Which actor portrays Kazunori Yamauchi in the 2023 Gran Turismo film?

Takehiro Hira portrays Kazunori Yamauchi in the 2023 Gran Turismo film.

Hira plays the real-life creator of the Gran Turismo video-game series, who appears in the film as an important figure behind the GT Academy concept. GT Academy used racing-game competition to identify talented players and give them a path toward real-world motorsport, including the career of driver Jann Mardenborough, whose story provides the film’s central inspiration.

The film was directed by Neill Blomkamp and stars Archie Madekwe as Mardenborough, David Harbour as his mentor Jack Salter, and Orlando Bloom as marketing executive Danny Moore. Hira’s casting can be easy to miss because Yamauchi is not the protagonist and the better-known international stars receive prominent billing. The real Kazunori Yamauchi also makes a cameo in the movie, appearing as a sushi chef in Tokyo, separate from Hira’s dramatic portrayal.