
Sessue Hayakawa
Known for Acting · 99 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 (96)

The Bridge on the River Kwai
1957
as Col. Saito

Swiss Family Robinson
1960
as Kuala, Pirate Chief

Green Mansions
1959
as Runi

Tokyo Joe
1949
as Baron Kimura

Hidden Pearls
1918
as Tom Garvin

After Five
1915
as Oki - the Valet

The Swamp
1921
as Wang

House of Bamboo
1955
as Inspector Kito

The Geisha Boy
1958
as Mr. Sikita

The First Born
1921
as Chan Wang

The Daydreamer
1966
as The Mole (voice)

The Motherland Far Far Away
1950
as Joe Hayami

Hell to Eternity
1960
as General Matsui

The Cheat
1915
as Hishuru Tori [Haka Arakau]

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

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

Forfaiture
1937
as Prince Hu-Long

Les Miserables II: Banner of Love and Freedom
1950

Daughter of the Dragon
1931
as Ah Kee

47 Vendettas
1953
as Sakon Tachibana

The Bottle Imp
1917
as Lopaka

Three Came Home
1950
as Colonel Michio Suga

The Frozen Moment
1964
as Self

Lover's Duet
1967
as Tajima

The Tragic General: Yamashita Tomoyuki
1953
as Tomoyuki Yamashita

An Arabian Knight
1920
as Ahmed

Les Miserables I: God and the Devil
1950

Li Ting Lang
1920
as Li Ting Lang

The Big Wave
1961
as The Old Man

Night Life in Hollywood
1922
as Self

The Daughter of the Samurai
1937
as Iwao Yamato

Alien Souls
1916
as Sakata

日本敗れず
1954

The Man Beneath
1919
as Dr. Chindi Ashutor

The Typhoon
1914
as Tokorama

Patrouille blanche
1942

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

The Devil's Claim
1920
as Akbar Khan / Hassan

The Tong Man
1919
as Luk Chen

The Secret Sin
1915
as Lin Foo

His Birthright
1918
as Yukio

The Rise and Fall of a Jungle Giant
1958
as Self
The White Man's Law
1918
as John A. Genghis

The Secret Game
1917
as Nara-Nara

Gambling Hell
1942
as Ying Tchaï

The Clue
1915
as Nogi

The Call of the East
1917
as Arai Takada

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

Le Soleil de minuit
1943
as Matsui

John Gunther's High Road
1959
as Self

The Beggar Prince
1920
as Nikki / Prince

The Chinatown Mystery
1915
as Yo Hong

The Honor of His House
1918
as Count Ito Onato

Swiss Family Robinson: Adventure in the Making
2002
as Self (archive)
Running Hollywood
1932
as Sessue Hayakawa

The Honorable Friend
1916
as Makino

Where Lights Are Low
1921
as T''Su Wong Shih

The Wrath of the Gods
1914
as Lord Yamaki

The Courageous Coward
1919
as Suki Iota

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

The Temple Of Dusk
1918
as Akira

Escape to Paradise/Water Birds
1960

The Brand of Lopez
1920
as Vasco Lopez

Each to His Kind
1917
as Rhandah

The Dragon Painter
1919
as Tatsu - the Dragon Painter

Yoshiwara
1937
as Ysamo, Kuli

The Jaguar's Claws
1917
as El Jaguar

Black Roses
1921
as Yoda

The Soul of Kura San
1916
as Toyo

Temptation
1915
as Opera Admirer

Forbidden Paths
1917
as Sato

The Victoria Cross
1916
as Azimoolah

Bonds of Honor
1919
as Yamashito / Sasamoto

Malaria
1943

Quartier chinois
1947
as Tchang

Le Cabaret du Grand Large
1946
as Professeur Wang

The City of Dim Faces
1918
as Jang Lung

The Gray Horizon
1919
as Yamo Masata

O Mimi san
1914
as Yorotomo

The Illustrious Prince
1919
as Prince Maiyo

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

Tempête sur l'Asie
1938
as Prinz Ling

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

His Debt
1919
as Goto Mariyama

A Heart in Pawn
1919
as Tomaya

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

The Battle
1923
as Le Marquis Yorisaka

The Death Mask
1914
as Running Wolf

Hashimura Togo
1917
as Hashimura Togo
The Sun Rises from the East
1932
as Kenji

The Danger Line
1924
as Marquis Yorisaka

The Bravest Way
1918
as Kara Tamura
Banzai
1918
as The American General
I Have Killed
1924
as Hideo

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 99 credits spanning from 1914 to 2020, Sessue Hayakawa has appeared in 96 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 CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Sessue Hayakawa Movies
- The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) — as Col. Saito
- Swiss Family Robinson (1960) — as Kuala, Pirate Chief
- Green Mansions (1959) — as Runi
- Tokyo Joe (1949) — as Baron Kimura
- Hidden Pearls (1918) — as Tom Garvin
Where to Watch Sessue Hayakawa Films
Most Sessue Hayakawa movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo 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.


