Shoes

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Gender

Female

Birthday

1939-12-13

Place of Birth

Ota, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan

Akiko Wakabayashi

Biography

Akiko Wakabayashi (born December 13, 1939 in Ōta, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress, best known in English-speaking countries for her role as Bond girl, Aki in the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice. Prior to this, she made many movies in her native Japan, especially Toho Studio's monster movies such as Dagora, the Space Monster and Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (both of which were also released under various other titles). When production of You Only Live Twice began, Wakabayashi was originally slated to play the role of Kissy Suzuki whilst her co-star Mie Hama played Suki, one of Tiger Tanaka's top agents. When learning English proved to be a major hurdle to Hama, the women switched roles, with Hama now playing the smaller part of Kissy and Wakabayashi playing the larger part of Suki. Wakabayashi, as Aki in the movie You Only Live Twice. At her suggestion, the character of Suki was renamed to Aki. This is probably partly because[citation needed] in 1966, Woody Allen took the Japanese action film International Secret Police: Key of Keys (in which both Mie Hama and Wakabayashi starred), re-edited, re-dubbed, re-plotted, and renamed it What's Up, Tiger Lily?. In the film, Wakabayashi's character was "Suki Yaki" whereas her You Only Live Twice co-star Hama played "Teri Yaki". Wakabayashi made only one more film (and a guest TV appearance) before disappearing from both the big and small screen. In an interview in G-FAN magazine (No. 76), Wakabayashi said she retired from acting due to injuries sustained while making a movie. Description above from the Wikipedia article Akiko Wakabayashi, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

You Only Live Twice

You Only Live Twice

A mysterious spacecraft captures Russian and American space capsules and brings the two superpowers to the brink of war. James Bond investigates the case in Japan and comes face to face with his archenemy Blofeld.

Shirley's World

Shirley's World

Shirley's World is a British television sitcom initially aired on ABC during the U.S. 1971-72 television season, then by ITV in the United Kingdom. Co-produced by the British ITC Entertainment and American producer Sheldon Leonard, the short-lived series stars Shirley MacLaine as photojournalist Shirley Logan and John Gregson as her editor Dennis Croft.

King Kong vs. Godzilla

King Kong vs. Godzilla

The advertising director of Pacific Pharmaceuticals, frustrated with the low ratings of their sponsored TV program, seeks a more sensationalist approach. He orders his staff to Faro Island to capture King Kong for exploitation. As Godzilla re-emerges, a media frenzy generates with Pacific looking to capitalize off of the ultimate battle.

What's Up, Tiger Lily?

What's Up, Tiger Lily?

In comic Woody Allen's film debut, he took the Japanese action film "International Secret Police: Key of Keys" and re-dubbed it, changing the plot to make it revolve around a secret egg salad recipe.

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster

After a meteorite unleashes a three-headed beast upon Tokyo, Mothra tries to unite with Godzilla and Rodan to battle the extraterrestrial threat.

King Kong vs. Godzilla

King Kong vs. Godzilla

When an underhanded pharmaceutical company goes to a remote tropical island to steal King Kong for advertising purposes, they get more than they bargained for when the gigantic ape attacks an unsuspecting village and an enormous octopus.

Samurai Pirate

Samurai Pirate

An adventurous and daring sailor sets sail to the castle of an ailing king to stop an evil premier, hungry for power and wealth, from succeeding the throne and marrying the king's beautiful daughter. Along the way, with the help of some courageous rebels and a lustful wizard, he must overcome the powers of a bewitching witch, a band of ruthless pirates, and the castle's Imperial guards. He must also free those kidnapped into slavery and restore the king's reputation.

Yes! Yes! 3 Young Girls

Yes! Yes! 3 Young Girls

Musical comedy starring Watanabe Productions recording stars Nakao, Sono, and Ito as Toho's new "Sannin musume," three young women intended for 1960s audiences what Hibari Misora, Izumi Yukimura, and Chiemi Eri had been in the 50s.

Dogora

Dogora

A floating amorphous life-form descends from the atmosphere to consume carbon in the form of diamonds.

Girl from Hong Kong

Girl from Hong Kong

Unusual race relations melodrama from West Germany follows a German sailor who meets and weds a Chinese woman while on leave in Hong Kong, only to meet with disapproval from his family and friends when the couple returns to Europe.

A Salaryman's Reckless Family

A Salaryman's Reckless Family

Untaro Tatsumura, a pioneer of the salaryman class, had retired from active duty and was living a leisurely life in Ito with his wife, while serving as an advisor to seven companies. However, when he announced that he intended to donate his estate to social welfare causes, the Tatsumura household was thrown into an uproar.

Respect, Flatter, and Love

Respect, Flatter, and Love

Modern love story about three disparate sisters, one (Tsukasa) of whom who suspects her husband (Kobayashi) has been unfaithful.

Reporters from the Sky

Reporters from the Sky

Action melodrama.

The Entrapped Gangster

The Entrapped Gangster

Crime melodrama about two detectives (Ikebe and Arashima) and one detective's trumpet-playing son (Sato) who become involved in a complex murder investigation.

Ganpā kachō

Ganpā kachō