Suzu Hirose’s Evolution: From Adorable “Suzu-chan” to Versatile Actress
Alaska Women’s Self-Defeat
The following year, she landed her first solo lead role in the film Chihayafuru: Kami no Ku, released in 2016, and won the Best Leading Actress Award at the 40th Japan Academy Prize. That same year, she also won the Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in Ikari, achieving a rare double win. Additionally, she received the Élan d’Or Award for Newcomer of the Year, given to the most outstanding and promising actor of the year, demonstrating her talent as an actress early on.
In 2018, she served as the host for the Red Team in the “69th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen,” and in the first half of 2019, she was cast as the lead in NHK’s morning drama series “Natsuzora.” As her popularity grew, she received more commercial offers, earning the title of “CM Queen” in both 2015 and 2020. Her transformation can also be observed through her commercials.
“The ‘Mitsui no Suzu-chan’ commercial, which has been airing since 2022, deliberately highlighted the ‘cute Suzu Hirose’ image. However, in the ‘Money Doctor’ commercial that started airing last year, she plays the role of a high school coach with a self-deprecating touch, which has been well received. Hirose is now entering her late twenties and is gradually shedding her cute image,” said a broadcast writer.
This year, Hirose is starring in three films, including “Kataomoi Sekai,” and in the TBS drama “Kujaku no Dance, Dare ga Mita?,” which began airing on January 24. She plays the protagonist, Kokomugi, who seeks the truth behind her father’s murder. After watching the first episode, viewers praised her performance, saying, “Hirose fits the role perfectly. Her acting range is truly impressive,” and “Her vitality and skill as an actress are astonishing.” She has taken on serious roles, leaving no trace of the ‘cute Suzu-chan’ image.
In an interview with Real Sound (published on March 31, 2023), when asked, “You often play characters who carry some kind of burden, don’t you?” she responded:
“I even wonder myself, ‘Why do I get these roles so often?’ (laughs). When I was in my teens, I played a lot of energetic roles, but those actually took more physical effort.”
