Rina Miura is currently starring in “Maiko-sanchi no Makanaisan”! Rina Miura, the next generation actress whom the “Kore-eda of the world” fell in love with, talks about her ambitions.

After the acting audition, I was alone in the waiting room when director Hirokazu Kore-eda took the trouble to come and talk to me. But at the time, I was filled with frustration at not being able to live up to his expectations, and when I saw his face, I burst into tears. Every time I told myself, ‘No, I can’t do that because it will bother the director,’ I couldn’t stop crying again. ……

Actress Rina Miura (19) recalls her audition for the Netflix drama “Maiko-sanchi no Makanai-san,” which is currently in theaters.

The film stars Nana Mori, Natsuki Deguchi, Keiko Matsuzaka, Takako Tokiwa, Ai Hashimoto, and Maayu Matsuoka, among other eminent actresses. Among these actresses, it was 17-year-old Miura who Director Kore-eda saw as a “diamond in the rough.

Miura recalls, “It was two years ago in the fall that I was asked to audition for the role. However, I was so nervous, partly because I was a fan of the director, that I couldn’t remember most of what he said, and I didn’t do well at all. I couldn’t give a convincing performance at the second audition either, so I went back to the waiting room feeling bothered.

The first part of this story takes place just as she was about to give her performance. As she sobbed, Kore-eda walked her to the elevator.

I couldn’t stop crying for a long time after getting off the elevator. Of course, I had given up on the audition.

But the result was unexpected: she passed. In fact, Kore-eda himself even “guessed” the role of a native of Shiga Prefecture, the same prefecture as the actress. It was truly an enthusiastic offer.

When I heard the news, my mind went blank. I was so shocked that I didn’t even read the original manga. That’s why I was so confused.

Although he was unable to grasp the situation, the shooting proceeded in a friendly atmosphere from start to finish.

We talked about games and manga with Maayu Matsuoka and Ai Hashimoto, and also had a lot of fun talking about love. They talked to me about a lot of things, so it was a fun scene.

Miura’s introduction to the entertainment world came at the 41st annual HORIPRO Talent Scout Caravan in 2004.

When I was in the first year of junior high school, I went on a trip to Tokyo with my parents. I was walking down Takeshita Street in Harajuku when I was approached. My father and mother were delighted, but I didn’t know anything about the entertainment industry, so my honest reaction was, ‘What’s an agency? (laugh).

That year, on the advice of my parents, I applied for the Scout Caravan. She was successful and won the judges’ special award.

I wasn’t nervous at all on the day. I don’t know what was going on anymore, and all I remember is laughing the whole time. I probably looked like an idiot (laughs). But when I was told that I had won the Special Jury Prize, I felt really frustrated, thinking, ‘I didn’t win the Grand Prix.

Using that frustration as a springboard, she has continued to make rapid progress since her debut. She also appeared in “Memory Investigation 2” (TV Tokyo) and the popular “True Criminal Flag” (NTV). In December of last year, she quickly distinguished herself by becoming the “8th Okekawon” character in Keihan Holdings’ campaign to attract more passengers.

Miura turned 19 this January. She is now aiming for an action role.

She says, “I have loved to move my body since I was a child, and I was in the track team in junior high school. Perhaps because of that, I have always watched a lot of action films. In particular, Haruka Ayase in the drama series “The Wife Must Be Taken Care of” was really cool, and I watched it over and over again. I wanted to become an actress who could do action scenes like her. In my private life, my goal is to get a car license while I am still a teenager. Actually, I wanted to try drifting. …… Maybe that’s also because I love action (laughs).

The day when we can see her behind the wheel of a car in an action movie is surely near.

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Rina Miura was born in January 2004 in Shiga Prefecture. She made her debut in the entertainment industry in 2004 when she won the judges’ special award at the 41st “HORIPRO Talent Scout Caravan. Currently appearing in “Maiko-san-chi no Makanai-san” on Netflix.

From the February 9, 2023 issue of FRIDAY