The “Surprising Secret” of the Iranian Man Who Played the Part of a Gong in a Re-enactment Drama

When I was asked to play the role of Mr. Ghosn, I was extremely surprised. I felt a strange connection.

Among the many New Year’s specials this year, Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV) will broadcast a four-hour program of Masahiro Nakai and Tsurube Shofukutei’s popular variety show “The! The World’s Greatest News. World’s Greatest News. The drama depicted the fugitive Carlos Ghosn (67) who fled the country at the end of 2007, and was well received.

The role of Ghosn in the drama was played by Meldate Merabee, 60, an Iranian who runs a Persian carpet store in Higashi-Azabu (Minato-ku), Tokyo. Ms. Merabee recalls how she was cast in the role.

In addition to selling Persian carpets, I also belong to an entertainment agency as a foreign talent. Around November of last year, I received a call from the agency saying, ‘I sent in my application for an audition for a reenactment drama, and I got the part of Mr. Ghosn.

However, behind the scenes of this casting, there was a coincidence that NTV did not know about. But behind this casting, there was a coincidence that NTV did not know about.

I met Mr. Ghosn when he came to my store almost 20 years ago. I’ve met him many times since then. When I met him while he was out on bail, Mr. Ghosn laughed and said, ‘I’m at home all the time, so I have nothing to do but work out. In fact, he had some health equipment in his house (laughs). I was completely unaware that he was planning to escape. However, two or three months before my escape, my secretary consulted me, saying, “I want to sell about 30 carpets. I remember thinking that it was strange that he suddenly wanted to sell his favorite carpets.

After his escape, Mr. Merabee helped Ghosn dispose of his household goods at his mansion in Minato Ward, Tokyo.

There were three days of filming for the reenactment in early December. During the break, I told them that I knew Mr. Ghosn, but none of the staff showed any interest, probably because they were busy (laughs).

The reenactment included various highlights of the escape, such as the scene in the sound case, but what caught my attention more than anything else was the expression on the face of the Gorn played by Ms. Melaby. The sternness of the Gorn character was skillfully expressed. The fact that Ms. Melaby was actually a long-time acquaintance of Mr. Gong was probably the reason why she was able to create an atmosphere that was so similar to his.

From the January 28, 2022 issue of FRIDAY