Career
Kamiya made his debut on Mahou no Mako-chan in 1970 while working for Theater Echo. He went on to have a regular role on Akaki Chi no Eleven as Sasuke Yatsume and later co-starred with Kei Tomiyama in Fushigi na Merumo.
In 1973 he played the title character in Babel II, and then went on to play the lead role in many Super Robot anime, such as Ryoma Nagare in Getter Robo, Akira Hibiki in Yuusha Raideen, Jimmy Orion in Mechander Robo, and Takuma Ichimonji in Wakusei Danguard Ace. Because of his tendency to shout dramatically, he earned the nickname Sakebi no Kamiya (叫びの神谷?, Screaming Kamiya).
Kamiya has also played many playboy lady-killer types, including pretty-boy pitcher Satoru Satonaka in Dokaben, Godai's tennis-coach rival Shun Mitaka in Maison Ikkoku, and rich and arrogant characters such as Shinnosuke Kazamatsuri in Yawara! and Mendou Shuutaro in Urusei Yatsura. (When Urusei Yatsura creator Rumiko Takahashi's later work Ranma 1/2 was adapted to anime, Takahashi had Kamiya in mind for the role of another rich and arrogant playboy character, Tatewaki Kuno, but the directors chose Hirotaka Suzuoki for the role instead.) In addition to this he has also played goofier roles, like Tosaka-senpai in Kyuukyoku Choujin R and Nyarome in Mouretsu Atarou. Until 2009, he was playing the lazy, washed-up private detective Kogoro Mori in the long running Detective Conan anime.
The 1980s would see a string of memorable performances from Kamiya, including Shutaro Mendou in Urusei Yatsura, Suguru Kinniku in Kinnikuman, Kenshirou in Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star), Roy Focker in Macross and Ryo Saeba in City Hunter.
Apart from anime, Kamiya has done some dub work, most notably dubbing Pierce Brosnan in Remington Steele and 2 James Bond movies (GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies).
In recent years, he has lectured at the Nihon Kogakuin Vocational School. Some of his students include Megumi Toyoguchi, Ryoko Shintani, and Ai Shimizu.
Read more about this topic: Akira Kamiya
Famous quotes containing the word career:
“A black boxer’s career is the perfect metaphor for the career of a black male. Every day is like being in the gym, sparring with impersonal opponents as one faces the rudeness and hostility that a black male must confront in the United States, where he is the object of both fear and fascination.”
—Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)
“I began my editorial career with the presidency of Mr. Adams, and my principal object was to render his administration all the assistance in my power. I flattered myself with the hope of accompanying him through [his] voyage, and of partaking in a trifling degree, of the glory of the enterprise; but he suddenly tacked about, and I could follow him no longer. I therefore waited for the first opportunity to haul down my sails.”
—William Cobbett (1762–1835)
“The 19-year-old Diana ... decided to make her career that of wife. Today that can be a very, very iffy line of work.... And what sometimes happens to the women who pursue it is the best argument imaginable for teaching girls that they should always be able to take care of themselves.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)