Oh man, I just woke up and saw the news.
Godzilla was such a big part of my childhood, specifically the Showa era, as I'm sure was the case for everyone here. You often see people talk about the "Four Fathers" who made Godzilla what he is, but let's face it, it was five. Haruo Nakajima was Godzilla's soul. He took what could have easily been a very basic "just walk around and knock things over" job and turned it into a true
performance. He gave Godzilla life and character, and all under incredibly difficult conditions, and set the standard for all those who were to follow.
I never got to meet him myself, never having been to any Godzilla conventions personally (I'm not sure if he ever made any appearances in the UK but in a way I almost don't want to now out of regret that I didn't go when the opportunity was there), but from everything I've seen and heard he seemed like a great and very happy guy who always had time for the fans. I'm glad he got to see how much they appreciated his performance over the years and what he meant to people like us who grew up with his films and his Godzilla. The original and best. Thank you for all the wonderful memories.
Rest in Peace, Haruo Nakajima - King of the Monsters.