
Sessue Hayakawa
Known for Acting · 100 credits
- Born
- 1889-06-10
- Died
- 1973-11-23
- Place of birth
- Nanaura, Chiba, Japan
- Also known as
- 早川雪洲 · Kintarō Hayakawa · 早川 金太郎
Biography
Sessue Hayakawa (June 10, 1889 – November 23, 1973) was a Japanese and American Issei (Japanese immigrant) actor who starred in American, Japanese, French, German, and British films. Hayakawa was the first and one of the few Asian actors to find stardom in the United States as well as Europe. Between the mid-1910s and the late 1920s, he was as well known as actors Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks. He was one of the highest paid stars of his time; making $5,000 a week in 1915, and $2 million a year via his own production company during the 1920s. He starred in over 80 movies and has two films in the U.S. National Film Registry. His international stardom transitioned both silent films and talkies.
Of his English-language films, Hayakawa is probably best known for his role as Colonel Saito in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai, for which he received a nomination for Academy Award Best Supporting Actor in 1957. He also appeared as the pirate leader in Disney's Swiss Family Robinson in 1960. In addition to his film acting career, Hayakawa was a theatre actor, film and theatre producer, film director, screenwriter, novelist, martial artist, and an ordained Zen master. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sessue Hayakawa, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
TV Shows (3)
Movies (97)

The Bridge on the River Kwai
1957
as Col. Saito

The Daydreamer
1966
as The Mole (voice)

After Five
1915
as Oki - the Valet

Swiss Family Robinson
1960
as Kuala, Pirate Chief

Tokyo Joe
1949
as Baron Kimura

Forfaiture
1937
as Prince Hu-Long

Green Mansions
1959
as Runi

Hidden Pearls
1918
as Tom Garvin

House of Bamboo
1955
as Inspector Kito

The Motherland Far Far Away
1950
as Joe Hayami

The Geisha Boy
1958
as Mr. Sikita

The First Born
1921
as Chan Wang
Running Hollywood
1932
as Sessue Hayakawa

Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood
2019
as (archive footage)

Hell to Eternity
1960
as General Matsui

Three Came Home
1950
as Colonel Michio Suga

The Cheat
1915
as Hishuru Tori [Haka Arakau]

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
2007
as Self (archive footage)

The Tragic General: Yamashita Tomoyuki
1953
as Tomoyuki Yamashita

Les Miserables I: God and the Devil
1950

Lover's Duet
1967
as Tajima

Les Miserables II: Banner of Love and Freedom
1950

The Swamp
1921
as Wang

The Big Wave
1961
as The Old Man

47 Vendettas
1953
as Sakon Tachibana

Daughter of the Dragon
1931
as Ah Kee

The Bottle Imp
1917
as Lopaka

The Frozen Moment
1964
as Self

日本敗れず
1954

The Wrath of the Gods
1914
as Lord Yamaki

Li Ting Lang
1920
as Li Ting Lang

The Daughter of the Samurai
1937
as Iwao Yamato

Gambling Hell
1942
as Ying Tchaï

The Devil's Claim
1920
as Akbar Khan / Hassan

The Man Beneath
1919
as Dr. Chindi Ashutor

The Call of the East
1917
as Arai Takada

The Honor of His House
1918
as Count Ito Onato

The Typhoon
1914
as Tokorama

The Clue
1915
as Nogi

Patrouille blanche
1942

The Last of the Line
1914
as Tiah - Gray Otter's Son

The Secret Sin
1915
as Lin Foo

Yoshiwara
1937
as Ysamo, Kuli

The Brand of Lopez
1920
as Vasco Lopez

An Arabian Knight
1920
as Ahmed

Night Life in Hollywood
1922
as Self

Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 12
1922
as Self

The Beggar Prince
1920
as Nikki / Prince

Around the World in 80 Minutes with Douglas Fairbanks
1931
as Self

Black Roses
1921
as Yoda

Each to His Kind
1917
as Rhandah

Le Soleil de minuit
1943
as Matsui

Malaria
1943

The City of Dim Faces
1918
as Jang Lung

His Birthright
1918
as Yukio

The Secret Game
1917
as Nara-Nara

The Vermilion Pencil
1922
as Tse Chan / The Unknown / Li Chan

The Tong Man
1919
as Luk Chen

The Victoria Cross
1916
as Azimoolah

The Courageous Coward
1919
as Suki Iota

John Gunther's High Road
1959
as Self
The White Man's Law
1918
as John A. Genghis

Swiss Family Robinson: Adventure in the Making
2002
as Self (archive)

The Chinatown Mystery
1915
as Yo Hong

Hashimura Togo
1917
as Hashimura Togo

The Honorable Friend
1916
as Makino

Where Lights Are Low
1921
as T''Su Wong Shih
The Sun Rises from the East
1932
as Kenji

The Temple Of Dusk
1918
as Akira

Le Cabaret du Grand Large
1946
as Professeur Wang

Temptation
1915
as Opera Admirer

Screen Snapshots (Series 1, No. 20)
1921
as Himself

The Gray Horizon
1919
as Yamo Masata

Alien Souls
1916
as Sakata

The Rise and Fall of a Jungle Giant
1958
as Self

The Illustrious Prince
1919
as Prince Maiyo

Forbidden Paths
1917
as Sato

Bonds of Honor
1919
as Yamashito / Sasamoto

The Dragon Painter
1919
as Tatsu - the Dragon Painter

The Jaguar's Claws
1917
as El Jaguar
I Have Killed
1924
as Hideo

The Soul of Kura San
1916
as Toyo

His Debt
1919
as Goto Mariyama

Tempête sur l'Asie
1938
as Prinz Ling

The Death Mask
1914
as Running Wolf

Escape to Paradise/Water Birds
1960

O Mimi san
1914
as Yorotomo

The Bravest Way
1918
as Kara Tamura

Quartier chinois
1947
as Tchang

The Danger Line
1924
as Marquis Yorisaka

Five Days to Live
1922
as Tai Leung
Sen Yan’s Devotion
1924
as Sen Yan

The Battle
1923
as Le Marquis Yorisaka

A Heart in Pawn
1919
as Tomaya

Kurama Tengu and Katsu Kaishū
1953
as Awanokami Katsu
Banzai
1918
as The American General

The Great Prince Shan
1924
as Prince Shan
About Sessue Hayakawa
Sessue Hayakawa (June 10, 1889 – November 23, 1973) was a Japanese and American Issei (Japanese immigrant) actor who starred in American, Japanese, French, German, and British films. Hayakawa was the first and one of the few Asian actors to find stardom in the United States as well as Europe. Between the mid-1910s and the late 1920s, he was as well known as actors Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks. He was one of the highest paid stars of his time; making $5,000 a week in 1915, and $2 million a year via his own production company during the… With 100 credits spanning from 1914 to 2020, Sessue Hayakawa has appeared in 97 films and 3 TV shows.
Fans searching for Sessue Hayakawa movies, Sessue Hayakawa filmography, or the latest projects starring Sessue Hayakawa can stream many of these titles on HinFlix, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Sessue Hayakawa Movies
- The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) — as Col. Saito
- The Daydreamer (1966) — as The Mole (voice)
- After Five (1915) — as Oki - the Valet
- Swiss Family Robinson (1960) — as Kuala, Pirate Chief
- Tokyo Joe (1949) — as Baron Kimura
Where to Watch Sessue Hayakawa Films
Most Sessue Hayakawa movies and series are available to stream on HinFlix in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Sessue Hayakawa, check our movies catalogue and browse page.


