Akira Terao

• Name — Akira Terao • Native Name — 寺尾 聰 • Birth Name — Akira Terao • Born — 18 May 1947 • Birthplace — Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan • Occupation — * Actor • musician • Years Active — 1964–present • Father — Jūkichi Uno • Spouse — Mayumi Hoshino

Terao was born in Yokohama (Kanagawa prefecture) in Japan, son of the actor and film director Jūkichi Uno. He attended schools Wako Gakuen, Hosei University Daini Senior High School, and graduated from the vocational school Bunka Gakuin.

In 1966, he debuted as a bassist of a group sounds band called The Savage (ザ・サベージ). His solo debut album came out in 1970. As a singer, Terao is known mostly for the 1981 hit song Ruby no Yubiwa and the album it was part of named Reflections, which sold 1.6 million copies in Japan.

As an actor, he debuted in The Sands of Kurobe, a film directed by Kei Kumai in 1968. In 1985, Terao worked under director Akira Kurosawa in Ran. Five years later he appeared as "I" in Kurosawa's Dreams. He has worked with director Takashi Koizumi in After the Rain and The Professor's Beloved Equation. As for dramas, Terao has acted with Kazunari Ninomiya in Yasashii Jikan as well as in the latest Takuya Kimura-helmed drama, Change (spring 2008). He won the award for best actor at the 47th Blue Ribbon Awards for Half a Confession. The promotional agencies to which he has belonged are Horipro, Ishihara International Productions, Inc. and his current personal agency Terao Music Offices (寺尾音楽事務所).

He was married to Bunjaku Han from 1973 to 1974 (ending in divorce). His current wife is Mayumi Hoshino. Terao is known for wearing sunglasses and for his expressions of nihilism. Because he has two moles on one cheek, he has the nickname of "hoppe" (ボッペ), meaning "cheek".

• Kunitori Monogatari (1973), Tokugawa Ieyasu • Daitokai Series (1976–1979), He was in only the 1st and 3rd seasons of the show. • Seibu Keisatsu (1979), Takeshi Matsuda, but prefers to be called 'Rikki' by his colleagues. His character is killed in the line of duty in the 123rd episode of Part I of the show. • Taiyō ni Hoero! Part2 (1986) • Gunshi Kanbei (2014), Tokugawa Ieyasu • Nobunaga Moyu (2016), Konoe Sakihisa • Kohaku (2017), Toshio Arai • Rikuoh (2017), Haruyuki Iiyama • Shiroi Kyotō (2019), Professor Azuma • Our Hakone Ekiden (2026), Hisashige Moroya