Hiroyuki Sanada Recognized with 18 Awards for His Exceptional Humanity

Support from senior colleague Kaori Momoi.

After Sanada’s award, Kaori Momoi (73), who is also based in Los Angeles, updated her Instagram. She wrote, “Sanada’s achievement, who has been working diligently and fairly since he was young and even after coming to LA, was a ceremony that brought tears to my eyes.”

Momoi, who appeared in the Hollywood film “SAYURI” released in 2005, joined the Screen Actors Guild (now SAG-AFTRA) in 2006. Since then, she has been working based in Los Angeles, but she revealed on the Fuji TV talk show “Talking Fruits,” hosted by Ichiro Furuta (69), on July 4, 2017, that she received significant support from Sanada after moving to the U.S.

Momoi explained her reason for moving to the U.S., saying, “I had no opportunities. I gradually ended up in the same roles.” She revealed that she was at a turning point in her acting career. Regarding her life after moving, she confessed, “I take the bus to get around, but there are quite a few people in there who have retired from life or are struggling to make ends meet. The first friend I made was someone I met there.”

She continued, “I was renting an apartment next to a rehabilitation facility, and Sanada (Hiroyuki) would often tell me, ‘Please stop, senpai.’ Later, he helped me find a new place, and my life got back on track.” It seems Sanada couldn’t overlook the fact that his senior in the Japanese entertainment industry, Momoi, was in an environment that made it difficult for her to remain positive about her work (an entertainment reporter).

Sanada was also active as a leading actor in Japan. After moving to the U.S., he received numerous film awards for his starring roles in films such as “The Twilight Samurai” (2002) and “The Last Princess” (2005). At one award ceremony celebration, there was a moment like this:

“While celebrating his own award, he expressed gratitude, saying something along the lines of, ‘I appreciate how well the organizers have done this.’ He did not forget to show consideration for the efforts of the organizers. People from the film industry were moved by this. It’s not often that you come across an actor who can express such thoughts so casually” (a film reporter).

It seems that his consideration for those around him and his humility allowed him to achieve this remarkable feat after a long journey.

 

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