He was also famous by his former stage name, Ganjiro NAKAMURA III; he has established a reputation for skillful acting and the unique atmosphere he achieves when he acts as both a man and a woman, not to mention his acting in love scenes and his family's traditional acting.
前名の三代目中村鴈治郎（さんだいめなかむらがんじろう）としても知られ、その芸風は和事や家の芸はもちろん、立役でも女方でも芝居の巧さと独特の雰囲気に定評がある。