Japanese actor

Sonny Chiba, a

martial arts legend, died of complications arising from Covid-19, his agent reported on Thursday.

The actor was 82 years old and had taken

part in

Kill Bill,

of

Quentin Tarantino,

and

Fast & Furious.

"Sonny passed away from Covid-19 yesterday,"

Timothy Bea

l informed AFP.

"What tragic news. He was a great friend and an incredible customer. A humble, friendly and caring man."

Sadaho Maeda,

his given name, was born in

Fukuoka,

southwestern

Japan,

in 1939. In the 1960s he studied martial arts and specialized in karate.

Thanks to his skills, he won many roles in Japanese movies and television series, including opportunities at the influential

Toei Studio.

Following the worldwide success of star

Bruce Lee,

Chiba made a name for herself outside of Japan by starring in

The Street Fighter

trilogy

.

That performance impressed a young Quentin Tarantino, who would later offer him the role of

Hattori Hanzo,

a samurai turned sushi chef who forges a special sword to aid

Uma Thurman

in her thirst for revenge in

Kill Bill.

In 2006, Chiba also participated in one of the

Fast & Furious

installments

.

Beal said the actor was about to start work on

Outbreak Z,

a zombie movie starring

Wesley Snipes.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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