Akiko Wakabayashi

Akiko Wakabayashi

Born 26 August 1941
Ōta, Tokyo, Japan
Nationality Japanese
Occupation Actress
Years active 1958–1971
In this Japanese name, the family name is "Wakabayashi".

Akiko Wakabayashi (若林 映子 Wakabayashi Akiko, born 26 August 1941) is a Japanese former actress, best known in English-speaking countries for her role as Bond girl Aki in the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice. Before this, she had made many movies in her native Japan, especially Toho Studio's monster movies, such as Dagora, the Space Monster and Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, both of which were also released under various other titles.

When production of You Only Live Twice began, Wakabayashi was originally slated to play the role of Kissy Suzuki whilst her co-star Mie Hama played Suki, one of Tiger Tanaka's top agents. When learning English proved to be a major hurdle to Hama, the women switched roles, with Hama now playing the smaller part of Kissy and Wakabayashi playing the larger part of Suki. At her suggestion, the character of Suki was renamed Aki.

Wakabayashi made only one more film (and a guest TV appearance) before disappearing from both the big and small screen. In an interview in G-FAN magazine (No. 76), Wakabayashi said she retired from acting owing to injuries sustained while making a movie.

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ Stuart Galbraith IV (16 May 2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press. pp. 212–213. ISBN 978-1-4616-7374-3.

External links