Takayuki Sugo
Takayuki Sugo (菅生 隆之, Sugō Takayuki) is a Japanese voice actor notable for voicing Wonder of U in All-Star Battle R.
Sugo is well known for his roles as Hashirama Senju in Naruto, Zangetsu and Yhwach in Bleach, Doppo Orochi in Baki (2018), Raizen in Yu Yu Hakusho, Jirocho Doromizu in Gintama, Shiryu in One Piece, Heldalf in Tales of Zestiria, and King Sweyn in Vinland Saga.
Biography
Takayuki Sugo was born in Iioka, Chiba, Japan,[2] and graduated from Yachiyo Shoin High School.[3] In high school, he belonged to the track and field club for hurdling and claims to have been "the fastest in Chiba Prefecture".[4] He attended guitar classes and originally aspired to be a singer-songwriter, but felt he lacked talent. When he was around 19-20, an advertisement for singing lessons led him to enroll in a school that also offered a drama curriculum. After enrolling, he met who would later become his mentor and passed an audition for a stage play directed by the mentor, eventually performing at the Haiyuza Theatre.[2]
He then joined a theater troupe through his mentor's connections. After about a year and a half, feeling lukewarm about acting, he considered quitting and started drifting, doing part-time jobs. However, his mentor encouraged him to audition for Bungakuza. Initially skeptical, he auditioned and was accepted, joining the Bungakuza Institute in 1974 and becoming a troupe member in 1979.[5] His first stage performance ended up not being with Bungakuza, but in the 1978 premiere of Yukio Ninagawa's Hamlet.[2]
As a voice actor, he debuted with live broadcast commentary in a film starring Shin Tatsuoka and Ken Mitsuda. Soon after, he took over several roles from Masato Ibu, including the lead role in Dr. Simon Locke, marking his first starring role.[2]
On June 1, 2017, he left Bungakuza, which he had been affiliated with for many years, to join Fukuda & Co.[6][7]
He continues to work as a stage and television actor, as well as a voice actor for foreign film dubs and anime. In foreign film dubs, he is known for voicing Tommy Lee Jones, Jean Reno, and Ed Harris, having voiced these three in numerous films. He has also dubbed over other actors like Alec Baldwin, William Hurt, Ciarán Hinds, Jeff Bridges, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Lang, Mickey Rourke, Al Pacino, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Dennis Quaid, Bruce Willis, Sam Neill, and Chris Cooper. In the Star Trek series, he has been voicing Spock in many works since the death of Yasuo Hisamatsu.
Sugo's approach to dubbing is to perform the roles offered to him.[8] He initially deliberately kept a distance from anime work, but started taking on such roles at a certain point. Initially inexperienced, he finally felt like he was able to perform comfortably upon becoming a regular in Heat Guy J, voicing one of its main characters, "J".[2]
He is married, and according to Sugo, his wife is "an ordinary person". He also has two grandsons.[4]
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Roles
| Title | Media | Year |
|---|---|---|
| All-Star Battle R | Video Game | 2023 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fukuda & Co. - Biography
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Torimi Miki, "Voiceover Emperor Takayuki Sugo Interview Part 1" (Archived), 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
- ↑ "Nihon Talent Meikan (2011 Edition)", VIP Times Company, 2011-01-27.ISBN: 978-4-904674-02-4.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 From the data DVD of Radio CD "YRA Radio Yamato," Episode 26.
- ↑ "Takayuki Sugo", Bungakuza.
- ↑ Fukuda & Co. [@fukudaandco] (2017-06-01), "Tweet on June 1, 2017 by Fukuda & Co. Official Account", on Twitter.
- ↑ "Takayuki Sugō Profile", Fukuda & Co..
- ↑ "Voiceover Emperor Takayuki Sugō Interview Part 2 (June 2020 Archive)", 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
