was a Japanese

narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...

and

voice actor Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talen ...

from the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. He was the founder of Ōhira Production and was also attached to 81 Produce. One of his best-known roles was the dub voice of

Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...

in ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...

'', on the series' home video releases and playing the title character Moguro Fukuzō in the original

The Laughing Salesman is a Japanese manga series created by Fujiko Fujio. The manga began as a one-shot series serialized in Shogakukan's ''Big Comic'' magazine on 1968, later becoming a full-fledged series published by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha's ''Manga Sunda ...

. He was also known for his many

narration Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...

roles, most notably in the ''

Super Sentai is a Japanese superhero team metaseries and media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company, and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi ("Sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or "fighting squadron"). The ...

'' series.

Overview

Ōhira was a very influential figure in the dubbing industry during the Shōwa period. After graduating from Tokyo Metropolitan University Jōnan Senior High School (in which he was also the supervisor of the school's

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

team), he went on to graduate from the

Meiji University , abbreviated as Meiji (明治) or Meidai (明大'')'', is a private research university located in Chiyoda City, the heart of Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1881 as Meiji Law School (明治法律学校, ''Meiji Hōritsu Gakkō'') by three Meiji-er ...

Department of Political Science and Economics. In 1954, he joined the

Nippon Broadcasting System , or JOLF, is a Japanese radio station in Yurakucho, Chiyoda ward, Tokyo, next to the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Founded in 1954, it is together with Nippon Cultural Broadcasting, the flagship station of the National Radio Network. Nippon Bro ...

, in which he became an announcer and producer. In 1955, with the opening of the

Tokyo Broadcasting System formerly is a Japanese media and licensed broadcasting holding company. It is the parent company of the television network and radio network . It has a 28-affiliate television network called JNN (Japan News Network), as well as a 34-affili ...

, he enlisted in its theatrical company. He left the company in 1958 to become a voice artist. His breakthrough performance was the dubbing voice of Darth Vader in the ''Star Wars'' series. He reprised this role for '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' and a

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

appearance in ''

Soulcalibur IV is the sixth installment in the '' Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games, released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. It features greatly improved graphics over the previous title, and includes three guest characters from the ''Star Wa ...

''- notable because the game was originally in Japanese, meaning that Ōhira was Vader's "original" voice in the game, unlike with the films. In addition, he was usually cast in either astringent villain roles or gag characters, such as Pete in

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

cartoons. He was also a close friend of Kyosen Ōhashi, and the mentor of Shirō Yasutomi. On April 12, 2016, Ōhira died from pneumonia at the age of 86. As his last will, he requested

Tesshō Genda is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Gend ...

to replace him as the voice of Moguro Fukuzō.

Filmography

Television animation

*''

Oraa Guzura Dado also known as ''Gazula the amicable Monster'', ''Gudzulla'' or ''So It's Gudzulla'',Jonathan Clements, Helen McCarthy: ''The Anime Encyclopedia. Revised & Expanded Edition.'' Berkeley 2006, Stone Bridge Press, ISBN 978-1-933330-10-5, S. 222. ...

'' (1967) (Guzura) *''

The Genie Family is an anime television series by Tatsunoko Productions. that originally ran from October 1969 to September 1970, with a total of 52 episodes on Fuji TV. It tells the story of a boy who finds a bottle with a mysterious power - each time its ...

'' (1969) (Hakushon Daimaō) *'' Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'' (1972) (Doctor Kozaburo Nambu) *'' Dash Kappei'' (1981) (Seiichiro) *'' Mirai Keisatsu Urashiman'' (1983) (Gondo) *'' Osomatsu-kun'' (1988) (Dekapan) *''

'' (1989) (Fukuzō Moguro) *''

Steal Napoleon's Dictionary! This is a list of television specials of the Japanese media franchise ''Lupin III'', based on the manga series by Monkey Punch that debuted in 1967. In a tradition that began in 1989 with '' Bye Bye, Lady Liberty'', every year since until 2013 f ...

