Tanie Kitabayashi

Tanie Kitabayashi

Known For

My Neighbor Totoro

Biography

Tanie Kitabayashi (北林谷栄, Kitabayashi Tanie, May 21, 1911 – April 27, 2010) was a Japanese actress and voice actress. Born Reiko Ando in Tokyo, she began as a stage actress. Early in her career, she became well known for portraying older women. Kitabayashi was a founding member of the famed Mingei Theatre, founded in 1950. In 1960, she won best actress awards at the 10th Blue Ribbon Awards and at the Mainichi Film Awards for Kiku to Isamu. She also won the Japan Academy Prize for best actress in Rainbow Kids (1991), a film that also earned her honors from the Mainichi Film Awards and from Kinema Junpo. She died on April 27, 2010, of pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital. She was 98.

Movies Featuring Tanie Kitabayashi

Rainbow Kids

Rainbow Kids (1991)

as Mrs. Toshiko 'Toji' Yanagawa
Amagi Pass

Amagi Pass (1983)

as Tea house's old woman
Suspicion

Suspicion (1982)

as Harue Shirakawa
Station

Station (1981)

as Masayo Mikami
Writhing Tongue

Writhing Tongue (1980)

as Akira's mother
Never Give Up

Never Give Up (1978)

as Kiyo Matsushita
The Incident

The Incident (1978)

as Kane Shinozaki
The Wild Daisy

The Wild Daisy (1977)

as Tamiko's Grandmother
Pure Land, Poisoned Sea

Pure Land, Poisoned Sea (1970)

as Goze / Narrator (voice)
Apart from Life

Apart from Life (1970)

as Matsuko Fukuji
All My Children

All My Children (1963)

as Fusakichi's mother
Conflagration

Conflagration (1958)

as Aki, Goichi's mother
Chance Meeting

Chance Meeting (1958)

as Tetsu Koyanagi
Hole in One

Hole in One (1957)

as Suga Akabane
The Heart

The Heart (1955)

as Hioki's mother
Ghost Story of Youth

Ghost Story of Youth (1955)

as Nanny at Okumura's
Koibito

Koibito (1951)

as Mrs. Saeki
Scandal

Scandal (1950)

as Yasu Hiruta