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).
Movie | In Your Blood: Hoki Naiden | 2025 | |
Series | Kodai bunmei Misuterī Takeshi no shin sekai nana fushigi dai hyakka | Unknown | 2025 |
Movie | Broken Rage | Nezumi | 2024-09-06 |
Series | Takeshi's Castle Japan | 2023-04-21 | |
Movie | Kubi | Hashiba Hideyoshi | 2023-11-23 |
Series | たけしのその時カメラは回っていた | 2020-07-24 | |
Movie | Citizen Kitano | Self | 2020-10-16 |
Series | Idaten: Tokyo Olympics Story | 古今亭志生 | 2019-01-06 |
Series | Kiseki taiken! Unbelievable | Storyteller | 2018-04-05 |
Movie | Plankton Salesmen | Self (archive footage) | 2017-10-29 |
Movie | Ghost in the Shell | Chief Daisuke Aramaki | 2017-03-29 |
Movie | Prison Break | Urata | 2017-04-12 |
Movie | Outrage Coda | Otomo | 2017-10-07 |
Movie | Ghost in the Shell: Hard-Wired Humanity - Making Ghost in the Shell | self | 2017-07-25 |
Movie | A Living Promise | Detective Koichiro Iwase | 2016-01-09 |
Movie | While the Women Are Sleeping | 2016-02-27 | |
Movie | Doctor X: Gekai Daimon Michiko Special | 2016-07-03 | |
Movie | Aka Medaka | Tatekawa Danshi | 2015-12-28 |
Series | たけしのこれがホントのニッポン芸能史 | Unknown | 2015-03-21 |
Movie | Mozu The Movie | Daruma | 2015-11-07 |
Movie | Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen | Detective Murakami | 2015-04-25 |
Movie | In Between Mountains and Oceans | Himself | 2014-04-11 |
Movie | Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel | Rokuro Fujisawa | 2014-01-19 |
Movie | The 8th Floor | Self | 2014-05-10 |
Series | オモクリ監督~O-Creator's TV Show~ | Unknown | 2014-10-26 |
Movie | Morning | 2014-09-01 | |
Movie | Trespassing Bergman | Self | 2013-08-28 |
Movie | Miwa: A Japanese Icon | Himself | 2013-08-31 |
Movie | A Special Day | Self | 2012-05-16 |
Movie | Bergmans video | Self | 2012-08-22 |
Series | Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon | 黑须贯太郎 | 2012-10-18 |
Series | 日曜ゴールデンで何やってんだテレビ | Unknown | 2012-10-21 |
Movie | Beyond Outrage | Otomo | 2012-09-03 |
Movie | Dearest | Teruo Sugino | 2012-08-25 |
Movie | Outrage | Otomo | 2010-05-17 |
Movie | Kikoku | Private First Class Oomiya | 2010-08-12 |
Movie | Takeshi's Castle Vol. 1 | Unknown | 2009-11-20 |
Movie | Achilles and the Tortoise | Machisu | 2008-09-20 |
Movie | The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit | Take-Majin (voice) | 2008-10-26 |
Movie | What the War Meant | Hideki Tojo | 2008-12-24 |
Movie | Wada Akiko satsujin jiken | 2007-02-12 | |
Movie | Glory to the Filmmaker! | Takeshi / Yakuza / Father / Ninja / Detective / Astronomer | 2007-06-02 |
Movie | To Each His Own Cinema | The projectionist (segment "Rencontre unique") | 2007-10-31 |
Movie | Dots and Lines | Jutaro Torikai | 2007-11-24 |
Movie | Takeshis' | Beat Takeshi / Mr. Kitano | 2005-09-02 |
Movie | Blood and Bones | Joon-pyong Kim | 2004-11-06 |
Movie | The Golden Cups: One More Time | Himself | 2004-11-20 |
Movie | Arakimentari | Self | 2004-01-18 |
Movie | Izo | Chancellor | 2004-09-07 |
Movie | Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell! | Self | 2004-02-22 |
Series | Musashi | Munisai Shinmen | 2003-01-05 |
Movie | JAPANARAMA! Psycho TV From Japan Vol. 1 | 2003-04-12 | |
Movie | The Final Battleground — Making of Battle Royale II | Self | 2003-07-10 |
Movie | Zatoichi | Zatoichi / Ichi | 2003-09-06 |
Movie | Battle Royale II: Requiem | Kitano | 2003-07-05 |