'' (1991) (Hēkā) *''

One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chap ...

'' (2000) ( Gaimon) *''

A Little Snow Fairy Sugar is a Japanese anime series developed by J.C.Staff. It premiered in Japan on TBS on October 2, 2001, and ran for 24 episodes until its conclusion March 26, 2002. A two-episode OVA was also released for the series. The series was licensed for ...

'' (2001) (Luchino) *''

PaRappa the Rapper is a rhythm video game developed by NanaOn-Sha and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation in Japan in 1996 and worldwide in 1997. Created by music producer Masaya Matsuura in collaboration with artist Rodney Greenblat, t ...

'' (2001) (Milk Man episode 20) *''

Basilisk In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the '' Naturalis Historia'' of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyre ...

'' (2005) (

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fello ...

) *''

Save Me! Lollipop is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by . It was serialized in the magazine ''Nakayoshi'' and published by Kodansha in Japan between February 2003 and July 2005. The story revolves around female protagonist Nina Yamada, ...

'' (2006) (Grandfather) *'' Ojarumaru'' (2009) (Denbo Shijiyourou)

Theatrical animation

*''The Littlest Warrior'' (1961) – Mok *'' Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo'' (1978) – Stuckey *''

Be Forever Yamato is a 1980 Japanese science fiction anime film and the fourth film (third theatrical) based on the classic anime series ''Space Battleship Yamato'' (known as ''Star Blazers'' in the United States). The film is unique for switching from monaural V ...

'' (1980) – Führer Skulldard *'' Cyborg 009: Legend of the Super Galaxy'' (1980) – Zoa *'' Doraemon: Nobita and the Winged Braves'' (2001) – Cyclid *'' Doraemon: Nobita in the Wan-Nyan Spacetime Odyssey'' (2004) – President

Video games

*'' Castlevania: Curse of Darkness'' (Saint Germain) *''

White Knight Chronicles ''White Knight Chronicles'' is a fantasy role-playing video game developed by Level-5 and Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is Level-5's first project for the system. As of August 8, 2009 it has s ...

'' (Gamarone)

Tokusatsu

*'' Ninja Buttai Gekko'' (1964) as Narrator *'' Spectreman'' (1971) as Chief Kurata *''

Ambassador Magma is the title and protagonist of a manga and tokusatsu TV series created by Osamu Tezuka. The TV series, produced by P Productions, Norway Productions and Krantz Films, was aired on Fuji TV from July 4, 1966, to June 26, 1967, lasting a tota ...

'' (Goa) (body and voice) *''

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the Si ...

'' (1978-1979) as Narrator *''

Series'' **''

Himitsu Sentai Gorenger is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' superhero television series. ''Gorenger'', created by Shotaro Ishinomori, was the first in the long-running ''Super Sentai'' metaseries of ''tokusatsu'' programming. The series aired on NET (now TV Asahi) from April 5, ...

'' (1975-1977) as Narrator **''

JAKQ Dengekitai is the second installment in the Super Sentai metaseries. It was aired from April 8, 1977 to December 23, 1977, replacing ''Himitsu Sentai Gorenger'' and was replaced by ''Battle Fever J''. It was created by Shotaro Ishinomori, and was screened ...

'' (1977) as Narrator **'' Battle Fever J'' (Narrator) **'' Denshi Sentai Denziman'' (Narrator) **''

Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan is the fifth series in Toei Company's ''Super Sentai'' tokusatsu metaseries. It was broadcast from February 7, 1981, to January 30, 1982, replacing '' Denshi Sentai Denjiman'' and was replaced by ''Dai Sentai Goggle-V''. The program first ''Sup ...

'' (Narrator) **'' Dai Sentai Goggle Five'' (Narrator) **'' Kagaku Sentai Dynaman'' (Narrator) **'' Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger'' (Narrator) **'' Chōriki Sentai Ohranger'' (

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...

