Actress Ririka Fukui, who appears in NHK dramas, is a topic of conversation for her powerful body… The unexpected thing she brought to bed with her to study acting.

Selected for the lead role at her first audition.

Ririka Fukui, 19, a rookie actress who made her debut in the entertainment industry with the TV drama “High School Diary” and also appeared in “Oichi Fushigi Gatari” (both on NHK), which aired from September 1 to October 20, makes her first appearance in FRIDAY’s gravure section!　Here is a special interview full of freshness.

–I had a part-time job when I was in high school.

I got it from a confectionery shop in my hometown in Gifu Prefecture, where I worked part-time when I was in high school. Please enjoy it with everyone!

–Thank you very much. How was today’s shoot?

It was my second gravure shoot, and I think I got used to it a little bit, and was able to do the required expressions and poses a little better. When we were shooting the cheki for the present, I worked with the stylist on the poses and imitated a monkey from Gifu (laughs).

–When did you come to Tokyo?

I came to Tokyo from Gifu in February of this year. Before that, I had commuted from Gifu to Tokyo by bullet train to study acting, but one thing surprised me when I came to live in Tokyo: ……. We often meet up early in the morning, like today, and there are too many pigeons in Shibuya (laughs).

–How did you get started in the entertainment industry?

There was an audition for NHK’s drama “High School Diary” that was open to the public, and I passed the audition. I took the plunge and applied, and I was really surprised to suddenly be cast as the main character.

–Were you always interested in acting?

I saw “Mama’s Gone Tomorrow” (’14), in which Aina Ashida appeared, and I began to think that acting sounded like fun. One film that left a particularly strong impression on me was “Omotesando High School Chorus Club” (’15) with Kyoko Yoshine. (’15). Ever since I was in junior high school, I loved chorus singing where everyone was aiming for the same goal, and this drama embodied the adolescence I felt at that time.

Referring to Yuno Ohara’s gravure

–You also appeared in the BS period drama “Oichi-Wonderful Story”. What were some of the difficulties in acting?

Since it was a period drama, there were a lot of real difficulties. First of all, the wig was heavy and heavy ……. I didn’t know how to wear a kimono or how to act. I had my parents send me kimonos so that I could get used to living in them, and I tried to spend as much time as possible in them when I was at home.

–You must be a very hard worker. Is there anything you worked as hard on for the photogravure shoot as you did for the play?

First of all, I went to Pilates twice a week and revised my diet so that my body would look beautiful. I also studied Yuno Ohara’s photogravure and videos. For example, I bought “FRIDAY” for the first time!　It was a little embarrassing (laughs).

–I was a little embarrassed, but I was also impressed by the fact that I never looked at the pictures of myself that were taken during the shoot.

I was a little embarrassed, but I try not to look at the finished product, whether it is for a play or a photogravure shoot. Rather than thinking to myself, “I thought the acting was good here,” or “the facial expression was natural,” I try to focus on what the people around me thought of the photos. I always want to value objective evaluations more than subjective ones.

–What would you like to do in the future in terms of acting and gravure?

Anyway, I would like to meet and learn from many people. In gravure, I would like to go abroad. I would like to go to Taiwan, because the food looks delicious there!

▼Profile

Rika Fukuiririka was born in Gifu Prefecture in 2005. She made her debut as an actress after passing an audition for the drama “High School Diary: Kimi to Tsukuru Seishun” (NHK), and also appeared in the NHK BS period drama “Oichi Fushigi Gatari” that aired until October 20.

Click here for Ririka Fukui’s gravure and movie