Special Interview with Takao Osawa: “I don’t like acting that much, as long as I can convey the true meaning of the work, that’s all that matters.
Starring in and producing his latest movie "Armada of Silence" What is the state of the art he has reached after 30 years of acting?
I really don’t like pressure.”
Although Osawa says that his day job is to be an actor, he seems to have a rather dry stance toward his own acting.
He says, “This may be misleading, but I actually don’t like acting that much. I still don’t know what a really good play is. I may think a scene is a smiley scene, but if the director says it’s a sad scene, that’s fine. Even if it’s my idea of the work, as long as the final result matches the true meaning of the work, it’s fine. In my latest work, “The Armada of Silence,” I play Shiro Kaieda, the immobile submarine captain who stands tall and imposing, but I restrained my movements on the director’s order. Before he told me to do so, I was ready to move (laughs).
After 30 years of acting, Osawa has been given more and more key roles, including that of General Wang Ki in the movie “Kingdom. In fact, he was sometimes told by the producer, “Your role is the most important to make this film work.
I really don’t like being under pressure. I really don’t like being under pressure. I sincerely think it is the worst (laughs). (Laughs.) But that’s the best and the worst of it. By challenging myself, I can create a work that everyone will be happy with. If it were easy for me to make something interesting, that would be better, of course. But it’s not that easy. That is my purpose in life and my bread and butter. Since my debut, I have always felt that it is my role to produce results as a business.
During the interview, Osawa’s dryness and flexibility surprised us when he casually stated, “If I had a job that was more fun and more profitable than acting, I would probably go there. However, when we open the door, we find that his films are always accompanied by tough challenges, such as a drastic body transformation of about 20 kg, and all-night shoots to ensure the best locations.
I can only act,” he says. I can’t write, I can’t do anything else. I have to walk on a precipice to make the audience happy. I don’t want people to think, “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here” as I take on new challenges. I’m sure they already think that (laughs). Even if conservative people don’t like it, it’s more fun to do something new.
Behind the scenes of a blockbuster film worth seeing, the dependability of a lightweight and flexible veteran actor may be indispensable.
