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1-50 of 4,984
- A.J. Duhe was born on 27 November 1955 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is an actor, known for Miami Vice (1984), Qualcuno pagherà (1988) and Everybody's All-American (1988).
- Writer
- Director
- Actor
A.K. Lohithadas was born on 10 May 1955 in Chalakudy, Kerala, India. He was a writer and director, known for Thaniyavartanam (1987), Kasthuriman (2003) and Joker (2000). He was married to Sindhu. He died on 28 June 2009 in Kochi, Kerala, India.- Aaron Pryor was born on 20 October 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He was married to Frankie Banks. He died on 9 October 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
- Aart Jan de Geus was born on 28 July 1955 in Doorn, Utrecht, Netherlands.
- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Abai Karpykov was born on 6 February 1955. He is a producer and director, known for Tot, kto nezhnee (1995), Fara (1999) and Vozdushnyy potseluy (1991).- Abdul Qadir was born on 15 September 1955 in Lahore, Pakistan. He died on 6 September 2019 in Lahore, Pakistan.
- Actress
- Producer
Abigail McKern was born on 15 February 1955 in Islington, London, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Angels (1975), Rumpole of the Bailey (1978) and Twelfth Night, or What You Will (1988).- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Adam Curtis was born on 26 May 1955 in Dartford, Kent, England, UK. He is a director and producer, known for The Power of Nightmares (2004), Pandora's Box (1992) and HyperNormalisation (2016).- Adam Gwara was born on 23 July 1955 in Bialystok, Podlaskie, Poland. He is an actor, known for Slona róza (1983), Na wlasna prosbe (1980) and Pomiedzy wilki (1989).
- Adam Janus was born on 7 March 1955 in Poland. He died on 29 September 1982 in Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA.
- Music Department
- Actor
Adam Stern was born in Hollywood in 1955. His career has mostly been that of a versatile and active musician - principally a symphonic conductor, also a composer, pianist, and published writer on music. He was the 1990 Grammy winner for "Classical Producer of the Year", an award garnered for a series of American symphonic music CDs with the Seattle Symphony conducted by Gerard Schwarz. Stern's appearance in "The Competition" came about as a cheerful fluke: a good friend of Stern's from college had become an actors' agent, heard that the part of "Mark Landau" had gone unfilled after weeks of searching, remembered Stern, and landed him an audition. Stern recalls the experience with great affection, particularly his working relationships with stars Richard Dreyfuss and Sam Wanamaker and writer/director Joel Oliansky. Stern currently resides in Seattle, where he conducts the Seattle Philharmonic, the Sammamish Symphony, and the Federal Way Symphony; he also teaches and lectures on music. He has conducted the background scores to numerous films, including "Runaway Jury", "Heist", "13 Ghosts", and "Just Visiting".- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Adi Irani was born on 3 October 1955 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He is an actor and director, known for Baazigar (1993), Raqt (2013) and Baadshah (1999).- Producer
- Additional Crew
Adi Roche was born on 11 July 1955 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. She is a producer, known for Black Wind, White Land: Living with Chernobyl (1993), Wonderwall (2018) and Chernobyl Heart (2003).- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Director
Adolfo "Shabba-Doo" Quinones was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He moved to the west coast (Los Angeles) in the early 70s. He's one of the forefathers of hip-hop dancing, "The Original Lockers" and was an Original Soul Train Gang member in the 70s and early 80s. The Lockers are famously known for pioneering "Locking." Shabba-Doo also starred in the 80s classic dance films "Breakin', and Breakin' 2 Electric Boogaloo, and the 1990 film Lambada. He's an award-winning musical theater choreographer, and director. He's choreographed for Lionel Richie, Madonna, Luther Vandross, and Jamie Kennedy's MTV show, "Blowin' Up" to name a few. He also served as the associate choreographer and lead dancer for the 78th Annual Academy Awards, performing with first time Oscar winners, "Three Six Mafia" and Taraji P. Henson for their performance of, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp."
