TV Producer Reveals Unexpected True Faces of Celebrities From Superstar Finger Snap Moments to Eccentric Comedians

“Actress Hana Sugisaki (28), who played the lead in the January drama ‘Fuyu no Nanka sa, Haru no Nanka ne’ (Nippon TV), was truly a wonderful person even when the cameras weren’t rolling,” said a staff member who was present on set during a certain program appearance.

Even though she was extremely busy with drama filming, we heard she would be appearing on the program, and the atmosphere on set was a bit tense. We were told her schedule was very tight, so to be honest, there was a sense that she might not have much leeway.

But as soon as Sugisaki-san arrived on set, she looked around and politely greeted everyone—cast members as well as each individual staff member—saying, “Please take care of me.” Her smile immediately eased the tension that had filled the set moments before. Rather than forcing herself to appear cheerful, she was completely natural. Before we knew it, she had brightened the entire atmosphere on set. I realized that when someone like that is present, the environment naturally becomes a better place to work. After that, all the staff said they had become fans of hers.

There was also an episode involving a well-known superstar.

“On a variety show, we had Takuya Kimura (53) and a famous actress Ms. M appear. The recording ended without issue, and while the performers were returning to their dressing rooms, Kimura-san was chatting with staff in the hallway. As Ms. M passed by, saying, ‘Good work, everyone~,’ Kimura-san snapped his fingers and said, ‘○○, good work!’ calling the actress by her first name.

Actions and words that would seem pretentious if anyone else did them become like a scene from a drama when Kimura-san does them! I was impressed, thinking, ‘Kimutaku is Kimutaku even behind the scenes.’”

On the other hand, it is pointed out that comedian duo member H shows a side that is very different from their public image.

“When talents or comedians appear on programs, stylists generally prepare their outfits, but in rare cases some bring their own dedicated stylist. H is one of those people, and their personal stylist arrives about an hour earlier than they do every time to prepare the clothing.

However, H often does not like the clothes that are prepared. Even though it is their dedicated stylist who should understand their preferences, I have seen many instances where the outfits are rejected. In the end, H often chooses clothes they brought themselves, so I sometimes feel sorry for the stylist and think, ‘Maybe they don’t even need a stylist?’

That said, there is nothing necessarily wrong with that. It may depend on their mood or the coordination with other performers’ outfits. However, when observing H’s behavior, it did make me feel that there were moments where they seemed a bit ‘deluded’ into thinking they were a popular actor or something like that. Since they have a domestic, friendly image and many female fans, it was even more disappointing.”

An unexpected side is also said to be shared by a veteran in the industry. Top entertainer A, who has served as MC for numerous programs, also reportedly has a behind-the-scenes personality not seen on television.

“In a long-running live broadcast program hosted by A, it has become customary for not only the performers but also the announcers to go to A’s dressing room after the show to greet him. However, there was a time when a female announcer in charge could not do so due to her next job. A became furious and, before the following week’s broadcast, summoned the announcer to his dressing room and gave her a very harsh scolding.

To be honest, everyone present knew the announcer was not at fault—but since no one could say anything to A, we could only watch silently and felt very sorry. While A is popular as a veteran character, behind the scenes he feels like an unpleasant veteran.”

In the entertainment industry, image is crucial for popularity. However, it may be precisely when the cameras are off that a talent’s true character is tested.