Sad news as it’s been announced that Haruo Nakajima, the man who wore the Godzilla outfit for 12 straight films, has passed away at at 88.

Nakajima was an actor for 20 years, from the early 50’s through the early 70’s. On top of being the original Godzilla and playing the role through 1972’s Godzilla vs. Gigan, he also appeared in a few Akira Kurosawa productions (The Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo) and several war films from both Japanese and American studios.

In 2010, Nakajima released a Japanese-language autobiography that, when translated, was titled Monster Life: Haruo Nakajima, the Original Godzilla Actor.

We send our condolences not only to his family and friends but to the generations of Godzilla fans who grew up with Nakajima playing one of cinema’s most iconic giant monsters.