The ever-evolving Shabba-Doo has set his sights on new horizons. He has several projects in development including a theatrical feature dance film, Battle for the Streets, a reality-dance competition television series, and "Planet Dance," a reality series focused on global dance. Shabba-Doo's recent choreography projects include the Yari Film Group production "Kickin' It Old Skool," starring Jamie Kennedy, now on DVD, and headlining two instructional dance films and two accompanying music videos for On Q Media Group. He currently serves as a member of the Artifacts, Exhibits and Preservation Committee for the Hip Hop Hall of Fame set to open in the Bronx in 2020. Shabba-Doo is writing his autobiography, The King of Crenshaw: Rise of Shabba-Doo the Dance Forefather of Hip Hop which will look at the history of Hip Hop through the lens of his career.- Adrian Carrasco Zanini was born on 7 February 1955 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. Adrian is a director and writer, known for Practitioners of Justice: The Legacy of New College Law School (2021), Monimbo es Nicaragua (1981) and Cañeros (1979).
- Adrian Dantley was born on 28 February 1955 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He has been married to Dinitri McGhee since 12 September 1981. They have three children.
- Camera and Electrical Department
Adrian Harkins-Wester was born on 23 May 1955 in Dalarna, Sweden. Adrian is known for Let the Right One In (2008), Faithless (2000) and The Ape (2009).- Camera and Electrical Department
- Additional Crew
Adrian Wester was born on 23 May 1955 in Dalarna, Sweden. Adrian is known for Snabba Cash (2021), Agent Hamilton (2020) and Dockpojken (1993).- Additional Crew
- Producer
- Director
Adrian Wood was born on 21 August 1955 in Stafford, Staffordshire, England, UK. He is a producer and director, known for Britain at War in Colour (2000), The Perilous Fight: America's World War II in Color (2003) and Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators (2017).- Adriana Falco was born on 12 May 1955 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She is an actress, known for Cave of the Sharks (1978), What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974) and Una notte di pioggia (1984).
- Producer
- Production Designer
- Art Department
Adrianne Lobel was born on 10 December 1955 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She is a producer and production designer, known for American Playhouse (1980), Five Corners (1987) and Great Performances (1971).- Adrienne Byrne was born on 25 October 1955. She is an actress, known for The Shadow of the Tower (1972), Memoirs of a Survivor (1981) and Tom's Midnight Garden (1974).
- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Adrienne was born in and raised Oyster Bay, Long Island and did her first commercial when she was six months old, and has stayed at it with a brief hiatus or two ever since. She has also studied voice and dance, being continually involved in some phase of show business. She has done numerous television and radio commercials.
Adrienne is also a member of the Joseph Jefferson Theatre Company, and her professional credits include summer stock and off-Broadway productions including "W.H. Auden". After the success of Friday the 13th (1980), she appeared in its sequel and than became a voice actress (with voice roles in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), While You Were Sleeping (1995), and many others). Her return to acting took place in 2009, with the science fiction/horror film Psychic Experiment (2010).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Affonso Brazza made his name on Brazilian underground cinema, as "the firefighter filmmaker", producing low-budget action movies, working with amateur cast and crew. Inspired by his idols, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme, Brazza's movies were westerns adapted to Brazil's mid-west reality. He became famous with TV interviews and participations in national movie festivals. However, his movies remained restricted to a very small circuit of exhibition. José Mojica Marins, the Brazilian horror film legend known as Zé do Caixão (Coffin Joe), and local rock stars like Raimundos, appeared on some Brazza's movies. He died at 48, victim of a cancer.- Agathonas Iakovidis was born on 2 January 1955 in Greece. He was an actor, known for Koza Mostra & Agathon Iakovidis: Alcohol Is Free (2013), The Eurovision Song Contest (2013) and Rebetiko kai neolaia (2018). He died on 5 August 2020 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Aggie shot to fame back in 2003 as one half of the nation's dream cleaning team on Channel 4's hit series 'How Clean Is Your House?' Her role as Dirt Detective was to investigate the science and health implications behind the filth. The programme ran for six series (plus two in the US), along with a number of specials and one-offs and is now broadcast internationally, from Norway to Namibia, and repeated widely on UK digital channels. Sales of the tie-in book to the first series quickly reached over half a million copies and it continues to sell today.
Aggie has just finished filming a second series of 'Storage Hoarders' for ITV1 which starts on 12th August 2013. In the series, she investigates the increasing demand for storage units and the strains it can have on relationships of those with too many possessions. The first series aired in the UK in December 2012 and will be shown in Australia, NZ and Scandinavia. Aggie also continues to write a number of columns in national publications including a monthly page in Delicious where she tests a range of kitchen items and a column in 'My Weekly'.
