Suit actor

A suit actor (スーツアクター, sūtsu akutā) is a member of, usually, a Japanese tokusatsu production who works similar to a stunt performer.

A suit actor portrays characters that are inhuman in appearance, such as henshin (i.e., transforming heroes), kaiju, and robots, by wearing a performance costume.

Notable examples include Haruo Nakajima,[2][3] the first suit actor to play Godzilla (later succeeded by Kenpachiro Satsuma for the Heisei films[4][3]) and Ben Chapman,[5] who portrayed the Gill-man in Creature From the Black Lagoon.

For example, in a style that would influence future tokusatsu productions, Seven Color Mask featured acrobatic stunts performed by Sonny Chiba.

For example, the inimitable acting style of Kamen Rider performers Tetsuya Nakashiki and Seiji Takaiwa are great sources of pride.

Furthermore, the recent influx in the popularity of tokusatsu has allowed fans and entertainers such as Rena Matsui to become more vocal about their love and respect for the art of suit acting.

[8] Some children's theater productions may also include suit acting in the form of costumed dolls, which are also performed by actors on-stage.

A notable example originates from the Hokkaido TV Broadcasting (HTB) program How Do You Like Wednesday?, where the network's mascot On-chan was played by amateur character actor Akira Yasuda.

For example, the final episode of Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger directly credited the suit actors to the heroes they played.

For example, the Japan Action Enterprise (JAE) has a year-long training program for swordsmanship, martial arts, and stunts.

During a segment of NHK Educational TV's Catch Tomorrow: Heisei Youth Work Guide, former JAE associate Norito Ito explained that over the course of three years, his class size had decreased from 21 to 6.