Profile of Kamatari Fujiwara on Famous Like Me

For the founder of the Fujiwara clan, see Fujiwara no Kamatari.

Kamatari Fujiwara (藤原釜足 Fujiwara Kamatari) (January 1, 1905 - January 1, 1985) was a Japanese actor.

Born in Tokyo, he was a long-time member of director Akira Kurosawa's stock company, making his first appearance alongside Takashi Shimura in 1952's Ikiru. He continued to appear in Kurosawa's films until his death. Though a capable and highly professional actor, his subtle technique was very often overshadowed by the charismatic performances of Shimura and Toshiro Mifune. Today he is remembered primarily for his supporting appearances in Kurosawa's films, particularly as the suspicious farmer Manzo in The Seven Samurai, the deranged former mayor in Yojimbo, the spidery treasure-seeking farmer in The Hidden Fortress, and the drunken Kabuki actor in The Lower Depths.

Kama, as he was affectionately known, had difficulty remembering lines. When Arthur Penn, an American film director, needed a Japanese actor for his film Mickey One, Kurosawa suggested Fujiwara. It was his only role in a non-Japanese film, and, considering that it contained no lines, it was suited to the forgetful actor's sensibilities.

Fujiwara retired in the late 1970's, though he continued to make occasional television appearances. He died in Tokyo on his eightieth birthday, in 1985.

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