Aggie's first cookbook, 'Aggie's Family Cookbook: Save Time, Save Money', was published in October 2011. In 2009 'Ask Aggie', a collection of Aggie's domestic advice columns from the previous six years in the Saturday Times, was published. It quickly shot to Number One in Amazon's Home and Garden chart. As a fan of environmentally friendly products, Aggie has recently re-launched her very own range of probiotic cleaners - a totally revolutionary phenomenon in the domestic arena. She is also a regular on Daybreak, The Wright Stuff, BBC Breakfast, Today FM in Dublin and The One Show, where she comments on any number of subjects, from the psychology of hoarding to the perennial female dilemma of big-pants-versus-thong. Last year, she voiced a programme for the Radio 2 Arts Show on household dirt, based on a major exhibition at the Wellcome Collection.
Aggie was also one of a panel of housing experts chaired by Lord Best, whose role it was to identify key issues in the provision of housing for the elderly. The panel visited exemplar projects in the UK and Europe and delivered their report to Government last December. Last spring she was the keynote speaker at a national conference on the challenges of growing old in the countryside.
Aggie has recently completed a two and a half year Certificate of Education in psychoanalytic psychology at Birkbeck College, University of London, for sheer personal interest and enjoyment. - Actress
- Music Department
Agnes Chan was born on August 20, 1955 in Hong Kong. She was the fifth to be born of seven children in her family. She received her Christian name "Agnes" when she was two years old.
When she was six years old she enrolled in Maryknoll Sisters School which was a Catholic missionary school in Hong Kong. When she was in eighth grade at Maryknoll, she met sister Rosalie, a nun from United States, and an adviser of her school's folk song club. Agnes was impressed with her singing, and having interest in western pop music herself, asked sister Rosalie if she could join the club. After giving an audition, sister Rosalie accepted Agnes into the club. In 1970, when she was in ninth grade, she sang a song "A place in the sun" at the folk song concert and got an ovation from the audience. Word spread around about her singing and she was invited to concerts and parties in other schools in Hong Kong.
Her older sister Irene was an actress in Hong Kong's movie scene. A director of TV station spotted Agnes' talent and featured her in his TV program as sister of Irene. She received an explosive reaction from the TV viewing audience, who requested her to appear again. Around the same time, a record company was planning to release a record featuring twelve amateur folk singers. They've booked eleven but was looking for the twelfth singer. The man who played the guitar on this record happened to be teaching guitar at her folk song club and he recommended that she'd be the twelfth singer on this record. Agnes recorded "Circle Game" on this record. A year later in 1971, the song was released as a single and became a smash hit. The record became number one song in all four TV and FM station in Hong Honk which has never happened before. She was nick named "Hong Kong Queen" and starred in movies, and appeared in her own weekly TV shows. The same year she received an award for the Best Asian Singer Prize as well as chosen to be one of "Hong Kong's Ten Top Stars.".
Around this time her sister Irene had become a singer and an actor working in Japan. She sent a letter to Agnes asking her to look after Mr. Hirao, her music teacher when he visited Hong Kong. This "Mr. Hirao" happened to be Masaaki Hirao who became famous as a singer in the '50s and was an equally famous song writer. Agnes asked Hirao to appear in her show and Hirao accepted. Agnes gave Hirao her debut album "Will the Circle Game be Unbroken" as a gift before he left. Hirao was besotted by her charm and talent and mentioned about her to people in the music industry upon returning to Japan. In the early '70s, talents from other countries were making inroads in Japanese pop music scene. Taiwanese singer Fi Fi Ouyang became a singing star and precedence was set that singers from other Asian countries can make it in Japan. In June of 1972, Watanabe Production a talent agency in Japan invited Agnes to come to Japan with her parents, to make a decision about her debut in Japan. Agnes, after consideration accepted Watanabe's offer and decided to make a debut in Japan. Her father wasn't so happy to see his daughter leave Hong Kong and work in Japan. Nor were her fans in Hong Kong, but a decision was made that that she would make a debut on November 25 1972, and visit Japan to record her first album.
Her father's condition was that she continue as a student, so she enrolled in Chofu American high school in Japan. Her debut single "Hinageshi no Hana" and LP by the same title became a hit in Japan and her career took off. The same year she received the award for the Best Asian Singer Prize and was chosen as "Hong Kong's Ten Top Stars." for the second consecutive year. Agnes released three singles in 1973 and received the prestigious Japan Kayo Taisho new face award that year. Her popularity continued until in 1976, when her father asked her to retire from show business and focus on academics. At the time, degrees from Japanese Universities was not acknowledged in Hong Kong, and the plan was for her to go to Canada to get her Bachelor's degree in psychology. Canada was chosen also because her elder brother was living there.
