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Harold Sakata

Harold Sakata

Toshiyuki Harold Sakata (July 1, 1920-1982 was a film actor most famous for his role as the villain Oddjob in the James Bond film Goldfinger.

Toshiyuki Sakata was born on July 1, 1920 in Holualoa, Hawaii, of Korean descent; when he moved to mainland America he began to go by the more Western name Harold. He spent his early life training as a wrestler and won a silver medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London; he also did a stint as a professional wrestler under the name Tosh Togo.

Bond producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli took notice of Sakata because his heavy build - he stood 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) and weighed 284 lb (129 kg) - coupled with his intimidating gaze made him the perfect choice for the part of Oddjob. He had no acting background at all, but the character was mute and required little theatrical skill.

As Oddjob, he was bodyguard to Bond villain Auric Goldfinger and his sharpened, steel-brimmed bowler hat became a famous and much-parodied trademark of the Bond series. He appeared in several other movies in similar roles and took on Oddjob as a middle name.

He also appeared in a series of TV commercials for cough syrup, the premise of which was that he had a severe cough, causing him to smash everything in sight until someone gave him cough syrup.

Sakata died on July 29, 1982 in Honolulu, Hawaii, of cancer.

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Sakata


Note: This profile was written in or before 2004.

Harold Sakata Facts

OccupationActor
BirthdayJuly 1, 1920
SignCancer
BirthplaceHolualoa, Hawaii, USA
Date of deathJuly 29, 1982 (age 62)
Height6' 1" (1m85)  How tall is Harold Sakata compared to you?

Selected Filmography

Goldfinger
Happy Hooker Goes To Washington
Bruce Strikes Back
The Wrestler
Sean Connery 007 Collection James Bond DVD Volume 1 & 2 Goldfinger
Jerry Lewis Show: Fan Favorites
Goin' Coconuts
The Jaws of Death
Death Dimension
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