Masaaki Sakai
Actor
Born August 6, 1946
Born the son of Shunji Sakai, a famous comedian in Japan, Sakai initially came to fame by fronting the group sounds band The Spiders. This group, formed in 1962, was popular throughout the 1960s; they spawned several hit songs as well as thirteen situation comedy films featuring their music. He took the title role of Songoku (Monkey) in the 1970s Japanese TV program Saiyūki. This gained him fame in many English-speaking countries in the early 1980s when it was dubbed by the BBC and retitled Monkey. Due to his fame playing the mythical character Songoku, Sakai created a dance called "the Monkey" which became a craze in Japan. Sakai went on to a successful solo career after The Spiders disbanded, and continued acting in films and on television.
Filmography
パパ・サヴァイバル
Spirit World
Yuzo Nobusawa
Kono Subarashiki Sekai
The Castle of Crossed Destinies
Beautiful World
Yuzo Tsutai
Family Song
Impossible Love
타치키 쇼고
The Fearless Otojiro's Company
Long Wedding Road! Tokyo vs. Osaka Wakeari Kon Monogatari
Yunagi City, Sakura Country
Asahi Ishikawa (Old)
The Black Swindler
A Hardest Night!!
Boss
The Most Useful School in the World
Locomotive Teacher
Churasan
Kohagura Keibun
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Best Friend
Kurosawa Michihiko
Furuhata Ninzaburo
中村右近
Bored Hatamoto: Letter of Death
Trinacria: Porsche 959
Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies
Sayonara Sankaku Mata Kite Shikaku
Tennō no Ryōriban
Monkey
Monkey
I Am A Man of Honor
Japan Beauty Story
Machi no Hi
Chiyomatsu Sakanoshita
Toshigoro
Okabe
喜劇 右向けェ左！
Kigeki dokkiri dai tōsō
時間ですよ
宮崎健
The Tempters: Smile After Tears
The Age of Undutiful Children
The Spiders' The Road to Bali
Masaaki Sakai
The Spiders: Big Commotion!
The Wonderful Ones
The Spiders' The Noisy Parade
Masaaki Sakai
My Sweetheart
The Spiders: The Reckless Operation
Masaaki
The Greatest Challenge of All
The Sunset Is Crying
Youth A Go Go!
A Girl of the Plateau
Sabu
Tokyo In Love
Flowering Maidens
Sabu
High School Juniors (Part II)
Let's Dance Bon-Odori in Hawaii
Masaya Matsui
Here Because of You
Akira Tanaka
Friends
The School Cap
Matsubara
High School Third Graders
Road to Hawaii