Takeshi Kitano (北野 武, Kitano Takeshi, born January 18, 1947), also known in Japan as Beat Takeshi (ビートたけし, Bīto Takeshi), is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. Kitano rose to prominence in the 1970s as one half of the comedy duo Two Beat, before going solo and becoming one of the three biggest comedians in the country. After several small acting roles, he made his directorial debut with 1989's Violent Cop and garnered international acclaim for Sonatine (1993). He was not widely accepted as an accomplished director in Japan until Hana-bi won the Golden Lion in 1997. In October 2017, Kitano completed his Outrage crime trilogy with the release of Outrage Coda. He is also known internationally for hosting the game show Takeshi's Castle (1986–1990) and starring in the film Battle Royale (2000).

Filmography

• 2024Broken Rage — Nezumi, Writer, Director, Editor
• 2023Analog — Novel
• 2023Kubi — Hashiba Hideyoshi, Editor, Screenplay, Director, Novel
• Takeshi's Castle Japan
• 2021Asakusa Kid — Novel
• たけしのその時カメラは回っていた
• Idaten: Tokyo Olympics Story — 古今亭志生
• Kiseki taiken! Unbelievable — Storyteller
• 2017Ghost in the Shell — Aramaki
• 2017Outrage Coda — Otomo, Director, Editor, Screenplay
• 2017Prison Break — Urata
• 2016A Living Promise — Detective Koichiro Iwase
• 2016Doctor X: Gekai Daimon Michiko Special
• 2016While the Women Are Sleeping — Sahara
• 2015Aka Medaka — Tatekawa Danshi
• 2015Mozu The Movie — Daruma
• 2015Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen — Detective Murakami, Director, Writer, Editor
• たけしのこれがホントのニッポン芸能史
• 2014Morning — Screenplay, Director
• 2014Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel — Rokuro Fujisawa
• オモクリ監督～O－Creator's TV Show～
• 2013Kids Return: The Reunion — Original Story
• Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea — Assistant Editor
• 2012Beyond Outrage — Otomo, Director, Writer, Editor
• 2012Dearest — Teruo Sugino
• 日曜ゴールデンで何やってんだテレビ
• 2010Kikoku — Private First Class Oomiya
• 2010Outrage — Otomo, Screenplay, Director, Editor
• 2009Takeshi's Castle Vol. 1 — Director
• 2008Achilles and the Tortoise — Machisu, Director, Editor, Screenplay
• 2008The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit — Take-Majin (voice)
• 2008What the War Meant — Hideki Tojo
• 2008Yayoi Kusama: I Love Me
• Dots and Lines — Jutaro Torikai
• 2007Glory to the Filmmaker! — Takeshi / Yakuza / Father / Ninja / Detective / Astronomer, Director, Writer, Editor
• 2007To Each His Own Cinema — The projectionist (segment "Rencontre unique"), Director, Screenplay, Producer, Editor
• 2005One Fine Day — Projectionist, Director, Writer
• 2005Takeshis' — Beat Takeshi / Mr. Kitano, Director, Editor, Writer
• 2004Blood and Bones — Joon-pyong Kim
• 2004Izo — Chancellor
• 2003Battle Royale II: Requiem — Kitano
• MXC
• Musashi — Munisai Shinmen
• 2003Zatoichi — Zatoichi / Ichi, Editor, Screenplay, Director
• 2002Asakusa Kid — Original Story
• 2002Dolls — Editor, Director, Screenplay
• 2002Kichiku
• 2002Kogoro Akechi vs Kaijin Nijyuu Menso — Niju Menso
• Takeshi's Castle — Creator
• 2000Battle Royale — Kitano
• 2000Brother — Aniki Yamamoto, Editor, Director, Writer
• 2000The 300 million yen robbery
• The Story of One Century
• 1999Jam Session (The Official Bootleg of Kikujiro)
• 1999Kikujiro — Kikujiro, Screenplay, Editor, Director
• 1999Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: 1999 Nostradamus Senritsu no Daiyogen Mysterious Unbelievable
• 1999Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō: Kyōfu Eizō Kaiki Shashin Korekushon
• 1999Taboo — Toshizo Hijikata
• 1999Zankyo
• 1998Tokyo Eyes — Yakusa
• 加ト・けん・たけしの世紀末スペシャル!!
• 1997Fireworks — Yoshitaka Nishi, Editor, Director, Screenplay
• 1997Hana-bi (1997) – Behind-the-scenes Footage — Self - Himself, Director
• 1996Kids Return — Director, Editor, Writer
• 1995Getting Any? — Scientist, Director, Writer, Editor
• 1995Gonin — Ichiro Kyoya
• 1995Johnny Mnemonic — Takahashi
• 1993Many Happy Returns — Daisuke Shiba, Novel
• 1993Sonatine — Aniki Murakawa, Director, Editor, Screenplay
• Today's Close-Up — 出演
• 1992A Legend of Turmoil — Kiichirou Yashiro
• 1992Dioxin from Fish! — Azuma
• 1992Erotic Liaisons — Okuyama
• 北野ファンクラブ
• 1991A Scene at the Sea — Director, Editor, Screenplay
• 1991Kim's War — Kim Hyi-ro
• 1990Boiling Point — Uehara, Director, Screenplay
• 1990Hoshi wo tsugu mono — Yama no hito
• 1990KILL THEM ALL
• 1990The Yagyu Code: Secret Scrolls
• Beat Takeshi Presents TV Tackle
• 1989Violent Cop — Azuma Ryosuke, Director, Writer
• 1988The Boss' Wife — Shoji Sugimoto, Hitman
• 1986No More Comics! — Yakuza
• Takeshi's Castle — Count Takeshi
• 1986雨の降る駅 — 演员
• 1985Demon — Yajima
• 1985Jesus' Ark — Takeyoshi Sengoku
• 1985Joke with a Sorrowful Heart — Hiroshi Igarashi
• 1985Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto — Hara (archive footage)
• 1983Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence — Hara
• 1983The Crimes of Kiyoshi Ōkubo — Kiyoshi Ôkubo
• 1983The Mosquito on the Tenth Floor — Man at Racetrack
• 1982Summer Secrets — Ramen shop owner
• 1981Completely... With That Air!
• 1981Manon — Shinobu
• 1981The Dump Truck Rascal
• 1980Makoto-chan
• 1969Go, Go Second Time Virgin — Gang Member
• In Your Blood: Hoki Naiden
• Kodai bunmei Misuterī Takeshi no shin sekai nana fushigi dai hyakka

Appearances as themselves (22)

• 2025AUM: The Cult at the End of the World — Self (archive footage)
• 2020Citizen Kitano — Self
• 2018Why Are We Creative? — Self
• 2017Plankton Salesmen — Self (archive footage)
• 2014In Between Mountains and Oceans — Himself
• 2014The 8th Floor — Self
• 2013Miwa: A Japanese Icon — Self
• 2013Trespassing Bergman — Self
• 2012A Special Day — Self
• 2004Arakimentari — Self
• 2004Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell! — Self
• 2004The Golden Cups: One More Time — Himself
• 2003The Final Battleground — Making of Battle Royale II — Self
• 2001Shooting Film is Battleground: Making of BATTLE ROYALE — Self
• 2000Making of 'Battle Royale' — Self
• 2000Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano — Self
• 1999The Unpredictable Takeshi Kitano — Self
• 1996Making-of Kids Return — Himself
• Kitano fan kurabu — Self
• 1991Shoko Asahara with Takeshi — Self
• Golden Horse Awards — Self
• Hard-Wired Humanity — Self