Robert Dunham

Robert Dunham was an American actor, writer, and entrepreneur who lived in Japan for over two decades. Born in Maine and raised in Massachusetts, he served as a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War before being stationed in Yokohama.

Dunham distinguished himself from other Western actors in Japan by his fluency in the Japanese language, which allowed him to interact directly with his co-stars and often deliver his own lines without dubbing. He became a regular in Toho's special effects films, most notably playing the diamond investigator Mark Jackson in Dogora (1964). The character was so popular that Toho considered a spin-off series, but it never materialized.

He is perhaps best remembered by international audiences as Emperor Antonio of Seatopia in Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), where he also did double duty as a motorcycle stuntman. His other credits include Mothra (1961), The Green Slime (1968), and ESPY (1974).

After returning to the United States in 1975, Dunham worked as a freelance writer for publications like Car and Driver and founded his own production company, writing and directing the film Samantha.