Actor: Sessue Hayakawa

Sessue Hayakawa was one of the biggest stars of the silent era, a genuine sex symbol at a point when Asian actors were almost never cast as romantic leads, and he founded his own production company after being denied roles.

His career declined with sound, and he spent the war in France, reportedly working with the Resistance. The Bridge on the River Kwai brought a Best Supporting Actor nomination at sixty-eight, playing Colonel Saito with a dignity the script does not entirely provide.