Around that time all her contracts were coming up for renewal. She decided not to renew the contracts and announced that she would be retiring from show business at a press conference in Hong Kong. The news of this press conference reached Japan, and sent shock waves to the people who were working with her. They tried to convince her to change her mind but her mind was set. A compromise agreement was made that she would record two albums a year in Los Angeles while she is in Canada. At University of Toronto she started her work on degree in psychology. The standards were high and she had a hard time at first but she graduated with honors after two years with master degree in psychology.
In August of 1978 she returned to Japan to reestablish her career as a singer. She also released a single in 1979 in Hong Kong. Charity has always been at the heart of activities and she donated all the proceeds from her concerts when she was a pop idol in the early '70s. Her career as an adult was also oriented in this direction, and she appeared at numerous charity concerts after reestablishing her career as a singer. In 1981 she also appeared in TV mini series "Marco Polo" opposite Leonard Nimoy.
In December 1985, she married Mr. Tsutomu Kaneko who had been her manager. She had her reception both in Hong Kong and in Japan. In November of 1986 she had her first son. She named him "Kazuhei" which means "Harmony and Peace" in both Japanese and Chinese. On March 1987 she became independent from Watanabe Production and started her own company "Thomas and Agnes". In 1988 a trouble erupted when she brought her son to work to Japanese TV station where work ethics are stricter than in the west. She was criticized for being self indulgent for bringing her child to work. A string of magazine articles followed regarding the issue where she was ostracized for her behavior. Argument ensued between the media and Agnes in what is now known as "Agnes ronsou" or Agnes debate which became the talk of the time. In September of 1989 she enrolled as a Ph D student at Stanford University's psychology department. In December of 1991 she graduated from the same department. During this time, her second son "Shohei" was born in 1989. All this time while studying at Stanford, she was writing magazine articles, books, recording CDs, and was hosting TV specials. In 1994 she was awarded her Ph D from Stanford University. In 1998 she became Unicef's Ambassador for Japan.
She continues her work as author, singer and TV personality today along with her charity works and her work as Unicef Ambassador.- Agnes De Nul was born on 17 March 1955. She is an actress, known for Plop en Kwispel (2004), Kabouter Plop (1997) and Kabouter Plop en de toverstaf (2003).
- Agnes Dünneisen was born on 17 September 1955 in Basel, Switzerland. She is an actress, known for Wann heiraten Sie meine Frau? (1978), Die Nacht mit Chandler (1979) and Black Money - Verfilzung... Macht... Korruption (1990).
- Agnes Wold was born on 7 January 1955 in Uppsala, Sweden. She is an actress, known for Studentafton (1965), På spåret (1987) and Kvällspasset i P4 (2015).
- Producer
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Agustín Almodóvar was born on 25 May 1955 in Calzada de Calatrava, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. He is a producer and actor, known for Talk to Her (2002), The Skin I Live In (2011) and Parallel Mothers (2021).- Producer
- Sound Department
- Editorial Department
Ahmed Agrama was born on 28 October 1955 in Cairo, Egypt. He is a producer, known for Goldwing (1978), Robotech: Invasion (2004) and Captain Harlock and the Queen of a Thousand Years (1985). He has been married to Lena Agrama since 25 July 2013. They have two children. He was previously married to Sofia Espinosa.- Ahmet Ariman was born on 27 November 1955 in Rize, Turkey. He is an actor, known for For My Son (2015), Neseli Günler (1978) and The Chaos Class Is on Vacation (1978).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ahmet Selçuk Ilkan was born on 26 October 1955 in Adana, Turkey. He is an actor, known for Nereye Arkadas (1976), Chrysalis (2021) and Içimde Bir His Var (1986).- Ahu Tugba was born on 13 August 1955 in Istanbul, Turkey. She is an actress, known for Bir Ask Bin Günah (1989), Gece (1989) and Yangin (1984).
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Ai Matsubara was born on 9 December 1955 in Hokkaido, Japan. She is an actress, known for House (1977), The Visitor in the Eye (1977) and School in the Crosshairs (1981).- Ai Satô was born on 12 February 1955 in Tokyo, Japan. She is an actress, known for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009), Death Note (2006) and The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz (1992).
