TOKYO - Godzilla was not computer generated in its earliest romps in movies.

Instead, Haruo Nakajima suited up as Godzilla.

The actor, who took on this responsibility in every Godzilla film from the original in 1954 to 1972's Godzilla Vs Gigan for a Japanese movie studio, has died at age 88.

According to the Dateline portal, he started out in war and samurai films, including Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.

The Godzilla assignment was literally a beast of burden.

Because of a rubber shortage after World War II, materials like concrete were used to make the suit, lifting its weight up to 100kg.

Nakajima went on to play Godzilla a dozen times.

As the main suit actor for Toho Studios, he also played Mothra in 1961 and King Kong in 1967's King Kong Escapes, reported trade publication Variety.

Nakajima penned an autobiography, Monster Life, which was published in Japanese in 2010.