hira Takehiro), born on July 27, 1974, in Setagaya, Tokyo, is a prominent Japanese actor celebrated for his work in theatre, film, and television. Hira hails from a family of performers, with his father, Mikijirō Hira, and mother, Yoshiko Sakuma, both established actors. He spent his formative years in Japan before moving to the United States at the age of 15, where he completed his high school education at Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, before enrolling at Brown University.

Hira made his stage debut in 2002 in the play Rokumeikan, a work by the renowned Yukio Mishima. He gained notable recognition for his portrayal of Yoshinobu Tokugawa, the last shogun, in the NHK taiga drama Atsuhime. His collaborations with his father included a memorable performance as Iago opposite Mikijirō's Othello.

He has appeared in several films directed by Takashi Miike, such as Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, Ace Attorney, and Aku no Kyoten, and took on the role of Natsuka Masaie in the historical film Nobou's Castle. In 2005, Hira played the Player Queen in an English-language production of Hamlet, which garnered acclaim during its UK tour.

His recent work includes a lead role in the 2019 British series Giri/Haji, and notable roles in the American films Lost Girls & Love Hotels (2020) and Snake Eyes (2021). In 2024, he will be featured in FX's adaptation of the classic novel Shōgun.