From Serious Roles to Comedy, Veteran Actor Koji Yamamoto Embraces Laughter in His 47-Year Career

Since then, he has appeared in numerous dramas, movies, and stage productions, solidifying his position as an actor. However, the characters he has portrayed have tended to be more cynical and dandy-like, with many quirky antagonistic roles. But recently, there has been an increase in roles that make audiences chuckle,

 

“Since he has often played cool roles in the past, many fans are surprised by this gap. In reality, he is extremely serious in his daily life. Yet, he has a natural charm that makes him amusing to watch. I wouldn’t say he’s completely unaffected, but I believe his unique qualities shine through,” (drama production producer).

Last year, Takeshi Kitano’s autobiographical novel “Asakusa Kid” was adapted into a stage play, and Yamamoto played Senzaburo Fukami, an Asakusa comedian who was Takeshi’s mentor. When asked about making people laugh in an interview with “T JAPAN” (distributed on October 14, ’23), he responded as follows.

 

“I’m not classified as a comedian actor, so I can’t speak much about laughter, but it’s often said that making people laugh is difficult, and I certainly agree with that sentiment. While making laugh and being laughed at are different, being laughed at can sometimes be a relief, and trying too hard to make people laugh can result in not being laughed at all.

When I portray a character, I don’t aim to make people laugh; instead, I focus on portraying things that I find amusing. Even if I fall flat, it feels more natural to me to portray things that I personally find funny.”

It’s clear that Yamamoto thoroughly enjoys the roles he plays. While he is often associated with comedy actors like Hidetoshi Nishijima, Muro Tsuyoshi, and Sadao Abe, it wouldn’t be surprising if Yamamoto soon joins their ranks.