Haruo Nakajima (born January 1, 1929 in Yamagata, Japan) is a Japanese actor and stunt performer best known for appearing in various Akira Kurosawa films and for playing the title character in various Godzilla films from it's incarnation in the early '50s to early '70s. He portrayed other kaiju creations in films such as Rodan, Varan, The Mysterians, The Human Vapor, Mothra, Gorath, Matango, Frankenstein Conquers the World, Invasion of Astro Monster, The War of the Gargantuas, King Kong Escapes, Latitude Zero and Yog: Monster from Space.