By special request, we take a look at two actresses that were known for playing unapologetic, strong female roles. The type of characters that were not bound to the rules of society.
Meiko Kaji
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“Whenever I had a strong role I was always concerned to make it even stronger.”
Meiko Kaji, an actress that became a legend in Japanese cinema. She was most popular during the 60s/70s, playing roles of outlaws and gang leaders.
1) She was born Masako Ota, but changed her name to Meiko Kaji
2) She said there was an unwritten rule that actresses stay in the same type of roles to cater to a certain audience
3) She originally worked for film studio “Nikkatsu”, but once they started making soft porn films, she left to join Toei studio
4) In order to do sword fight scenes, Meiko had to learn traditional Japanese dance moves
5) Said it was typical of Japanese films at that time to use sensational catchphrases to draw audiences in. But really the plot would be more about social issues, like her film “Sex Hunter!” which was about the persecution of mixed-race teenagers.
6) Was known for her signature “Meiko stare”
7) Although she’s a well-known singer, she did not consider herself a pop star because it was normal for actresses to sing in the movies they starred in
8) She believes that turning a film into a series creates a decline in both the quality of the story and the character. She says that she quit the “Scorpion” series after the 4th film because the scenes were too brutal to film in order to create more shock value for audiences.
9) In 1978, Meiko’s work started to lessen for unknown reasons
10) One of her greatest roles was 1973’s "Lady Snowblood"
Tura Satana
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“I stopped (acting) because I was not one to go sleeping with any of the casting directors. If my resume was not good enough to get the part I would just say thank and leave.”
Tura Satana, an American actress, was a wildcat both on and off the screen. Perhaps it was her no nonsense attitude that she built up in her youth that made her able to portray strong female characters so well in her films. Her movie career was short-lived, but so iconic that she has become a classic cult movie star today.
1) She was born in Hokkaidō, Japan, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois
2) She is of mixed heritage, Filipino, Scots-Irish, and Native American. Her looks made her a target of frequent harassment and fetishism.
3) She was gang raped at the age of 10 and because the boys had families who bribed a judged, she was sent to reform school as punishment for “leading them on”.
4) In her teens she started a vigilante girl gang to get back at the type of guys who raped her when she was young. After learning martial arts and 15 years later, she was able to take revenge on her rapists. They didn’t remember her until she told them.
5) She became an exotic dancer at age 15
6) She was picked for her first film in “Hawaiian Eye” because the producer thought she was well-built for an “oriental”. Which she says was unusual during that time for women of Asian descent.
7) Her breakthrough role in the 1965 film “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!”, was the first time director Russ Meyer used no nudity
8) She said her role as Varla in “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” was a way to release the anger she harbored from her childhood
9) She and Elvis Pressley dated, but ended their relationship because he wanted to marry her. She considered him to be very lonely despite his popularity.
10) She taught Elvis how to French kiss telling writer Pamela Des Barres, “Once I showed him the difference between how he was kissing and how I kissed, he said, ‘Oh God, that feels so good.’ When I said, ‘Yeah, it feels good all over too,’ his eyes lit up.”
Meiko Kaji and Tura Satana inspired filmmakers of today to create action parts specifically for women. Rebellious, beautiful, dangerous, and selfish. They played the "bad" girls of the 60's-70's.
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Meiko Kaji
“Whenever I had a strong role I was always concerned to make it even stronger.”
Meiko Kaji, an actress that became a legend in Japanese cinema. She was most popular during the 60s/70s, playing roles of outlaws and gang leaders.
1) She was born Masako Ota, but changed her name to Meiko Kaji
2) She said there was an unwritten rule that actresses stay in the same type of roles to cater to a certain audience
3) She originally worked for film studio “Nikkatsu”, but once they started making soft porn films, she left to join Toei studio
4) In order to do sword fight scenes, Meiko had to learn traditional Japanese dance moves
5) Said it was typical of Japanese films at that time to use sensational catchphrases to draw audiences in. But really the plot would be more about social issues, like her film “Sex Hunter!” which was about the persecution of mixed-race teenagers.
6) Was known for her signature “Meiko stare”
7) Although she’s a well-known singer, she did not consider herself a pop star because it was normal for actresses to sing in the movies they starred in
8) She believes that turning a film into a series creates a decline in both the quality of the story and the character. She says that she quit the “Scorpion” series after the 4th film because the scenes were too brutal to film in order to create more shock value for audiences.
9) In 1978, Meiko’s work started to lessen for unknown reasons
10) One of her greatest roles was 1973’s "Lady Snowblood"
Tura Satana
“I stopped (acting) because I was not one to go sleeping with any of the casting directors. If my resume was not good enough to get the part I would just say thank and leave.”
Tura Satana, an American actress, was a wildcat both on and off the screen. Perhaps it was her no nonsense attitude that she built up in her youth that made her able to portray strong female characters so well in her films. Her movie career was short-lived, but so iconic that she has become a classic cult movie star today.
1) She was born in Hokkaidō, Japan, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois
2) She is of mixed heritage, Filipino, Scots-Irish, and Native American. Her looks made her a target of frequent harassment and fetishism.
3) She was gang raped at the age of 10 and because the boys had families who bribed a judged, she was sent to reform school as punishment for “leading them on”.
4) In her teens she started a vigilante girl gang to get back at the type of guys who raped her when she was young. After learning martial arts and 15 years later, she was able to take revenge on her rapists. They didn’t remember her until she told them.
5) She became an exotic dancer at age 15
6) She was picked for her first film in “Hawaiian Eye” because the producer thought she was well-built for an “oriental”. Which she says was unusual during that time for women of Asian descent.
7) Her breakthrough role in the 1965 film “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!”, was the first time director Russ Meyer used no nudity
8) She said her role as Varla in “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” was a way to release the anger she harbored from her childhood
9) She and Elvis Pressley dated, but ended their relationship because he wanted to marry her. She considered him to be very lonely despite his popularity.
10) She taught Elvis how to French kiss telling writer Pamela Des Barres, “Once I showed him the difference between how he was kissing and how I kissed, he said, ‘Oh God, that feels so good.’ When I said, ‘Yeah, it feels good all over too,’ his eyes lit up.”
Meiko Kaji and Tura Satana inspired filmmakers of today to create action parts specifically for women. Rebellious, beautiful, dangerous, and selfish. They played the "bad" girls of the 60's-70's.
SOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCE
