Radio Interview
16 Feb 2004
Official site
(Sorry for my poor English, I try my best to do the translation. Hope you enjoy. You can see how Ken see his career in Hollywood. A very good interview.)
MC: Congratulations! You have been nominated in Oscar Award.
Ken: Thank you. But indeed I still do not have much feeling on that at this moment. When I know that I was nominated in Golden Globe Award, I was so excited. When I arrived there, I found, Oh my god, it is so great. You can so many Hollywood big stars there.
Of course I have been invited to attend the Japan Oscar too, but you know, there are some differences. In the real Oscar, those big Hollywood stars, whom you could found them on the screen in theatre, you can see them in real, face to face. Oh no, they are standing and sitting next to you actually.
So I think, when the Oscar comes, my heart beat will goes faster. But now, I still do not have such a feeling.
MC: So do you think you are going to be invited to act in Hollywood movies more and more often after that?
Ken: Um�Knot as many as expected, I think. But I have a feeling, like I am now squeezing myself into it through a small gap. Now I am thinking of taking Hollywood movies one by one, try to expand this gap little by little. Everything goes on step by step.
Therefore, it is a big opportunity to me. A really big one. You can say, it is an ��One Try��. I have to treat it with a special mind and it is having a great meaning to me.
MC: You have beard, for the character in Suna no Utsuwa. It made you looks more man and brave.
Ken: Please don��t say that. Maybe you all look at me with a filter (tone like making a joke), indeed I have nothing changes at all.
Of course, actor is like a living thing, and has to keep on changing. But to me, I would rather like to take a step forward everyday, and therefore I have not got the feeling of changing a lot at one time.
MC: We have been knowing each other for 20 years. It impressed me so much.
Ken: Yes. We know each other when we were very young. For those who watch me since I was young, or since NHK, those who had helped me in my career, when they watched ��The Last Samurai��, they would have a different feeling. When they see me showing in the big screen, they will cry (laugh).
MC: After passing through the very hard time, did it affect your acting career?
Ken: Yes. Like what I am saying just now, actor is a kind of living thing and keeps on changing. So, what you have been gone through in your life, what you think, will be expressed in your acting through the character you are acting. Even though, those thing has not been written in the script. So the life is not useless. Of course, I don��t think there is anyone who have such a high and low life as mine (laugh).
MC: Even though you had some difficult time in your life, you changed it into energy and power. It is so sexy!
Ken: (a big laugh) I should work harder, or I will become an old man.
MC: Then it will be no more sexy�K!
MC: Comment to Suna no Utsuwa is very good.
Ken: At that time I think, after doing such a big movie (The Last Samurai), it is time for me to go back to have a TV drama. When I was back, at the filming of the TV drama, I have I kind of fear. I have to work hard on it, or any weakness will be shown on TV, without a shade. So at the first day of filming, I found that I have to do it seriously. And of course, the story itself has the power to made me serious facing it. It is a very great story, and over 30 years, 40 years, it still have to power in it.
MC: You get into the outdoor filming right after your back from Golden Globe Award?
Ken: Yes. I took off from Narita Airport and rushed to the outdoor filming location at once. Since the TV drama is shown on TV an episode a week, the crew allows me to take a vacation to US for a week for the Golden Globe Award. So the schedule is very tight. Before getting to US, I have to manage well of my health, my mind, my emotion. So everything is good.
MC: So you have prepared some episodes before you went to US.
Ken: Not much, just enough not to leave blank and keep showing it every week.
MC: So you do not really completed a few episodes in advance?
Ken: No actually. We are now filming the next episode (laugh). Indeed we have watched the episode this week, and then decide what should be next. So it is quite like some live performance. Like following the case week by week. Every week, I have meeting with Director and the crew, like investigating.
There are two awards coming. One is the SAG Award, in which actors vote for actors. And the other is the Oscar. I cannot stay for the whole period in US. I think I have to stay in US for two separate times. So I must have to do the filming of the TV drama in advance.
MC: So physically�KOK?
Ken: Everything is under schedule. So I found that when I am in Japan, working hard, but in joy.
MC: So you are really getting into Hollywood, ah?
Ken: I am a Japanese, it is a fact. To certain extend, it is very important to me. Maybe I was invited to do some Hollywood film, under the identity that I am a Japanese. I have no idea if it is an advantage or not, but it is not going to be changed. I have no idea what characters I am going to act in the coming future, maybe some Arabians? Asians? But at this moment, I will rather like to stay at my identity, a Japanese.
MC: Is there any character you will quite expect to act?
Ken: I do not have that expectation. When I was invited to do some movie, I will say, ��that��s the story, that��s good��. I will not try to limit my mind on that, I think it will give myself more freedom. And always I found that it will be more interesting, and something good will come out, even though you may not have well planned beforehand. I found that I started to lose my director after 40, but I am very happy about that.
I am well prepared to do something surprise, some characters that people will say,�� What? He is doing this character?�� Standing in front of people, in a surprising character.
MC: Thank you so much, for accepting my invitation to do this interview. Expect your active performance on the big screen.
Ken: Thank you. If you won��t mind, please do invite me again to your programme.