Honami Suzuki says she enjoys villain roles and still approaches every performance as a newcomer

Taking on a wide range of challenges

“Thank you very much!”

A clear, lively voice echoed through the room. Contrary to her cool public image, actress Suzuki Honami (59) arrived at the interview location with light, energetic steps.

She made her leading debut in 1986 in the TBS drama “Onna Fūrin Kazan”, and this year marks her 40th year in the entertainment industry. While she boasts the career of a veteran, in recent years she has steadily expanded the range of her work and roles.

In last year’s drama “Private Banker” (TV Asahi), she played a naive dumpling shop owner who falls victim to investment fraud. In “Jinji no Hitomi” (Fuji TV), she portrayed an indecisive HR department head. In the ABEMA original drama “Scandal Eve”, she completely shifted gears, delivering a powerful performance as a villain. She played the president of a major talent agency trying to crush a small agency run by the protagonist (played by Ko Shibasaki) using any means necessary.

She also appears in the drama “Tōtai” (NHK BS), which begins airing on April 5. At the same time, she has been actively working on stage performances in recent years as well.

“About ten years ago, I started going to the theater more often and thought I’d like to try it myself. When I told people around me, ‘I want to do stage work,’ some replied, ‘I thought you didn’t like it.’ But I’ve never once said I disliked it—I just didn’t have many opportunities.

I realized that things in this industry are often shaped by image. So I thought, if that’s the case, I might as well actively say, ‘That’s not true,’ and break those assumptions.”

Continuing to express her passion for the stage, her new lead play “Ase ga Me ni Haitta Dake” opened on April 3. Starting in Tokyo, it tours five locations nationwide including Hiroshima, Osaka, Toyama, and Yamagata. It is a comedy set at a funeral, in which Suzuki plays the mother of a family who has become a ghost.

“With writer-director Tomisaka Yū (40), this is our second collaboration since ‘Tōhō Seisō – Usotsuki wa Seijika no Hajimari?’ in 2024. When the previous production ended, we talked about wanting to work together again, and that led to this new play.

A funeral is something everyone experiences, and I think it offers a lot of creative possibilities. There is also the famous film ‘The Funeral’ by Jūzō Itami (d. 64). I trust that anything Tomisaka writes will definitely be interesting.”

Suzuki has recently been taking on a wide variety of roles, giving the impression that she is becoming more and more free in her approach. When this is mentioned to her, she responds with an unexpected remark.

“I really like the word freedom. I want to aim for freedom. I was very happy that they thought of casting me as a villain in ‘Scandal Eve.’ It feels rewarding that people find my work interesting as I take on different roles one by one. I always try to give my full effort in response to such opportunities.”

Smiling with a hint of amusement as she says, “The villain role was fun too,” she recalls that she has loved television dramas since she was a child.

The era’s heroine

“I used to watch NHK morning dramas and the TBS daytime drama ‘Paora Television Novel’ a lot because of my mother’s influence. I especially loved and admired actress Kanako Higuchi (67), who appeared in the 1978 series ‘Korōgi Bridge’ in the Paora Television Novel.”

In her third year of high school, she applied for the Horipro Talent Scout Caravan and received a Special Jury Award out of approximately 120,000 applicants. However, she recalls that it was not a determined attempt with the firm resolve of “I will definitely enter the entertainment industry.”

“In my high school days, audition magazines were widely available and quite popular, so I applied rather casually. I never expected that I would pass and continue working in this field for so long. I also took university entrance exams, so it wasn’t something I pursued with a strong determination.”

However, when she received the news of her success, she decided to enter the entertainment industry while also enrolling in university. At first, she balanced her studies and acting career, but as her roles increased, she eventually had no choice but to leave university.

In 1991, at the age of 24, she starred in the Fuji TV Monday 9pm drama “Tokyo Love Story,” which became a massive hit with ratings exceeding 32%, turning into a social phenomenon. The following year she starred in “In the Name of Love,”and in 1994 in “The End of the World,” successively playing lead roles in Fuji TV dramas. At a time when television dramas strongly shaped society, she became a symbol of the era’s heroine.

“At that time, both cast and staff were mostly young, and there weren’t many barriers between us. It felt like a university club activity—we were all very lively. Unlike today, there were almost no studio shoots, and we went on location everywhere.

There was also a sense of momentum in the era: ‘Let’s try this,’ or ‘Maybe we can just do it.’ We would film until dawn and then have to report again at 8 a.m. the next morning with almost no sleep. We laugh about it now, saying we could never do that today (laughs).”