- Aigars Vilims was born on 2 August 1955 in the USSR. He is an actor, known for The Invisible Fight (2023), Rannyaya rzhavchina (1980) and The Pit (2020).
- Aivar Tommingas was born on 28 September 1955 in Rapla, Estonia. He is an actor, known for Kõrboja peremees (1979), Vana daami visiit (2006) and Meeletu (2006).
- Actor
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Theatre artist turned Film Director based in Mumbai and has successfully made comedy film as well as serialized Indian novels for Prime time channels. Some of my notable works as the Director, go as follows:
I. TV Series for Satellite Channels
KARM-BHOOMI (1989) A Novel written by Munshi Premchand highlighting a freedom fighter's journey to reclaim what's rightfully her's. Star cast: Sudhir Pandey, Arif Zakaria, Rama Viz, Archana Joglekar, etc. Published episodes on DD Prime Time: 26
EK VIOLIN SAMANDER KE KINARE (2001-02) A Novel by Krishen Chander, based on changing perception of a priests by practical woman of today Star Cast: Aseem Merchant, Sonia Rakkar, Roma Williams, Akhil Mishra, Mrinal Kulkarni, Pallavi Joshi, etc Published episodes on DD National: 26
CHAUDAH PHERE (2004-05) A Novel written by Shivani, having an intense take on double standards of a man Star cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Kumud MishraNivedita Bhattacharya, Suraj Thapar, Virendra Saxena, Nishi Gandha Wad and others. Published episodes on DD National: 39
KAMYABI (1999) A daily soap emphasizing NGO's success and struggle in supporting women empowerment and providing true justice! Star Cast: Rajendra Gupta, Virendra Singh, Upasana Singh, Nikki Aneja, NishiGandha Wad, Rajesh Sringarpure, Roma Williams, Vinod Kapoor, etc Published episodes on DD Prime Time: 150
II. Feature Films Directed:
UMAR 55 KI DIL BACHPAN KA (1992) A much talked about comedy film or early 90's, released globally
Star Cast: Kader Khan, Anupam Kher, Shaki Kapoor, Gulshan Grover, Akshay Anand, Swapna, Ruchika, Aroona Irani, etc. RUN TIME: 2 hours 30 minutes
BAZAR - E - HUSN BENARAS 1918 A Love story (2014) Based on Munshi Premchand's famous Novel focusing on drama relating with bribes and political espionage
Star Cast- Om Puri, Yashpal Sharma, Virendra Saxena, Rajiv Verma, etc RUN TIME: 2 hours 40 minutes- Animation Department
- Writer
- Art Department
Perhaps one of the most prolific animé character designers of the 1980s, Akemi Takada designed characters for the legendary Rumiko Takahashi when she worked on the Urusei yatsura (1981) and Maison Ikkoku (1986) animated TV series, as well as most of the Urusei yatsura animated movies. She also worked on the very popular Kimagure Orange Road (1985) and the original TV series Mobile Police Patlabor: The Early Days (1988).- Aki Rahimovski was born on 5 June 1955 in Nis, SFR Yugoslavia [now Serbia]. He was an actor, known for Jel' me netko trazio? (1991), Pjevaj moju pjesmu (2011) and Subotom ujutro (2013). He was married to Ingrid Rahimovski. He died on 22 January 2022 in Novo Mesto, Slovenia.
- Actress
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Akiko Hitomi is a well-known and talented writer and actress based in Berlin, Germany. She was born in Tokyo but spent most of her career in Germany. Some of her work includes Dune: Part Two, The Signal, and Everybody Wants To Be Loved. Her son, Julian Hitomi is also in the film business as a cameraman.- Akiko Hyûga was born on 2 March 1955 in Ehime, Japan. She was an actress, known for Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (1994), Lady Momoko's Adventure (1979) and Forbidden Ordeal (1979). She died on 5 March 2011 in Tokyo, Japan.
