Haruo Nakajima, the First Actor to Play Godzilla, Dies at 88 Mr. Nakajima starred as the movie monster 12 times from 1954 to 1972, turning Japan’s postwar nuclear anxieties into an international phenomenon. Share: Facebook Twitter Google+ Stumble Digg Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook Related Posts:Op-Ed Contributor: Duterte’s Descent into AuthoritarianismEgyptian Court Overturns Death Sentence for Mohamed MorsiPainting the Arab World, From AfarA Chinese Farmer’s Execution Shows the Pitfalls of Rapid UrbanizationAirstrikes on Aleppo Resume as Russia Begins New Offensive in SyriaJackie Chan: The Fists, the Fury, the Oscar