Tsutomu Isobe (磯部 勉) is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo, Japan. He is the best known dubbing roles for Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Chow Yun-fat, Peter Weller, Tim Allen, Sean Bean, Choi Min-sik, Stringfellow Hawke (Airwolf) and many more. His daughter is actress Rinako Isobe (磯部 莉菜子) and he is married to Miyuki Saitō (斉藤 深雪), an actress employed by Haiyuza Theatre Company.

Biography

After graduating from junior college, Isobe joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company in 1972, where he gained experience on stage under director Koreya Senda, mainly in Shakespeare's plays, which were well received. Later, he played the role of Shishiōin, the nemesis of the main character, Kirigakure Saizō, in NHK's drama Fūjin no Mon. Since then, he has played roles in many stage, television, animation, and film productions in both period and contemporary dramas, and left Haiyuza in 1989. Kramer vs. Kramer was his debut as a voice actor, and he was the main voice of Stringfellow Hawke, the protagonist of Airwolf, as well as Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Chow Yun-fat, Tim Allen, Peter Weller, Bruce Willis, and Sean Bean. Known for his humble and sincere personality, it is said that when Isobe took on the role of Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments, he called Gorō Naya, who dubbed Heston for many years, directly to ask for his forgiveness, when in fact Isobe met Naya in a bar and greeted him. He originally dubbed Heston when he filled in for Naya in the Friday first-run showing of The Naked Jungle, and has since served in three new recordings. In 2005's Mahō Sentai Magiranger, he was cast as the voice of the enemy leader Wolzard as well as Wolzard's true identity, the Magiranger, father Isamu Ozu. This was the first time for him to be a regular in a tokusatsu series, so when he was offered to play the role of Isamu Ozu unmasked, he was at first puzzled as to whether it was right for him. In the final episode, like the rest of the cast, he is in the suit of Wolzard Fire, the transformed version of his role.

Filmography

Film

Television drama

Television animation

Original net animation

Theatrical animation

Video games

Tokusatsu

Radio drama

Dubbing roles

Live-action

Animation