Full Text] Kumiko Endo: “I was saved by a word from Kenichi Hagiwara” – Until she realized the fun of acting.

Acting

In the home, we can discuss, ‘How should I feel about saying the lines in this scene? The director and actors usually only discuss this on the set. I am grateful to be able to talk with my husband about the role, regardless of the time or place.

My character is one of the proprietresses of a guest house that hosts the sisters. In fact, the two women who jointly run the inn are also sisters (Endo plays the younger sister). When the young sisters, guests with spiky hearts, wake up late, they greet them with ‘osoyo’ and accept them warmly. What I was conscious of was to become the landlady and be able to sympathize with the two young sisters who are also struggling with their way of life as sisters. But there is no right answer to the play. It is difficult to give a convincing performance.

From the always energetic “Enkumi,” Endo has grown into an actor who can play a wide range of roles. He says that even as a child, he had a strong yearning to act.

I want to be an announcer or a voice actor.

He wrote in his elementary school graduation book, “I want to be an announcer or a voice actor.

I was inspired by the voice actor Tarako from the anime “Chibi Maruko-chan. I thought it was amazing that she could express Maruko’s anger and sadness with just her voice. I thought.

In junior high and high school, Endo was passionate about basketball, but a turning point came when she was a freshman in high school.

I was working part-time at a fast food restaurant. One day, a friend of my sister’s, who was five years older than me, came in for a hamburger and was in the entertainment business. For some reason, she took a strong interest in me and said, ‘I’ll introduce you (to an office), why don’t you give it a try?’ I was scouted by her. I was encouraged to participate in the audition, and I took it lightly, saying, ‘I’ll go for it,’ and it just happened to be a McDonald’s commercial.

Please let us work together again.

What made Endo famous was the McDonald’s commercial “Certificate Photo” aired in 1995. When Endo enters a private room to have his picture taken, he leaves the fries he bought at McDonald’s with his friends. The friends ask, “Can I have a shake? The short-cut beautiful girl Endo’s expression of confusion as she says “Sure” was well received by viewers.

At the time, I had no acting experience. I didn’t know how to say ‘okay. It didn’t go well, and I went home and cried after the shoot. But when I saw the finished commercial, I was hooked. The expression on my face as I said ‘okay’ in confusion, not understanding what was going on, fit the role of the confused girl perfectly.

This was shortly after she entered the entertainment industry. Endo has a phrase that he still remembers to this day.

The president of my agency at the time said to me, ‘Do whatever you want. Do whatever you want. If you fail, I will get down on my knees and apologize to you. I should not make the boss get down on his knees. I remember feeling strongly that I should work hard.

I was 17 years old when I made my first appearance in a TV drama. It was “Kikan Funeral Director” (TBS), which aired in 1996.

I played the role of Kenichi Hagiwara’s daughter, but I made a lot of mistakes. For example, there was a scene in which she and Mr. Hagiwara argued, but I couldn’t act well because I had never actually fought with my father. It was difficult to get an OK, so the assistant director spent two hours in another room coaching me. I felt sorry and pitiful for stopping the shooting. …… What saved me was a word from Mr. Hagiwara. When filming resumed, he said, “It’s better than before. …… It was a casual remark, but it made me feel better when I was on the verge of losing my confidence.
Mr. Hagiwara’s attitude was very inspiring. He is a veteran actor, so he has a private dressing room, but even when he is waiting for his turn, he stays in the studio to study the lines, look at the set, and study the movements. I was exposed to the way of life of a professional actor, and at the end of the show, he said, “Please let me perform with you again someday. I remember saying to him, ‘Please let me perform with you again someday, and I will come back as a grown-up. Unfortunately, he passed away in March ’19, and we didn’t get to work together again.

Endo’s struggles continued into his 20s. I couldn’t give shape to the play I had in my head. Even when he thought his performance went well, when he actually watched the broadcast, he found himself thinking, “Oh, no, that’s not it.

I once asked Masatoshi Nakamura, who co-starred with me in “Father Detective” (a TV Asahi drama series broadcast in 2001), about this. I asked him if he was ever satisfied with his performance. Masatoshi replied, “No, I am not. I think you continue to do it because you are not satisfied with it. At the time, I thought he was being modest, but now I understand the weight of his words.

What I noticed on stage

On the other hand, Endo also gained popularity in variety shows. He was also popular in “Ucchan Nanchan no Urinali! (Nippon Television Network Corporation) and “Popular! (TV Asahi), Endo’s natural character, teased by Masanori Hamada of “Downtown” and others, became popular.

In variety shows, I was decorated by professional comedians who told me I was funny. I myself had no unusual episodes or skillful storytelling skills to please the audience. I had little or no experience in love. The director often told me, “Please make me like you did back then,” but the me of “back then” was a character brought out by comedy professionals.
It seems that the office at the time wanted me to host a variety show like Masami Kumoto. However, I did not have the ability to draw out the charm of a large number of performers with my talk. It was thanks to the comedians that I was able to enjoy working in variety shows.”

In 2002, she took on the challenge of her first stage performance, “The Moldy Man with the Bells of Dublin. This play was the beginning of his career on the stage.

It was on this stage that I thought, ‘Theatre is really interesting! It was this play that made me think, “Theatre is really interesting! It was a fresh experience for me to see actors and directors sharing their opinions and working together to create a piece of work. It was also exciting to see the reactions of the audience directly in the theater. My performance made them cry and laugh right in front of me. …… Since then, I have been conscious of the audience on the other side of the camera in my dramas.

However, Endo is not satisfied with her acting even today, as she stated earlier.

Even the line “Thank you” can be said in different ways depending on what kind of person you are talking to and what kind of situation you are in. There is no single correct answer. I may never be satisfied with my acting. But I think that is why I can continue to act.”

Enkumi’s career has not stopped growing, but her smile has remained the same.

From the June 5 and 12, 2026 issue of FRIDAY