Yasutomo Ihara was once a stunt man on two of the biggest live action superhero franchises on Japanese TV: Kamen Rider and Super Sentai, the latter of which was recycled into Power Rangers for American audiences. All of that ended, though, when he injured his knee and was forced to retire from his life of acrobatics. What’s a broke and desperate former performer to do? Why, (allegedly) turn to a life of crime, of course.
Recently Ihara, who five years ago played multiple villain roles in Tensou Sentai Goseiger and Kamen Rider OOO, was arrested and charged with stealing over 8 million yen (or $77,000 USD) worth of valuables from 43 different private residences in Japan. Authorities told Sankei News that Ihara’s MO involved entering these homes by climbing up the walls or shimmying up nearby telephone poles to break in on the second floor, thus earning him the nickname “Spider-Man.” Too bad the guy didn’t have an Uncle Ben to tell him all about what comes with great power. Could have saved everyone a whole lot of trouble.
It’s also believed that Ihara planned to use his ill-gotten gains to enroll in a professional acting school so that he could return to his career in show business. Of course now that he’s making headlines, selling his life story rights to a film or TV studio would probably land him way more money. Come on, you’d watch the hell out of this, right? A retired stunt man from a popular superhero show breaking into houses so he can afford acting classes? How is this guy not already a tragically-backstoried villain on Batman: The Animated Series?
(via Uproxx)
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