 Yusaku Matsuda (qv), who plays the villain, Sato, was best known  as a television comedian in Japan prior to BLACK RAIN. He knew he  had bladder cancer, and that his condition would be aggravated by  acting in the movie. He elected to do so anyway, unbeknownst to  director Ridley Scott, reportedly saying, "This way, I will live  forever." He died on 9 November 1989, less than seven weeks after  the films American premiere.