HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHUNSUKE IKEDA! November 11, 1943

池田駿介さん、お誕生日おめでとうございます!


As Ippei Hanagata in EMERGENCY COMMAND: 10-4/10-10 (1972)

Shunsuke Ikeda, born as Norio Ikeda, is best known to tokusastsu fans for starring as the android "Ichiro" in the superhero series KIKAIDA 01 (1973-74). His early interest in motion pictures was instilled by his father (respected swordfight choreographer, Tatsuo Ouchi), and after studying with the Bunka-za Theater, was accepted in Toei’s "New Faces" competition in 1961. In 1963, Ikeda made his credited debut as baseball player Shinohara in Kyoshi Saeki’s FASTBALL, and while other films followed, he was also cast in several television series, including ZERO FIGHTERS: BLACK CLOUD SQUADRON (1964).

While expanding his acting, Ikeda also continued with his higher education, and graduated from Hosei University’s Department of Economics in 1967. He also guest starred in the television series MR. DETECTIVE (1966-68), LONE WOLF (1967-68), OPERATION: MYSTERY (1968-69), MITO KOMON (1969- ), MY DAD IS A FRESHMAN (1969), SILVER MASK (1971-72), HEARTLESS LICENSE (1973-77), RUN, SECRET SAMURAI! (1973), ZATOCIHI (1974-79), FIGHT! DRAGON (1974), THE GORILLA 7 (1975), SECRET TASK FORCE: GORANGER (1975-77), PRO WRESTLING STAR: AZTEKAIZER (1976-77), VIGILANTE ZUBAT (1977) and STARWOLF (1978).

Ikeda also appeared as regular characters in three other notable tokusatsu roles: Monster Attack Team officer Takeshi Minami in RETURN OF ULTRAMAN (1971-72), Radio Investigation Team officer Ippei Hanagata in EMERGENCY COMMAND: 10-4/10-10 (1972), and Kensuke Mitsuya in CONDORMAN: SYMBOL OF JUSTICE (1975). Ikeda is currently a fashion model and commercial spokesman for Toshiba, and has appeared in several notable stage productions. His most recent screen appearance was a cameo reprising his role as Takeshi Minami in Kazuya Konaka’s theatrical feature ULTRAMAN MOEBIUS & THE ULTRA BROTHERS (2006).