It’s certainly an unprecedented career. Hiroyuki Sanada This includes over a dozen blockbuster movies and TV series. westworld and lost— all of which came after more than 30 years of work in his native Japan. But at this moment I still feel the earthquake.of last samurai breakout and john wick 4 Scene thief tops the call sheet for a Hollywood production for the first time in nearly 60 years on FX general, an epic new adaptation of James Clavell’s groundbreaking 1975 novel. (His first two episodes are currently streaming on Hulu.) He was credited as a producer for the first time on the show, and he painstakingly crafted the film’s richly nuanced depiction of feudal Japan down to the smallest detail. I have examined it carefully. And he realized that he was performing differently than before.
This marks a thrilling step forward for fans of Sanada, who is best known for confronting, wielding swords and imparting wisdom to the town’s biggest stars. As the actors candidly revealed in our wide-ranging conversation, the roles Japanese actors have been able to play in American movies and TV shows have historically been stereotypical, shallow, and culturally inaccurate. It’s starting to lean. His mission is to correct that tradition, and it’s hard to think of a better example than what he’s done with this work. general— both in front of and behind the camera.
In this series, which is based on real events and is told mostly in Japanese, he is a daimyo (the leader of all of Japan, or a feudal lord under him), in contrast to the previous novel version in 1980. He plays Toranaga Yoshii. general) clings to power at a turning point in 16th century Japan, but his political ambitions are challenged by the arrival of a rebellious English sailor named Blackthorne (cosmo jarvis) He was shipwrecked in Japan and left under his watch.
Sanada’s physical ability remains astounding. But it’s her sly complexity, the heart and rawness of her role that makes it a thrilling new showcase for a screen icon.
Vanity Fair: Is acting and producing at the same time something you’re used to coming into this project? What kind of challenge was that for you, and what did producing it specifically entail?
Hiroyuki Sanada: I wanted to make something about Japanese culture in Hollywood. I have long wanted to revise and present our culture to the world in an authentic way. I was happy when I received the title of producer. I thought it was a good opportunity to set everything straight.
I really enjoyed doing both. As an actor, even if there was no shooting, I was on set every day. I had the opportunity to learn how to work with Western staff to try to make this authentic.this is 20 years later last samurai, an experience that trained me. I put all my knowledge and experience into this program. And I’m not alone. We were able to hire Japanese staff who had experience making props, wigs, and costumes. Each department has consultants from Japan. I ordered them to fix everything. And if they have any problems, they tell me. [Laughs]
I wanted to properly introduce our culture to the world. That was my dream. Language and behavior are all important parts of our culture. Speaking as an actor born and raised in Japan, this is a good education for the younger generation of Japanese actors and filmmakers. I learned a lot from many great Japanese masters and now I have to give back to them. That is my mission as I get older. I wanted to look to the future.
It’s a very large scale production. What did you learn about building something of this scale?
I’m always amazed at the scale of the sets.But as an actor, I was really happy to be able to appear in the role. front A huge scale set. As a producer, I wanted to strike a good balance between scale and detail in the characters and Japanese culture. I learned a lot about how to balance scale and detail. That was the most important thing on the scene. It was a little difficult to understand each other, but we learned from each other and understood each other every day.
What attracted you to play Yoshi Toranaga at this point in your career?