- Actress
- Music Department
- Composer
Akiko Yano was born on 13 February 1955 in Tokyo, Japan. She is an actress and composer, known for Ponyo (2008), Love Life (2022) and Bread of Happiness (2012). She was previously married to Ryuichi Sakamoto and Makoto Yano.- Writer
- Animation Department
- Costume Designer
Akira Toriyama is a Japanese manga writer, manga artist, and character designer for video games. He has been a working artist since 1978. In manga, he is better known for creating the science fiction comedy series "Dr. Slump" (1980-1984) and the martial-arts-themed series "Dragon Ball" (1984-1995). "Dragon Ball" has been adapted into four animated series: "Dragon Ball" (1986-1989), "Dragon Ball Z" (1989-1996), "Dragon Ball GT" (1996-1997), and "Dragon Ball Super" (2015-2018). Toriyama has provided character designs for several of the adaptations. As a video game designer, Toriyama is primarily known for co-creating the long-running series "Dragon Quest" (1986-). He has continued to work in most of the series' games. Toriyama's works are credited with boosting the popularity of Japanese animation in the Western world. In 2019, Toriyama was named as a Chevalier (knight) of the "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" ("Order of the Arts and the Letters") by France. It is a French order of merit, awarded to writers and artists.
During the 20th century, Nagoya became a center for automotive, Several manufacturing companies of the industry have their headquarters in Nagoya. By 1961, Toriyama started drawing pictures of animals and vehicles as a hobby. He was reportedly inspired by the animated film "One Hundred and One Dalmatians"(1961), as he was impressed by the film's art style.
During his elementary school years, Toriyama has access to the manga collection owned by the older brother of a friend. He was fascinated by the science fiction series "Astro Boy" (1952-1968), which featured the adventures of a sentient android with superpowers. During his middle school years, Toriyama was increasingly fascinated with live-action film and television. He was a fan of the tokusatsu series (science fantasy series, using special effects) "Ultraman" (1966-1967). The series focused on the adventures of a gigantic superhero, who regularly defended the Earth from aliens and monsters. He also enjoyed kaiju films (films about giant monsters). His favorite film series was "Gamera" (1965-2006), which featured the adventures of a fire-breathing turtle.
Toriyama attended a high school which focused on teaching creative design to its students. Against the wishes of his parents, he decided to not pursue a college education. Shortly after graduating high school, Toriyama used his art skills to get hired at an advertising agency in Nagoya. He spend several years in designing posters, but was increasingly fed up with his job. He was repeatedly reprimanded for dressing casually at work. He quit his job at age 23, and started considering a professional career as a manga artist.
Trying to get an entry into the manga industry, Toriyama created a manga story which parodied the recent film "Star Wars" (1977). He submitted the story to a contest organized by the magazine "Weekly Shonen Jump", hoping to win the magazine's "Newcomer Award". The story was rejected because it was a derivative work, and the contest was for original works. But magazine editor Kazuhiko Torishima (1952-) liked Toriyama's art style. He encouraged him to send more original material to the magazine.
Toriyama's first published work was the story "Wonder Island" (1978). It featured a kamikaze pilot who had been stranded on an island for 35 years, and was trying to find a way to escape. The story came last in a popularity contest, disappointing Toriyama. The sequel "Wonder Island 2" (1979) focused on the police searching for a missing criminal. It parodied elements from the film "Dirty Harry" (1971). This story was also considered a flop. Most of Toriyama's early stories failed to impress his readers. He had more success with "Tomato the Cutesy Gumshoe" (1979), a story about a rookie detective. It was his first work featuring a female lead, and was well-liked by the readers.
Toriyama decided to use a female lead in next major effort. The result was the best-selling series "Dr. Slump". (1980-1984) It focused on Arale Norimaki, a sentient robot in the form of a little girl. She had superhuman strength, but her naivety and inexperience landed her in trouble. The series also featured a cast of eccentric supporting characters. Among them was the shape-shifting superhero Suppaman, a parody version of Superman who was depicted as a pompous buffoon. The series became one of the most popular manga of its era, and received an animated adaption (which lasted from 1981 to 1986). Toriyama wanted to end the series after its first six months, but his publisher insisted that the story should be continued. In 1981, Toriyama won a "Shogakukan Manga Award" for his work on "Dr. Slump".
Despite his success with a long-term series in the early 1980s, Toriyama continued to regularly submit one-shot stories for publication. He was frustrated when several of these stories met with lukewarm response by his readers. At about this point in his career, he created his own artist's studio, under the name "Bird Studio". The name was a pun on his own last name, as "tori" means "bird". He started employing assistants to work on the background details of his stories.
