Denis Akiyama
{{short description|Canadian actor (1952–2018)}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Denis Akiyama (fair use).jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1952|5|28}}
| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| death_date = {{date of death and age|mf=yes|2018|6|28|1952|5|28}}
| death_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1987–2018
| spouse = {{marriage|Danielle O'Connor|1987}}
| children = 2
}}
Denis Van Akiyama (May 28, 1952 – June 28, 2018)
{{cite book |last1=Lentz III |first1=Harris M. |title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2018 |date=30 May 2019 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476636559 |page=6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?zd=CfWaDwAAQBAJ |access-date=3 June 2025}} was a Canadian actor of stage, film and television, perhaps best known for portraying Shinji in Johnny Mnemonic, and for voicing Silver Samurai / Kenuichio Harada and Sunfire in X-Men, and Malachite in the original English version of Sailor Moon.
Early life and education
Akiyama was born in Toronto, Ontario to a Japanese family. He attained a BA in Psychology from York University, and worked in child care. Akiyama was also a musician who played trumpet with The Parachute Club, and in The Pukka Orchestra. Denis went on to study acting at George Brown College.{{cite journal |last1=Fujino |first1=David |title=An Interview with Denis Akiyama |journal=The Bulletin |date=29 May 2013 |url=https://jccabulletin-geppo.ca/an-interview-with-denis-akiyama/ |access-date=3 June 2025 |publisher=Japanese Canadian Citizens’ Association of Greater Vancouver}}
Career
;Film
Akiyama started in film, before performing on stage.{{cite web |url=http://jccabulletin-geppo.ca/national-feature/an-interview-with-denis-akiyama/ |title=An Interview with Denis Akiyama |accessdate=2013-06-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725132854/http://jccabulletin-geppo.ca/national-feature/an-interview-with-denis-akiyama/ |archivedate=2013-07-25 }} In 2015, he appeared in the feature film Pixels.{{cite web |url=http://www.movietalky.com/people/4409-denis-akiyama |title=Denis Akiyama facts |website=Movietalky |access-date=August 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916095200/http://www.movietalky.com/people/4409-denis-akiyama |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
;Television
He was a frequent guest star on Katts and Dog, as well as playing and voicing roles in The Adventures of Tintin animated series, and Mayday.
;Theatre
In the early 1990s, Akiyama's stage performances included Miss Saigon on Broadway and in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Other theatre appearances include Philip Kan Gotanda's Song for a Nisei Fisherman, Sally Han's Naomi's Road, M. J. Kang's Dreams of Blonde & Blue, and Hiro Kanagawa's The Tiger of Malaya.
Death
Akiyama died on June 28, 2018, from a "very rare and aggressive cancer". He and his wife Danielle had two children, Kintaro and Miya.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/denis-akiyama-dead-johnny-mnemonic-pixels-actor-dies-at-66-1124688|title=The Toronto native was prolific across film, television, stage and anime for four decades.|website=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Bartlett|first=Rhett|date=July 3, 2018|accessdate=January 11, 2019}} He was 66 years old.
