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person_profile-Masaaki Sakai

Masaaki Sakai Age: 78

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Masaaki Sakai

Date of Birth:

Aug 06, 1946

Country of birth:

Biography of

Masaaki Sakai

    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.

    In 1999, he formed the band Sans Filtre with two former Spiders, Hiroshi Kamayatsu and Takayuki Inoue. They released their first album Yei Yei in 2000.

    Sakai is known in Japan as a car enthusiast and regularly took part in the annual Mille Miglia race in Italy with his wife as a co-driver. He won a similar Japanese road race on October 18, 2000 driving a 1947 Cisitalia 202 MM with Inoue Takayuki (the guitarist from Sans Filtre) as co-driver. Due to business commitments he gave up racing in 2002 and gave his Alfa Romeo race car to Masahiko Kondō who is also a singer and race enthusiast. He is also a hobby archer.

    Sakai has been married and divorced twice, and has two daughters. He is an active supporter of AIDS charities. His show-business nickname is "Machaaki".

Photos of

Masaaki Sakai

Photos ( 1 Photos

Filmography of

Masaaki Sakai

Found 33 Movies in total

Spirit World

TBD ( Actor )

... 2025

... 2012

Beautiful World

Yuzo Tsutai ( Actor )

... 2012

... 2007

Yunagi City, Sakura Country

Asahi Ishikawa (Old) ( Actor )

... 2007

... 2004

... 1993

... 1977

... 1974

Machi no Hi

Chiyomatsu Sakanoshita ( Actor )

... 1974

Toshigoro

Okabe ( Actor )

... 1973

... 1970

... 1970

... 1969

... 1968

The Spiders' The Road to Bali

Masaaki Sakai ( Actor )

... 1968

The Spiders' The Noisy Parade

Masaaki Sakai ( Actor )

... 1968

... 1967

... 1967

... 1967

... 1967

... 1967

... 1966

... 1965

... 1965

Flowering Maidens

Sabu ( Actor )

... 1965

... 1964

Let's Dance Bon-Odori in Hawaii

Masaya Matsui ( Actor )

... 1964

Here Because of You

Akira Tanaka ( Actor )

... 1964

Friends

Actor

... 1964

The School Cap

Matsubara ( Actor )

... 1963

... 1963

... 1954