Wrath Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, s ...

(eps. 1 - 16, 18 - 23, 26, 27, 29 - 31, 33, 34, 39 & 40)) *''

Metal Hero Series The is a metaseries of tokusatsu superhero TV series produced by Toei for Japanese television. The protagonists of the ''Metal Hero Series'' are mainly space, military and police-based characters who are typically either androids, cyborg ...

'' **''

Uchuu Keiji Shaider is a tokusatsu television show that aired from March 2, 1984 to March 8, 1985. It is the last of the "Space Sheriff Series" of the broader Metal Hero Series franchise, the previous two being ''Space Sheriff Gavan'' and ''Space Sheriff Sharivan''. ...

'' (Narrator) **'' 3 Space Sheriff Special Crossover'' (Narrator) **''

Kyojuu Tokusou Juspion , also known as ''Space Wolf Juspion'', is a Japanese tokusatsu television series and part of the Metal Hero Series franchise. Produced by Toei Company, it was originally broadcast from 15 March 1985 to 24 March 1986, running for 46 episodes. The ...

'' (Narrator) **''

Jikuu Senshi Spielban is a Japanese tokusatsu television series, part of the Metal Hero Series franchise created by Toei Co. Ltd. and aired from to . ''Spielbans footage was used for Saban’s live-action series, '' VR Troopers''. For distribution purposes, Toei ...

'' (Narrator) **''

Sekai Ninja Sen Jiraiya is a Japanese television series that aired on TV Asahi and its affiliates from January 24, 1988, to January 22, 1989, lasting 50 episodes. It was the seventh installment in Toei's ''Metal Hero Series'' franchise of live-action superhero shows an ...

'' (Narrator) **''

Kidou Keiji Jiban is a Japanese tokusatsu television series which serves as the 8th entry in the ''Metal Hero Series'' franchise, and the first entry in the Heisei period. Produced by Toei and aired by TV Asahi in Japan from January 29, 1989, to January 28, 1990, ...

'' (Narrator)

Dubbing roles

Live-action

Telly Savalas Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas (January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994) was an American actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Noted for his bald head and deep, resonant voice, he is perhaps best known for portraying Lt. Theo Kojak on th ...

(

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Comp ...

) **''

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...

'' **''

Kelly's Heroes ''Kelly's Heroes'' is a 1970 World War II comedy-drama heist film, directed by Brian G. Hutton, about a motley crew of American GIs who go AWOL in order to rob a French bank, located behind German lines, of its stored Nazi gold bars. The film ...

'' **''

Capricorn One ''Capricorn One'' is a 1978 British-produced American thriller film in which a reporter discovers that a supposed Mars landing by a crewed mission to the planet has been faked via a conspiracy involving the government and—under duress—the c ...

'' *'' Adventures in Dinosaur City'' (Big) *'' Adventures of Superman'' (Clark Kent, Superman) *''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

'' (1992 TBS Dub) (

The Joker The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book '' Batman'' on April 25, 1 ...

(

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

)) *''

Cats & Dogs ''Cats & Dogs'' is a 2001 spy-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman and written by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. It stars Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins and Alexander Pollock, with the voices of (among others) Tobey Maguire, Alec Bal ...

'' (Presiding Judge Dog) *''

Coogan's Bluff Coogan's Bluff is a promontory near the western shore of the Harlem River in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. Its boundaries extend approximately from 155th Street and the Macombs Dam Bridge viaduct to ...

'' (Lieutenant McElroy ( Lee J. Cobb)) *'' Django'' (1980

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certifie ...

edition) (Major Jackson (

Eduardo Fajardo Eduardo Martínez Fajardo (14 August 1924 – 4 July 2019) was a Spanish film actor born in Meis (Pontevedra), Spain. He appeared in 183 films, 75 plays and made 2,000 television appearances between 1947 and 2002. Biography He was born in ...

