Teruyuki Kagawa’s absence puts “unexpected actors’ names in the limelight”

Teruyuki Kagawa (56) was forced to drop out of regular TV programs and commercials following reports of sexual assault against a hostess at a Ginza club. He was scheduled to appear in the October drama “Atom no Ko” (TBS), but Odagiri Joe (46) was cast in his place.

Atom no Kodomo” is a Sunday drama in TBS’s signature slot. Kagawa’s role was that of the president of an Internet search service company who antagonizes the main character played by Kento Yamazaki (28), but since filming had already begun, the film had to be reshot.

The movie in which she starred, “Miyamatsu and Yamashita,” had already been shot and will be released in mid-November as scheduled, but it will be difficult for her to appear in a terrestrial drama that strongly reflects the wishes of the sponsors for some time to come.

In response to the news of Kagawa’s scandal, some entertainment agencies conducted physical examinations of their talent.

When Yoshikazu Azumaya, 51, a member of the House of Councilors, a.k.a. “Garcy,” an exposé-style YouTube star, came out, he was also subjected to a physical examination, and now he is being told once again to “be careful about his private behavior. He also warned the public to “be careful about your private life” and “stay away from celebrities with bad rumors.

The launch event that was held after the crank-up of the drama was canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis, but many offices are hoping that the launch event will be canceled even after the COVID-19 crisis is resolved. Actors and celebrities get to know each other at the launch,” said a senior executive of an entertainment company.

Kagawa is a great actor who is unrivaled when it comes to playing villains, so one might think that his absence would be a great loss for the drama industry.

If filming hasn’t started, he won’t be paid, so we can quietly change the cast. Ms. Kagawa is a main cast member, so she won’t have to work on more than one production. It would be more painful for the production site if a scandal broke out involving a by-actor such as Hoka Kinoshita (58), for whom multiple appearances are not uncommon.

In fact, a producer at a key station believes that the “Kagawa shock “ will “give a boost to talented actors.

Sponsors tend to avoid actors who are not well known even if they are talented, so they tend to cast the same actors, such as Teruyuki Kagawa, who plays the villain in the series. With Kagawa’s exit, the spotlight now has a chance to shine on the talented actors who have supported the drama in the supporting roles.

W. Hashimoto is now being mentioned as a possible post-Kagawa replacement. Jun Hashimoto (58), a member of Gekidan Shinkansen, and Satoshi Hashimoto (56), a former member of the same troupe. Matsuya Onoe (37), who is currently playing the role of the boss of a semi-gangster group in “Dear Me, With Intent to Kill” (Fuji TV), is also gaining presence among Kagawa’s fellow kabuki actors.

Will Kagawa continue to disappear?

It is reported that he will return as Ichikawa Chuguruma at the December performance of Ichikawa Ebizo’s (44) Ichikawa Danjuro XIII Shirasaru. Since “Miyamatsu and Yamashita,” the film in which he starred, received high acclaim at overseas film festivals, Netflix and other overseas There may be offers from Netflix and other overseas media that will distribute the film.

A documentary on Kagawa’s recovery might be more interesting than a bad TV drama.

(From “FRIDAY” October 28/November 4 issue)