Hiroyuki Sanada joins ABC’s ‘Lost’

By Mark Pollard | Published August 24, 2009

Hiroyuki Sanada

Leading Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, a former protégé of Sonny Chiba, has been cast to play an undisclosed character in the sixth and final season of ABC’s LOST TV series.

American audiences last saw Sanada as Mr. Musha in SPEED RACER, fight Jackie Chan in RUSH HOUR 3 and train Tom Cruise in THE LAST SAMURAI.

He is best known to martial arts film fans as a member of Chiba’s Japan Action Club and for his fighting roles in a series of period chambara films ranging from playing a teenage ninja in THE SHOGUN’S SAMURAI (1978) to a middle-aged swordsman in Yoji Yamada’s THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI (2002).

LOST is a popular serialized TV drama centered on the lives of plane crash survivors stuck on a mysterious tropical island. The series features an ensemble cast and has been running for five seasons since its premiere in 2004. The sixth and final season will air in 2010.

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  • big Willie
    I remember the first time I saw Hiroyuki Sanada was in a movie called Rorwing Fire this movie also stared Sonny Chiba and Sue Sumonie (she played a blind woman that could fight). The movie it self was corney but between him (Sanada) and Sue they were the best thing in the movie I thought he really showed his skills in the movie calle Ninja in the Dragon's Den ( also called Ninja Warriors) with Conan Lee I think that he out shined and out skilled the lead the fight sceans are just out of sight!!! The end fight at the tower was just increable. I saw the Twilight Samurai and I thought he did a very good dramiac role which showed another side of him when he did Rush Hour 3 with Jackie Chan and the fight between them was just ok (blah) I would like to see him do another ninja film or maybe see him team with 80's ninja master Sho Kosugi or Yusaki Krauda it is good to see that he is still getting work but what ever happend to Conan Lee the Last thing I saw him in was Leathel Weapon 4 with Jet Li he played one of the four elders.
  • BruisedLo
    Lost should feel lucky to have a big star on their show. Its weird to have big stars on small tv shows.
  • santoscaez
    Hiroyuki is too big for television! But I'll welcome it! Sanada is the man!
  • stdthagreat
    Oh snap! I didn't realize that this was the same actor who played the main character of Shogun's Ninja (and I've seen The Last Samurai and Rush Hour 3). Somehow I just couldn't connect the dots. His work in Royal Warriors and Shogun's Ninja is top notch.
  • stdthagreat
    I gotta check out more of his movies. Hiroyuki Sanada is the man. Period.
  • The REALIST
    Stdthatgreat - Sanada was also in the ORIGINAL Japanese version of "The Ring."
    I like how he diversifies his roles. I think the last film I saw him in was in "SUNSHINE" - the sci-fi movie. It's interesting because he starred with Michelle Yeoh in "Royal Warriors" and then nearly 22 years later (or so) he stars with Michelle again in "Sunshine"; albeit their roles were both small in that film
  • vahagn
    He is a great ninja i think, isn't he the hero in Ninja in Dragons den ?
  • Yes. That was a rare starring role for Sanada in a Hong Kong action movie. He later teamed up with Michelle Yeoh in ROYAL WARRIORS.
  • The REALIST
    This is good news. HOWEVER - knowing how American cinema and television works, they'll make this classic Japanese actor play the part of a Korean or something like that.
    Let's hope for the best though.
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