Series | MXC | 2003-04-13 | |
Movie | Kogoro Akechi vs Kaijin Nijyuu Menso | Niju Menso | 2002-08-27 |
Movie | Kichiku | 2002-10-15 | |
Series | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex | Daisuke Aramaki | 2002-10-01 |
Series | Takeshi's Castle | 2002-11-01 | |
Movie | Shooting Film is Battleground: Making of BATTLE ROYALE | Self | 2001-01-13 |
Movie | Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano | 2000-05-05 | |
Series | The Story of One Century | 2000-08-28 | |
Movie | Making of 'Battle Royale' | Self | 2000-12-01 |
Movie | The 300 million yen robbery | Unknown | 2000-12-30 |
Movie | Battle Royale | Kitano | 2000-12-16 |
Movie | Brother | Aniki Yamamoto | 2000-12-13 |
Movie | Zankyo | Unknown | 1999-02-13 |
Movie | The Unpredictable Takeshi Kitano | Self | 1999-03-05 |
Movie | Jam Session (The Official Bootleg of Kikujiro) | Unknown | 1999-02-28 |
Movie | Kikujiro | Kikujiro | 1999-06-05 |
Movie | Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: Kyōfu Eizō Kaiki Shashin Korekushon | Unknown | 1999-05-19 |
Movie | Taboo | Toshizo Hijikata | 1999-12-18 |
Movie | Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: 1999 Nostradamus Senritsu no Daiyogen Mysterious Unbelievable | Unknown | 1999-04-21 |
Movie | Tokyo Eyes | Yakusa | 1998-09-09 |
Series | 加ト・けん・たけしの世紀末スペシャル!! | Unknown | 1998-12-19 |
Movie | Fireworks | Yoshitaka Nishi | 1997-10-30 |
Movie | Making-of Kids Return | Himself | 1996-12-31 |
Movie | Getting Any? | Scientist | 1995-02-11 |
Movie | Gonin | Ichiro Kyoya | 1995-09-23 |
Movie | Johnny Mnemonic | Takahashi | 1995-05-26 |
Movie | Many Happy Returns | Daisuke Shiba | 1993-11-20 |
Series | Today's Close-Up | 出演 | 1993-04-05 |
Movie | Sonatine | Aniki Murakawa | 1993-04-10 |
Series | Kitano fan kurabu | Self | 1992-02-12 |
Movie | A Legend of Turmoil | Kiichirou Yashiro | 1992-01-15 |
Series | 北野ファンクラブ | Unknown | 1992-02-13 |
Movie | Dioxin from Fish! | 1992-02-22 | |
Movie | Erotic Liaisons | Okuyama | 1992-10-17 |
Movie | Kim's War | Kim Hyi-ro | 1991-04-05 |
Movie | Shoko Asahara with Takeshi | Unknown | 1991-12-30 |
Movie | Hoshi wo tsugu mono | Yama no hito | 1990-02-03 |
Movie | KILL THEM ALL | 1990-11-23 | |
Movie | Boiling Point | Uehara | 1990-09-15 |
Movie | Violent Cop | Azuma Ryosuke | 1989-08-12 |
Series | Beat Takeshi Presents TV Tackle | Unknown | 1989-07-03 |
Movie | The Boss' Wife | Shoji Sugimoto, Hitman | 1988-11-19 |
Movie | No More Comics! | Police | 1986-03-24 |
Series | Takeshi's Castle | Count Takeshi | 1986-05-02 |
Movie | Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto | Hara (archive footage) | 1985-04-09 |
Movie | Demon | Yajima | 1985-08-31 |
Movie | Jesus' Ark | Takeyoshi Sengoku | 1985-12-09 |
Movie | Joke with a Sorrowful Heart | Hiroshi Igarashi | 1985-04-26 |
Movie | Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence | Hara | 1983-05-28 |
Movie | The Crimes of Kiyoshi Ōkubo | Kiyoshi Ôkubo | 1983-08-29 |
Movie | The Mosquito on the Tenth Floor | Man at Racetrack | 1983-07-02 |
Movie | Summer Secrets | 1982-09-18 | |
Movie | The Dump Truck Rascal | Unknown | 1981-04-29 |
Movie | Completely... With That Air! | Unknown | 1981-12-20 |
Movie | Manon | Shinobu | 1981-09-26 |
Movie | Makoto-chan | 1980-07-26 | |
Movie | Go, Go Second Time Virgin | Gang Member | 1969-01-01 |
Series | Golden Horse Awards | Self | 1962-10-31 |