Masumi Okada

Masumi Okada was a Tokyo-based actor, singer, comedian, host, and producer who was born in Nice, France, and moved to Japan in 1939. He attended Saint Joseph International School in Yokohama, and while still a student he made his stage debut in a 1952 musical at the Nichigeki Music Hall. After joining Nikkatsu in 1954, he appeared in his first film, Hatsukoi Kanariya Musume. A role as a bandmaster in Season of the Sun led to his part as Frank Hirosawa in Crazed Fruit (1956). Over a career exceeding five decades, he appeared in more than 140 films, including Latitude Zero (1969), Bye Bye Jupiter (1984), Getting Any? (1994), and The Hunted (1995). He also worked in television, theater, and as a producer, with credits such as The Space Giants and Battle Royale, hosted the Miss International pageant, and judged on Iron Chef. He died in 2006.