)) *''

Fantasia 2000 ''Fantasia 2000'' is a 1999 American animated musical anthology film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film, package film, or portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of several shorter films, each complete in itself and distin ...

'' (

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

) *'' The French Connection'' (Alain Charnier) *''

French Connection II ''French Connection II'' is a 1975 American action thriller film starring Gene Hackman and directed by John Frankenheimer. It is a sequel to the 1971 Academy Award for Best Picture winner '' The French Connection''. The film continues the stor ...

'' (Alain Charnier) *'' Master of the Flying Guillotine'' (Fung Sheng Wu Chi) *'' Mission: Impossible'' (1999 Fuji TV edition) (The Voice on Tape) *''

The NeverEnding Story ''The Neverending Story'' (german: Die unendliche Geschichte) is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. The novel was later adapted into several ...

'' (1987 TV Asahi edition) (Rockbiter (

Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...

)) *''

Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

'' (

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

( George C. Scott)) *'' Project A'' (Governor-general) *''

Some Like It Hot ''Some Like It Hot'' is a 1959 American crime comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, with George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitne ...

'' (Agent Mulligan ( Pat O'Brien)) *''

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

'' (

Jor-El Jor-El, originally known as Jor-L, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Jor-El first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 with Superma ...

(

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

)) *''

'' series (

(

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

); home video versions), Boss Nass (

Brian Blessed Brian Blessed (; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor, presenter, writer and mountaineer. Blessed is known for portraying PC "Fancy" Smith in ''Z-Cars'', Augustus in the 1976 BBC television production of '' I, Claudius'', King Richard I ...

)) **'' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith''

Animation

*''

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...

'' (

Fred Flintstone Fred Flintstone is the main character of the animated sitcom '' The Flintstones'', which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960 to 1966. Fred is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles Flintsto ...

) *'' Monsters, Inc.'' () (Henry J. Waternoose) *''

The Nightmare Before Christmas ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (also known as ''Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas'') is a 1993 American stop-motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increme ...

'' (Mayor) *''

Secret Squirrel ''Secret Squirrel'' is a cartoon character created by Hanna-Barbera and also the name of his segment in ''The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'', which debuted in 1965. He was given his own show in 1966, titled ''The Secret Squirrel Show'', but was ...

'' (Yellow Pinkie) *''

Space Goofs ''Space Goofs'' (french: Les Zinzins de l'Espace) is a French animated series that was produced by Gaumont Multimedia for its first season and Xilam for its second season, produced for France 3, and broadcast on that network from September 6, 1 ...

'' (Gorgious Klatoo) (

Danny Mann Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to the male name Daniel. It may refer to: People *Danny Altmann, British immunologist *Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer *Danny Baker (born 1957), English journalis ...

)) *''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

'' (

Homer Simpson Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of his family, in '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' short ...

(

Dan Castellaneta Daniel Louis Castellaneta (; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Abraham "Grampa" ...

)) *Productions for

the Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...

( Black Pete) **''

A Goofy Movie ''A Goofy Movie'' is a 1995 American animated musical comedy-adventure film produced by Disney MovieToons and Walt Disney Television Animation. Directed by Kevin Lima, the film is based on The Disney Afternoon television series '' Goof Tro ...

'' **''

An Extremely Goofy Movie ''An Extremely Goofy Movie'' is a 2000 animated comedy film distributed by Walt Disney Home Video, produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, and directed by Douglas McCarthy. It is a standalone sequel to the 1995 film ''A Goofy Movie'' and t ...

'' **''

Disney's House of Mouse ''Disney's House of Mouse'' (or simply ''House of Mouse'') is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation that originally aired for three seasons on ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001, to its finale ...

References

External links

Toru Ohira
at Ohira Production (Japanese) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ohira, Toru 1929 births 2016 deaths 81 Produce voice actors Male voice actors from Tokyo Deaths from pneumonia in Japan Japanese male voice actors 20th-century Japanese male actors 21st-century Japanese male actors