Chishu Ryu (actor in many of Yasujiro Ozu's films; (Ozu is my favourite director, bar none). Films include: Tokyo Story (voted the greatest film of all time in the 2012 edition of a poll of film directors by Sight and Sound magazine) ; Floating Weeds, Good Morning, Late Spring, Early Summer.
Takashi Shimura (200+ films, including 21 of Akira Kurosawa's 30 films). Ikiru, (considered one of the greatest movies of all time) Seven Samurai, Sanjuro, High and Low, Kwaidan.
Toshiro Mifune: Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Yojimbo, High and Low, Throne of Blood, Red Beard. Also, Hiroshi Inagaki's beautiful 1962 film Chushingura (in my opinion the best film about the 47 Loyal Retainers) as well as Inagaki's celebrated Samurai Trilogy.
Others: Jean Gabin, Anthony Quinn, Peter Ustinov, Alec Guinness.