"Godzilla" star Haruo Nakajima, who wore the monster's body suit for every movie from the 1950s to 1972 has died at 88.
Sonoe Nakajima, the actor's daughter told The Associated Press that Nakajima passed away Monday from pneumonia.
As the main suit actor for the Japanese movie company Toho, Nakajima also played King Kong in 1967's "King Kong Escapes," Mothra in 1961 and other roles in such motion pictures as "War of the Gargantuas" and "Frankenstein Conquers the World," Variety noted.
Godzilla was Nakajima's bread-and-butter monster, with the actor playing the role in 29 original Toho films, the celebrity publication stated. The monster has also inspired three Hollywood remakes.
Nakajima said in a 2014 interview with the AP that he developed Godzilla's movement from scratch by watching how elephants and bears moved at a zoo. He said he thought it was important to show the pathos of the creature.
"If Godzilla can't walk properly, it's nothing but a freak show," Nakajima told The AP about his thoughts on creating the monster.
He first appeared as Godzilla in the 1954 film "Godzilla," wearing a concrete body suit because of the scarcity of rubber in Japan at the time, The Guardian reported. He last appeared as the monster in the 1972 movie "Godzille vs. Gigan."
He was expected to appear at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October, according to the AP.
Fans passed along their condolences on social media.
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