It's Official: Tak Sakaguchi Bids Farewell To Acting
Well, in a strange turn of events, a new update just took a somewhat evident and surprising turn. Monster Attack Team just shared news about the fate of actor Tak Sakaguchi’s career in a new Facebook update. Read the following:
TAK Team update: TAK SAKAGUCHI, explosive action director, actor, stunt coordinator, street fighter, GODZILLA FINAL WARS, KAMEN RIDER KABUTO villain and more has officially retired from acting. MONSTER ATTACK TEAM had the pleasure of bringing him to AKON-23 last year and is working on future events with this bonafide skull crusher. Stay tuned for official updates from this honorary member of MAT himself right here!
The news comes just after a recent report involving the actor’s supposed return to playing the character “Grave” in Death Trance 2. The 38 year old former underground fighter-turned action star from Ishikawa, Japan is best known for his credits as an actor, director, writer, stunt performer and fight choreographer, performing in and having worked on some of the most memorable graphic novel-styled films to date, including Battlefield Baseball, Alive, Versus, Yoroi: Samurai Zombie, Aragami, Azumi 1 and 2, Cromartie High, Yakuza Weapon, Deadball and Be A Man! Samurai School.
His contributions have earned him a place in history as a pure cult phenomenon and one of the recognizable hardest working, highly heralded figures in Japanese cinema. We all love him, appreciate him, and will miss his fierce, on-screen charisma and ferocious style of action.
This news also hits a little close to home for me, being that Versus is part of what exposed me to a broader network of genre action films when I was in college. I grew to love and appreciate Japanese cinema and Asian cinema as a whole because of people like Tak Sakaguchi. His films were a part of my escape from reality…from school, heartbreak, disappointmemt from people, etc. It became a lifeline for me when I needed it. And for this, I will always be grateful.
I do not know yet what this says about Death Trance 2, but I aim to find out. So stay tuned.
Arigato, Sakaguchi-san
Photo Credit: Nippon Cinema
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!