Haruo Nakajima

Haruo Nakajima (中島 春雄) is a Japanese film actor and stunt choreographer born in Yamagata, Japan on January 1st, 1929. Though you may not recognize his name, there is no question that Haruo is one of the most well-known and without question, BIGGEST, actors of his era. He is best known for being the man inside the suit of one of the most iconic film monsters of all time - Godzilla. He was the first man to play Godzilla, beginning with the 1954 film Gojira, where he also played a power station worker.

In addition to playing Godzilla in the original Showa series, Haruo also played the ancient dinosaur Baragon in Frankenstein Conquers the World in 1964.

Haruo's final work in the series was in 1972 when he played Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Gigan. However, archival footage from Nakajima's past efforts were incorporated into Godzilla vs. Megalon in 1973.