Suzu Hirose’s Evolution: From Adorable “Suzu-chan” to Versatile Actress

I’m hungry as an actress.

Hungry as an actress

“If I’m told to smile when I don’t actually feel that way, it’s difficult, isn’t it? Maintaining that expression can be surprisingly hard, too. I think it’s probably easier for me to portray someone falling into despair. In fact, I’m more drawn to those kinds of roles and feel like I want to play them. I don’t really know why myself (laughs). But if a work has even one such theme, I find it interesting to perform, so I enjoy it.”

A veteran film journalist comments:

“There’s a perception that she has recently started taking on serious roles, but that’s not the case. In the 2016 film ‘Ikari’ (‘Rage’), she played a character who was raped by an American soldier. In the 2017 film ‘Sandome no Satsujin’ (‘The Third Murder’), she portrayed a daughter who suffered sexual abuse from her biological father. In the 2022 film ‘Rurou no Tsuki’ (‘The Wandering Moon’), she played a woman who had been kidnapped as a child at the age of ten, with scenes depicting her suffering domestic violence from her boyfriend. These were all incredibly challenging roles, but her performances were outstanding. When I learned that she had taken on a role involving rape, I realized she was fully committed to being an actress. She had truly steeled herself.

When it comes to acting, it’s no coincidence that she has won numerous film awards. However, lately, perhaps out of a stronger desire not to be seen only as cute, she has been taking on mostly serious roles. That said, I’m sure many fans still want to see the cute Hirose. In that regard, director Hirokazu Kore-eda, who is working with her for the third time in ‘Ashura no Gotoku,’ brings out her full potential. We may see yet another side of Suzu Hirose.”

With the day she is recognized as a true powerhouse actress fast approaching, we cannot take our eyes off her.