Filmography
=Film=
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
- 1988: Blood Relations – Heart Surgeon
- 1986: Captive Hearts – Masato
- 1988: Dead Ringers – Pharmacist
- 1993: Guilty as Sin – Lab Technician
- 1995: Johnny Mnemonic – Shinji
- 1996: Balance of Power – Hastishita
- 1996: Extreme Measures – Prof. Asakura
- 1996: Lethal Tender – Det. Peter "Playdo" Ota
- 1996: L5: First City in Space (short) – Yoshio Mori
- 1996: Space Truckers – Tech Leader
- 1997: The Planet of Junior Brown – Mr. Tanaka
- 2000: After Alice – Owen Gackstetter
- 2002: Cypher – Speaker Omaha
- 2004: My Baby's Daddy – as Cha Ching
- 2004: Welcome to Mooseport – Izuki Nami
- 2005: The Pacifier – Mr. Chun
- 2007: Night (short) as Hikaru
- 2008: Flash of Genius – Dr. Ito
- 2008: Chilly Beach: The Canadian President – as Emperor (voice)
- 2010: Repo Men – Doctor
- 2010: Gangster Exchange – Takayama
- 2010: Resident Evil: Afterlife – Captain Hotaka
- 2015: Pixels – Professor Iwatani
- 2016: The People Garden – Management 529
- 2017: Kiss and Cry – Shin Amano
- 2017: Kill Order – Shiro Fujitaka (final film role)
{{div col end}}
=Television=
class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Denis Akiyama live action television credits | ||||
Year | Title | Role | class="unsortable" | Notes
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | For the Record | Michael Nakashima | 1 episode | |
1986 | Check It Out | {{unk}} | Ito | |
1987
| {{unk}} | 1 episode | ||||
1987
| Diamonds | {{unk}} | 1 episode | ||||
1988 | Friday the 13th: The Series | Hai Kwan | Episode: "Tattoo" | |
1988–1992
| Ron Nakemura | 49 episodes. AKA Katts and Dog | ||||
1988, 1989
| Jonathan Imatsu / Satien Loc | 2 episodes | ||||
1989, 1990 | T. and T. | Ikuta / Mori | 2 episodes | |
1990
| Chin | 1 episode | ||||
1991
| Lok | Episode: "Night of the Black Moon" {{small|(S2.E10)}} | ||||
1990 | Inside Stories | Aaron Iwata | Episode: "Heartbreak Hoteru" | |
1992 | In the Eyes of a Stranger | TV movie | ||
1992 | Top Cops | Wen Da Yee | 1 episode | |
1993 | Ghost Mom | Yamato | TV movie | |
1994, 1996 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Lai Tzu / Lai (voice) | 2 episodes | |
1995 | Visitors of the Night | Stranger #2 | TV movie | |
1996 | Buried Secrets | Doctor #1 | TV movie | |
1996, 1997 | F/X: The Series | Dr. Miller / Lambert Chang | 2 episodes | |
1997 | Traders | {{unk}} | 1 episode | |
1999 | Killing Moon | Dr. Yamada | TV movie | |
2000 | Code Name Phoenix | Dr. Fong | TV movie | |
2000 | Relic Hunter | Colonel Chang | ||
2000 | The Last Debate | TV Makeup Artist | TV movie | |
2001 | The Judge | Peter Jacoby | Episode: "Part One" | |
2002 | Haven't We Met Before? | TV movie | ||
2002 | Odyssey 5 | Akegi | ||
2002 | The Brady Bunch in the White House | Hopeful Man | TV movie | |
2003
| Prince of Kushin | TV movie | ||||
2004 | The Cradle Will Fall | Dr. Fachita | TV movie | |
2004 | H2O | Kazio Izumi | TV miniseries | |
2004 | Doc | Jian Wa | ||
2004 | Kevin Hill | as Judge Porter | ||
2005 | Cool Money | District Attorney | TV movie | |
2005
| Mayday | TV documentary. AKA Air Crash Investigation | | ||||
2006 | ReGenesis | Crown Attorney | 1 episode | |
2006 | A Christmas Wedding | Asian Pacific President | TV movie | |
2008 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Oncologist | Episode: "Death or Glory: Part 2" | |
2008 | data-sort-value="Summit, The" | The Summit | Prime Minister of Japan | TV miniseries | |
2008 | Roxy Hunter and the Myth of the Mermaid | Kyoto | TV movie | |
2009 | Wild Roses | as Fukuwawa Sr. | ||
2009 | Warehouse 13 | Officer Ogawa | ||
2010 | Being Erica | Dr. Kotara | 1 episode | |
2010 | Mayday | Captain Chun Byung-in | TV documentary. AKA Air Crash Investigation Episode: "Target Is Destroyed" | |
