The man behind the monster has died: Haruo Nakajima, who wore the Godzilla bodysuit for every Godzilla film from the original to 1972’s “Godzilla vs. Gigan,” has died at 88.
The International Business Times reported his death.
Nakajima’s career began in samurai and war films, notably “Seven Samurai” by Akira Kurosawa and “Eagle of the Pacific.” He landed the “Godzilla” role starting with 1954’s “Godzilla, King of the Monsters,” directed by Ishiro Honda.
In an April interview, Nakajima explained how the original 1954 Godzilla costume was created from ready-mixed concrete, since commodities like rubber were in short supply after WWII. As a result, the actor was forced to wear a suit that weighed up to 100 kilos. Nakajima added that he was given little direction on how to portray the monster, and conducted his own research by studying animals in the Tokyo zoo.