Kazuhiko Torishima (Toriyama's editor) noted that Toriyama enjoyed viewing kung fu films, but had never used martial arts elements in his stories. He suggested that Toriyama should try creating a kung-fu manga. Toriyama responded by creating the two-part story "Dragon Boy" (1983). It depicted a young martial artist who escorts a princess on a return journey to her home country. The story was warmly received, and Toriyama would later incorporate aspects of this story in "Dragon Ball".
In 1984, Toriyama finally concluded the "Dr. Slump". He had to promise his editor and publisher that he would soon start work on a replacement series. This new series was "Dragon Ball", which lasted for 11 years. Toriyama produced 519 chapters of the manga, which were collected into 42 volumes. The story focused on the life of martial artist Son Goku from childhood to adulthood, and gradually introduced the character's wife and descendants. The series gained in popularity due to its large cast of colorful characters, and its exciting use of combat scenes. Toriyama reportedly used Jackie Chan's films as the main inspiration for the fighting scenes.
Despite a busy working schedule due to long-term commitment to "Dragon Ball", Toriyama continued submitting one-shot stories for publication. In 1986, he was recruited as a character designer for the role-playing video game "Dragon Quest". He later admitted that he had never even heard of role-playing games before being offered the job, and he was not certain what the demands of the job were. He was created as the co-creator of the game, and the initial game launched a long-running franchise. Based on this success, Toriyama was later hired as a character designer on the role-playing game "Chrono Trigger" (1995) and on the fighting games "Tobal No. 1" (1996) and "Tobal 2" (1997).
Until the late 1980s, Toriyama had never worked in animation. His first substantial effort in the field was the animated film "Kosuke & Rikimaru: The Dragon of Konpei Island" (1988). He wrote the initial concept for the film, he co-wrote its screenplay, and designed all of its characters.
In 1995, Toriyama decided to conclude the "Dragon Ball" manga with a low-key ending. Son Goku left the planet Earth to serve as the mentor to a reincarnated former foe, leaving room for a new generation of heroes. Toriyama wanted to imply that the story would continue, though he had no actual intention to write a sequel at that point. When the animated series "Dragon Ball GT" (1996-1997) was conceived as a sequel, Toriyama was hired as a character designer. For the following few years, Toriyama primarily produced short-lived manga series. Among them were "Cowa!"(1997-1998), "Kajika" (1998), and "Sand Land" (2000). In 2002, Toriyama made a promotional visit to the United States, as a number of his works were about to be reprinted in the American magazine "Shonen Jump".
In 2005, Toriyama served as the main designer of an electric car for CQ Motors. It was not a commercial success, with only 9 vehicles being produced. In 2006, Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda created the crossover story "Cross Epoch". It featured characters from "Dragon Ball" co-existing with fantasy characters from the series "One Piece" (1997-). Also in 2006, Toriyama served as a character designer for the video game "Blue Dragon". The story featured a small group of heroes trying to stop the villain Nene's efforts to massacre villagers.
In 2009, Toriyama was credited as both a creative consultant and an executive producer for the live-action film "Dragonball Evolution". He reportedly cautioned the film's producers that the film's script was "bland" and uninteresting, but his suggestions to alter the script were ignored. The film was a commercial flop. Also in 2009, Toriyama created a promotional manga for the environmental organization "Rural Society Project". In 2011, Toriyama helped raise awareness for the victims of the Tohoku earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.
From 2012 to 2013, Toriyama was part of the film crew for the animated feature film "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" (2013). It was the first theatrical animated film based on "Dragon Ball" since 1996. In the film, the god Beerus threatens to destroy the planet Earth. He only backs down when one of the heroes achieves godhood. Also in 2013, a touring exhibition displayed Toriyama's manga manuscripts from "Dragon Ball".
Toriyama served as the main screenwriter for the animated film "Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F" (2015). The film featured the resurrection of the long-dead villain Frieza, who tries to improve his skills before seeking revenge. Toriyama continued to work on the film's sequels until 2022. He also provided the scripts for the sequel manga "Dragon Ball Super" (2015-), though the artwork was provided by the younger artist Toyotarou (1978-). There were 18 volumes of the manga published between 2016 and 2022.
By 2022, Toriyama was 67-years-old. He has been married to the retired manga artist Yoshimi Kato since 1982, and they have two adult children. He works from his home studio in Kiyosu, and reportedly lives a reclusive life. He rarely appears in public or offers interviews. He has never retired, and seems to have no intention to do so.
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