2010-2012 | Wingin' It | Mr. Nakamora / Mr. Nakamura | ||
2011
| Mr. Lee | 13 episodes | ||||
2012
| Mayday | TV documentary. AKA Air Crash Investigation | | ||||
2015
| Nakano | 1 episode | ||||
2015
| Suits | Mr. Tanaka | 1 episode | ||||
2018 | Taken | Sensei | Episode: "Strelochnik" | |
2018 | Carter | Koji Yasuda | 6 episodes (2 posthumously) |
=Voice roles=
==Animation==
{{Inc-tv|date=June 2025}}
class="wikitable sortable
|+ Denis Akiyama animation voice credits | ||||
Year | Title | Role | class="unsortable" | Notes
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | Rupert | (additional voices) | ||
1991–1992
| data-sort-value="Adventures of Tintin, The" | The Adventures of Tintin | Mitsuhirato / Bunji Kuraki / Tharkey | 3 episodes | ||||
1993–1997 | X-Men | Dr. Darrel Tanaka / Silver Samurai / Sunfire | 4 episodes | |
1993–1997 | The Busy World of Richard Scarry | {{unk}} | 36 episodes | |
1994 | Monster Force | (additional voices) | 13 episodes | |
1994–1995 | Wild C.A.T.s | Dockwell | 14 episodes | |
1995 | Sailor Moon | Malachite | 17 episodes | |
1995–2001 | Little Bear | {{unk}} | 27 episodes | |
1997, 1998 | Diabolik | Director Graffum | Episode: "Panther Uncaged" | |
1998 | Silver Surfer | Watcher Prime | 3 episodes | |
1998, 1999 | Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend | Amycus / Cyclops | 2 episodes | |
1999 | Medabots | Mr. Referee | 52 episodes. English version | |
1999 | Power Stone | Galuda / Referee | 7 episodes. English version | |
1999 | Avengers: United They Stand | Dr. Chris Johnson | Episode: "Kang" | |
1999 | Ned's Newt | Guard / Elf | Episode: "Summer Gone, Summer Not / Sealed with a Newt" | |
2001 | Braceface | Mr. Ling | Episode: "Take That" | |
2003–2005 | King | {{unk}} | 42 episodes | |
2004 | Franny's Feet | Sally the tough old cat | Episode: "The Lonely Library" | |
2005 | Time Warp Trio | Ieyasu / Honda | 1 episode | |
2005–2008 | Delilah and Julius | {{unk}} | 31 episodes | |
2005–2009 | Mr. Meaty | {{unk}} | 8 episodes | |
2008 | Toot & Puddle | Dr. Ha Song | 5 episodes | |
2008 | Chilly Beach: The Canadian President | Emperor | TV special | |
2009 | Super Why! | (additional voice) | 1 episode | |
2010–2013 | Scaredy Squirrel | (additional voices) | 13 episodes | |
2011 | Justin Time | Emperor | Episode: "Secret Surprise & a Mammoth Mistake" | |
2017 | Inspector Gadget | Hattori-san | Episode: "Tempest in a Tea Cup / Mr. Security" |
==Video games==
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="white-space:nowrap"
|+ Denis Akiyama video game voice credits | ||||
Year | Title | Role | class="unsortable" | Notes
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Onimusha: Warlords | Nobunaga Oda, Narrator | English dub | {{cite web |title=Denis Akiyama (visual voices guide) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Denis-Akiyama/ |website=BTVA |access-date=10 March 2021|type= A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information}} |
2006 | Rainbow Six: Vegas | Kan Akahashi | ||
2008 | Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 | Kan Akahashi | ||
2011 | Deus Ex: Human Revolution | Tong Si Hung | Credited as Dennis Akiyama |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|15124}}
- [https://www.denisakiyama.com/ Denis Akiyama Memorial Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726113804/https://www.denisakiyama.com/ |date=2018-07-26 }}
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Category:Canadian male actors of Japanese descent
Category:Canadian male film actors
Category:Canadian male television actors
Category:Canadian male video game actors
Category:Canadian male voice actors
Category:Deaths from cancer in Ontario
Category:Male actors from Toronto