After that, she stepped away from acting for about 10 years, focusing on marriage and raising children. She reflects that those experiences outside of work gave her a greater sense of ease in life. In November last year, she even shared a surprising story at an event about being approached by a man in Nishi-Azabu.

“I was walking alone after dinner with a friend when a man in his 30s or 40s said to me, ‘Would you like to go have a drink?’ He was someone who had come from the countryside, and I thought it would be interesting to hear about his work and life.

I really wanted to go, but I said, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t have time.’ I had writing work I needed to do at home. If not for that, I think I would have been fine with just having one beer.”

Recently memorable book

Furthermore, during this year’s New Year holiday, she also attended the Hakone Ekiden—an annual tradition since her childhood—to watch it live. There, too, she discovered a new way to enjoy it.

“The family sitting next to us was energetically calling out the runners’ first names every time they passed. They told me, ‘If you call out the school name, it doesn’t stand out. But if you call their first name, they turn around like, “Huh?” so this strategy is great!’ So I joined in the excitement and before I knew it, I was shouting, ‘Hiroshi!’ at the runners (laughs).”

Suzuki, whose curiosity about people seems endless, leans forward and looks straight at the reporter as she continues.

“I was originally quite shy and not good at talking to people. But in work situations, that made it hard to get along with others quickly, and I found it constraining. So I thought it would be better to talk to all kinds of people instead.

For example, right now I’m being interviewed, and I find myself thinking, ‘Why did you become a writer?’, or ‘How did you end up working at a publishing company, and what do you find interesting about it?’ I think dramas can also be born from those kinds of questions.”

Her curiosity also shows during her commute.

“Recently, everyone is looking at their smartphones on the train, so when I see someone reading a book, it excites me. The other day, I saw a high school boy reading ‘No Longer Human’ by Osamu Dazai. I thought, wow, that’s great—keep it up (laughs). I really admired it.”

A book lover, she serves as the MC of the book review talk show “Ano Hon, Yomimashita?” (BS TV Tokyo), where authors and editors appear as guests.

“There are also assignments for the show, so I probably read over 100 books a year. I read before bed and even in the bath. The easiest time to read is during travel, so I always think, ‘I want to go somewhere far by bullet train or plane!’”

Among the books that recently left an impression on her was “YABUNONAKA—In the Thicket—” by Hitomi Kanehara (Bungeishunju). Like the drama “Scandal Eve” she appeared in, it deals with sexual violence.

“This novel doesn’t just focus on the act itself, but portrays how people in different positions perceive the issue. ‘Scandal Eve’ was similar in that sense—it’s not just about what actually happened, but how people around it interpret it, distort it, and how that affects what gets reported.

I thought Kanehara-san is amazing because she gives clear language to emotions that are usually hard to explain—feelings we tend to vaguely think of as something like this. By putting them into words, they can be communicated to others and also reconsidered within yourself. Nowadays, everything gets reduced to short, simplistic statements on social media, and people just go along with them, which I think is dangerous.”

Having spent 40 years in the entertainment industry, what does she envision for her next goal?

“First of all, I don’t really feel like it’s my 40th anniversary. I took about a 10-year break in the middle, after all. Rather, I always feel like I’m a complete beginner in every job. I don’t think anything I come up with on my own is that significant—there are many people who know new things or come up with interesting ideas. I try to keep training my physical stamina and imagination so that those kinds of people will want to work with me.”

From a veteran actress comes an unexpected declaration of being a newcomer. Yet her presence only continues to deepen in maturity.

Extreme Situation Comedy (kcal)
“Ase ga Me ni Haitta Dake” (“Just Got Sweat in My Eye”)

Script & direction: Tomisaka Yū (Agarisk Entertainment)

Cast: Suzuki Honami, Adachi Rika, Ogōe Yūki, Nishino Sōjin (Cocorico Chiki Chiki Peppers), Ranjū Tōmu, Tanaka Yōji, and others

Tokyo: April 3 (Fri) – April 19 (Sun), 2026 / IMM THEATER
Hiroshima: April 22 (Wed) – April 23 (Thu), 2026 / Ueno Gakuen (Hiroshima Prefectural Arts and Culture Hall)
Osaka: May 2 (Sat) – May 3 (Sun), 2026 / Umeda Arts Theater, Theater Drama City
Toyama: May 16 (Sat) – May 17 (Sun), 2026 / Tonami City Cultural Hall, Main Hall
Yamagata: May 23 (Sat) – May 24 (Sun), 2026 / Yamagin Prefectural Hall

Official website: http://www.asegameni.jp/

From “FRIDAY” April 10, 2026 issue