Hiroaki Hirata, born on August 7, 1963, in Tokyo, Japan, is a distinguished Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator. He is the founder of Hirata Production and is widely known for his voice acting roles in various popular anime series and films. Hirata began his career in theater after graduating from Toshima High School and training at the Subaru Theater School. He made his stage debut in 1986 in a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Hirata's voice acting career includes notable roles such as Vinsmoke Sanji in "One Piece," Sha Gojyo in "Saiyuki," Kotetsu T. Kaburagi in "Tiger & Bunny," and Klein in "Sword Art Online." His exceptional performance as Kotetsu T. Kaburagi earned him the Best Voice Actor award at the 11th Tokyo Anime Awards and the Best Actor award at the 6th Seiyu Awards in 2011.

Beyond anime, Hirata is also the official Japanese dubbing artist for actors Johnny Depp and Matt Damon. He has provided Japanese voices for characters played by Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, Edward Norton, Noah Wyle, and Josh Hartnett, among others. His voice work extends to more than 100 American movies, making him a versatile and prolific artist in the voice acting industry.

Hirata continues to be active in both theater and voice acting, contributing to various projects and maintaining a strong presence in the entertainment industry.