Sad news. Pioneering Asian American actor James Shigeta, who was a leading man in such films as The Crimson Kimono, Flower Drum Song and Bridge to the Sun, died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 85.
James Shigeta, Top Asian-American Actor of Early '60s and 'Die Hard' Co-Star, Dies at 81
Handsome and charming, Shigeta was one of the first prominent Asian American actors. He made his film debut in 1959 starring as a detective caught up in a love triangle in Samuel Fuller's The Crimson Kimono, kicking off a solid two-year run of film roles, including Walk Like a Dragon (1960), Cry for Happy (1961) and Bridge to the Sun (1961). He won a Golden Globe Award in 1960 for "Most Promising Male Newcomer."
