- Sakata apparently liked his role in the movie Goldfinger (1964) so much that he took "Oddjob" as an informal middle name.
- Won a silver medal in light-heavyweight weight-lifting at the 1948 summer Olympics. He pursued a successful career as a professional wrestler before moving into acting.
- Weighed 284 lbs at the time of Goldfinger (1964).
- In the rehearsals at the Golf Club where he is to throw his hat at the statue, with the head subsequently falling off, after three attempts the special effects crew could not "arrange" the head to fall off correctly. On the fourth take he told the special effects team to just stand still - then he threw his iron-brimmed hat at the statues neck and successful severed the head at the neck on the "first" attempt - to the amazement of all!.
- He served in the US Army during World War II.
- As a professional wrestler. he was one of the great heels in the ring. On screen he is best remembered for playing "Oddjob" in "Goldfinger" (1964) which is regarded as one of the great villains of the movies. Out of the ring, or off camera, he is remembered as being charming and friendly.
- He weighed only one-hundred and thirteen pounds at the age of eighteen before he began lighting weights.
- Father: Tamotsu Sakata.
- He began lifting weights at the age of eighteen.
- Credited with help launching the career of Rikidôzan, the legendary father of Japanese pro wrestling.
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