Michiko Hirai

Japanese actress

Actress
voice actress

Years active1957-1984AgentTheater EchoNotable work

Sally the Witch as Sally
Star Blazers as Starsha

Height158 cm (5 ft 2 in)^[2]SpouseShinji Nakae^[3]

Michiko Hirai (平井道子, Hirai Michiko, September 9, 1935 – July 3, 1984^[1]) was a Japanese actress and voice actress from Tokyo.^[1] She worked for Theater Echo.^[1] She is most known for originating the roles of Sally in Sally the Witch, Starsha in Star Blazers, and Ran in Ryu, the Cave Boy.

Life and career

She has been active as an NHK exclusive singer since the age of 10. After graduating from Ferris Women's Junior College in Music Department,^[1] she was invited by Kazuo Kumakura to join Theater Echo in 1957.^[4]

While she was acting for her theater company, she was also active as a voice actress dubbing Faye Dunaway^[1] and the role of Sally Yumeno in the TV anime Sally the Witch among many.

She was married to fellow voice actor Shinji Nakae.^[3] She was also a skilled singer^[5] and a Mahjong lover^[4]

She died at the age of 48 on July 3, 1984, at the Mishima Clinic in Koganei, Tokyo, due to heart failure.^[3] Her last works were Mrs Dracula in Lupin the 3rd Part III which was broadcast 4 days after her death, and the historical drama Onna goroshi abura no jigoku which was broadcast 2 months after her death.

Notable roles

Anime

Andersen Stories as Ida (ep 3);^[6] Ming Ming (ep 11–12);^[7] Ball (ep 20);^[8] Helga (ep. 22–23);^[9] Little Mermaid (ep 31–33);^[8] Marte (ep 48);^[10] Evil Snow Queen (ep 50–51);^[10] Anna's Mother (ep 52)^[8]
Anne of Green Gables as Mrs. Evans
Casshan
Devilman as Mermaim (ep 13)
Galaxy Express 999 as Queen Metamelina (ep 65)
God Mars as Aida
Golgo 13 as Catherine (voice)
Himitsu no Akko-chan as Shōshō Akatsuka (eps 56, 61)
Hoshi no Ko Chobin as Sagiri
Kikansha Yaemon D51 no Daibōken as Rinrin
Lupin III: Part II as Jasmine (ep 85); Melon Ganimard (ep 28)
Lupin III: Part III as Mrs Dracula (ep 11)
Lupin the 3rd as Ginko Hoshikage (ep 17); Maki / Rie Makita (ep 21); Rie Makita (ep 21)
Mahō no Mako-chan as Mama; Tomiko Tomita
München e no Michi
Nobara no Julie as Teresia
Nozomi in the Sun as Miki Kōda^[11]
The World of Hans Christian Andersen as Hans' Mother^[12]
Panda no Daibōken as Fifi
Reideen the Brave
Robokko Beeton as Nennen
Ryu, the Cave Boy as Ran^[13]
Sally the Witch (1966) as Sally
Sasuke as Sasuke's Mother^[14]
Space Battleship Yamato as Starsha
Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage as Starsha
Star Blazers as Starsha
Swiss Family Robinson as Anna^[15]
Under Sea Boy Marine
Yōkai Ningen Bem

Western animation

One Hundred and One Dalmatians as Cruella de Vil (1981 Dub)
Peanuts as Lucy Van Pelt
Snoopy Come Home as Lucy Van Pelt
Robin Hood as Lady Kluck (Theatrical release version)^[16]

Dubbing

Faye Dunaway
- The Arrangement (NET Dub) (Gwen)
- Oklahoma Crude (TBS Dub) (Lena Doyle)
- Bonnie and Clyde (TV Asahi Dub) (Bonnie Parker)
- The Thomas Crown Affair (TBS Dub) (Vicki Anderson)
- Three Days of the Condor (TV Asahi Dub) (Kathy Hale)
- The Three Musketeers (TV Asahi Dub) (Milady de Winter)
- The Towering Inferno (Fuji TV Dub) (Susan Franklin)
- Little Big Man (TBS Dub) (Louise Pendrake)
- The Champ (TV Asahi Dub) (Annie Phillips)
- Doc (TBS Dub) (Kate Elder)
- The Four Musketeers (TV Asahi Dub) (Milady de Winter)
- Puzzle of a Downfall Child (TBS Dub) (Lou Andreas Sand)
Marlene Dietrich
- Destry Rides Again (TV Asahi Dub)
Rita Hayworth
- Blood and Sand
Judy Garland
- A Star Is Born (TV Asahi Dub) (Esther Blodgett / Vicki Lester)
Claire Bloom
- Alexander the Great (NET Dub)
Ursula Andress
- Up to His Ears (TV Asahi Dub)
Catherine Deneuve
- Mississippi Mermaid
Ros Spiers
- The Man from Hong Kong^[17]
All Monsters Attack as Minira (voice)
Golgo 13 as Catherine (voice)
Kuchû toshi zero zero hachi as Oh-hara Tsukiko (voice)

Live action

Lone Wolf and Cub as Ohatsu (ep 3.14-16)
Onna goroshi abura no jigoku
Tooi sekkin

Theme song

"Itazura no Uta" Sally the Witch (2nd ending theme)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f 明治～平成,367日誕生日大事典, 20世紀日本人名事典,新撰芸能人物事典. "平井道子とは". コトバンク (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-05-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Nihon Tarento Meikan (in Japanese). japan: VIP Times. 1984. p. 390.
^ ^a ^b ^c Mainichi Shinbun (in Japanese). Japan: Mainichi Shinbun. July 1984. p. 99.
^ ^a ^b TV洋画の人気者声のスターのすべて (in Japanese). Japan: Kindaieigasha. 1979. pp. 202–204.
^ Nihon Tarento Meikan (in Japanese). Japan: VIP Times. 1984. p. 390.
^ DVD credits
^ "C-29 | Andersen Monogatari: Nightingale - VGMdb". vgmdb.net. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Andersen Monogatari". Yobodashi.com.
^ "C-60 | Andersen Monogatari: Numa no Ou no Musume - VGMdb". vgmdb.net. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
^ ^a ^b "AntonioGenna.net presenta: IL MONDO DEI DOPPIATORI - ZONA ANIMAZIONE: "Le fiabe di Andersen"". www.antoniogenna.net. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
^ "さすらいの太陽". 2018-03-06. Archived from the original on 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^ "アンデルセン物語". 2017-10-06. Archived from the original on 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^ "原始少年リュウ - 作品ラインナップ - 東映アニメーション". lineup.toei-anim.co.jp. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^ "株式会社エイケンオフィシャルサイト". www.eiken-anime.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^ "家族ロビンソン漂流記ふしぎな島のフローネ | 作品紹介 | NIPPON ANIMATION". www.nippon-animation.co.jp. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
^ "ロビン・フッド". The Cinema. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
^ "スカイ・ハイ 4Kレストアスタンダード版 Blu-ray". TC Entertainment. Retrieved February 10, 2023.