Mansai Nomura has a very limited
filmography, with all three films that the actor
worked in being released through Toho. Never the
less, the actor is often regarded as a veteran
by his contemporaries, and with almost 30 years
of acting off camera on the theater stage, in
plays like Tsurigitsune or Hamlet,
it's not hard to see why. Born under the name
Takeshi Nomura, he studied the art of Kyogen,
a branch of Noh theater specialized in comedic
drama, under his father and grand father. At the
age of four, Nomura made his acting debut on stage
in the play Utsubozaru. At the age of 19,
Nomura landed his first film role in Akira
Kurosawa's epic film Ran
(1985), playing Tsurumaru. It would be another
16 years, however, before Nomura acted in front
of the camera again for a film, with his return
to cinema being marked by playing the title role
in the successful 2001 film Onmyoji
as Abe no Seimei. Although often praised for his
performance on camera, the actor also garnished
the respect of other cast members as he acted
as a mentor, giving the younger actors advice
and often staying long after his shoot was done
to encourage the other actors. Nobura would later
reprise the role, two years later, in the film's
sequel.
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