Sonny Chiba

Här kommer lite fakta kring Chiba.

Sonny CHIBA
AKA: Sadao Maeda (original name), Shinichi Chiba
Profession: actor, action director
Born: January 23, 1939 (Fukuoka, Japan)

Biography: (by Mark Pollard)

Sonny Chiba, a fourth-degree black belt in karate
and trained in judo,ninjutsu, kendo, and kempo has
enjoyed a successful film career spanning 40 years.
He is best remembered as the vicious assassin in
the Street Fighter series of films beginning in 1974
which has earned him a cult following around the globe.

Chiba, originally Sadao Maeda was the second of five
children born to Shichinosuke Maeda, a military test
pilot and his wife Haruko.
At an early age, he developed an interest in traditional
Japanese theater and gymnastics. The latter nearly put
him on the Japanese Olympic team before a back injury
ended his gymnastics career. Nippon Taiiku University
is where he began learning karate under
World Karate Grand Master Masatatsu "Mas" Oyama.
He went on to earn a first degree black belt in judo
and eventually coach at the university during his
senior year.
In 1960, he was discovered during a "New Faces"
contest held by Toei Company and renamed Shinichi Chiba.

"Sonny" would be added a number of years later as a
result of a Toyota Sunny-S ad campaign he participated in.)
Thanks to his athleticism, Chiba was groomed by
the studio as an action star appearing first on
television and eventually cast in leading roles in
a series of action films,while often returning
to television.
In 1969, Chiba created the Japan Action Club to
train stars in martial arts and action scenes.
Both Etsuko Shihomi and Hiroyuki Sanada were graduates
of the program.
To capitalize on the post-Bruce Lee craze in the
mid-'70's, Toei turned to Chiba to star in his most
famous role beginning with The Street Fighter in 1974,
followed by a number of spin-offs.
Throughout the late '70's and eighties, Chiba appeared
in a number of films, although few have reached
great success outside of Japan. Having relocated to
Los Angeles,he has appeared in a number of low-grade American films, often billed fourth or fifth.
Thankfully, Hong Kong filmmakers have recently cast
him in a number of films including Andy Lau's Storm Riders.
Chiba continues to train and assist up-and-coming
actors in Japan.

Filmography:
2003 - Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (actor)
2000 - Born to Be King
2000 - The Legend of the Flying Swordsman
1998 - The Storm Riders (actor)
1997 - Body Count
1994 - Immortal Combat
1992 - Fighting Fist
1992 - Aces: Iron Eagle III
1991 - Mine Field
1989 - The School
1989 - Shogun's Shadow (actor)
1984 - Legend of the Eight Samurai (actor)
1982 - Ninja Wars
1982 - Shogun's Ninja (actor)
1982 - Roaring Fire
1981 - Samurai Reincarnation
1981 - Dragon Princess
1980 - Virus
1979 - The Bushido Blade
1979 - G.I. Samurai
1979 - Hunter in Darkness
1978 - The Bodyguard (originally 1970) (actor)
1978 - The Fall of Ako Castle
1978 - Okinawa: The Ten-Year War
1978 - Message from Space
1978 - Shogun's Samurai (actor)
1978 - Yokohama Underworld
1977 - The Soul of Bruce Lee
1978 - Golgo 13 (actor)
1977 - The Assassin
1977 - The Detective Doberman
1976 - Okinawa Yakuza War
1976 - Karate Warriors
1975 - The Defensive Power of Aikido
1975 - The Bullet Train (actor)
1975 - Karate Bear Fighter (actor)
1975 - Karate Bullfighter (actor)
1975 - The Killing Machine (actor)
1975 - Return of Street Fighter (actor)
1975 - The 13 Steps
1974 - The Executioner 2: Karate Inferno (actor)
1974 - The Executioner (actor)
1974 - Street Fighter's Last Revenge
1974 - Sister Street Fighter (actor)
1974 - The Street Fighter (actor)
1972 - The Vice G-Man
1970 - Gangster Cop
1967 - Kawachi Chivalry Saga
1967 - The Shuse Lullaby
1966 - Gold Bat
1966 - Terror Beneath the Sea
1963 - Our Threatened Life
1963 - The Yakuza's Song