Kenichi Endo: “Before I knew it, I lost my resistance.

It’s okay to expose your clunky self.

I think that people who take on a variety of roles are called “good players,” but I myself don’t really know what that means. However, I think that a “great by-player” is, to some extent, a compliment when the “name” is added (laughs). I’m happier when people call me a ″seasonal actor″ though.”

Actor Kenichi Endo (64) opened his mouth with a bit of embarrassment. He has played a wide range of roles, from strong-headed roles to unique characters, and before he knew it, he had become synonymous with being a “by-player. Endo, who made his TV debut in 1983 with the drama “Mibu no Koiga” (NHK), has had a career spanning more than 40 years, and while he has supported productions as a supporting actor, he has also made his presence felt in numerous productions as a leading actor. Although it seems like smooth sailing now, he recalls that he faced many conflicts.

He says, “The turning point in my career came when I was 45 years old, when I set up my own private agency. My wife became my manager, which was a big deal. Until then, I had been working mainly in V-Cine, doing chivalric dramas. Actually, I did a lot of cross-dressing and very erotic scenes during my V-Cine days.

But my wife suggested that I broaden my range of expression, so I started appearing in variety shows. I thought, “I don’t have the ability to make people laugh. ……,” so at first we fought a lot about whether or not to appear on the show (laughs). But once I realized that it was okay to expose my clunky self, before I knew it, I lost my resistance.

Once the real Kenichi Endo became familiar to people, the scope of his work expanded dramatically.

Endo used to be known as a “tough-looking actor” who excelled at playing the role of a criminal or a vicious criminal, but in recent years, his “humorous and monstrous performances” have been attracting attention. In the movie “Jigoku no Hanazono,” released in 2009, he played an office worker wearing fishnet tights and garters, and in the drama “Tamio R” (TV Asahi), in which he starred in 2012, he played a pregnant woman and a 5-year-old preschooler. In the popular TV drama series “Doctor X” (TV Asahi), she became a goat and munched on a piece of paper.

Do you ever wonder if you can go this far?　Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. It depends on the person. It depends on the person I’m talking to. For example, in the case of “Doctor X,” Toshiyuki Nishida (76 years old), who played the other character, played around with his role and pulled out all kinds of emotions, so it turned out like eating paper. Sometimes it’s not just the co-stars, but the director pulls them out, and sometimes it’s just a case of imagination and doing something funny at the script-reading stage.”

The most humorous and mysterious actor in the entertainment industry continues to fascinate viewers with his exquisitely salted acting skills.

In the October 10 issue of “FRIDAY October 24/31” and the paid version of “FRIDAY GOLD,” he talks candidly about his 8-year “sobriety” episode this year and his activities as a cooking video distributor.

From the October 24 and 31, 2025 combined issue of “FRIDAY