Takeshi Kitano

Takeshi Kitano is a Japanese filmmaker, comedian, television personality, and actor. When not directing, he typically goes by the stage name Beat Takeshi. He was born on January 18, 1947 in Adachi, Tokyo.

At 1:40am on August 2, 1994, Kitano was involved in a moped crash in Shinjuku, Tokyo while driving drunk and was stuck in a hospital for 6 months. His injuries caused some paralysis on one side of his body, and required subsequent rehabilitation to get the muscles in his face to work again. It seemed doubtful that he could return to the entertainment industry, but in 1996 he directed Kid’s Return, which went on to gross more than any of the films he had made before it. Kitano has since garnered international recognition for many of his films, both as an actor and director.