Hiroyuki Sanada Gets His Day in the Sun

By Noriko Nakamura, Asahi Weekly

活動の幅を海外へ広げる日本俳優陣の中にあって、独特の強い存在感を放つ真田広之。現在公開中の映画『サンシャイン 2057』にも出演している ©David Stetson

　活動の幅を海外へ広げる日本俳優陣の中にあって、独特の強い存在感を放つ真田広之。現在公開中の映画『サンシャイン 2057』にも出演している。イギリスのダニー・ボイル監督（『トレインスポッティング』『28日後…』）の指名を受け、国際的なキャストの中で唯一の日本人として参加した。現在はロサンゼルスを拠点にさらなる飛躍を目指し、英語力にも磨きをかける。

　As if saying thanks for a job well-done, the bright sunlight illuminated the hotel room on a gorgeous spring day, spotlighting the Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada. Sanada's new movie? "Sunshine."

　In this magnificent science-fiction adventure, eight multinational crew members travel to the sun in a desperate effort to save it -- and the Earth -- from total destruction.

　Sanada, 46, now living in Los Angeles, visited Japan recently to promote "Sunshine," which opened here on April 14.

　British director Danny Boyle offered Sanada the plum role of Captain Kaneda, after seeing him in his 2002 film "Tasogare Seibei" (The Twilight Samurai).

　"I was very surprised and glad that a distinguished director like Danny Boyle took an interest in me," Sanada said. "I think the director sought unique aspects of a Japanese, such as the mind, aesthetics or self-devotion to that character."

　"Sunshine" is set in the year 2057. Sanada explained that the casting was done by taking into account the expanded role of Asia in international affairs some 50 years from now. According to Sanada, the original script was written with an American captain in mind. But after studying the opinions of scientists and space-related experts, the nationality was changed to Japanese.

　He also admitted that his character was previously named "Kanada," but he asked the director to change it to "Kaneda" because it's a more natural Japanese name.

　"I am a godparent to that character," Sanada said, smiling.

　Boyle took a unique approach to directing the film, holding a two-week camp for the cast in London before shooting started.

　"It worked effectively to create an atmosphere where these crew members have already stayed 16 months together in a spaceship at the beginning of shooting," Sanada said.

　In a press conference in Tokyo to promote "Sunshine," co-star Cillian Murphy described Sanada as a "good cook" in recalling an episode from the camp. On the first day, Sanada cooked pasta and salad for everyone.

　He later joked, "I acquired my qualification as a captain by pleasing them with a meal." However, by undertaking such a task, Sanada consolidated his position as a leader in the camp. He also played a part in convincing some actors who had gotten tired of staying together to stick out the two weeks, rather than going to a hotel.

　"The camp tied the bond. Getting over the difference in nationality, gender, religion or anything else and going for the one common goal overlapped the theme of the film," Sanada said.

　"By doing it, I had the full realization that it created unexpected chemistry and unbelievable power and left true trust and friendship. Currently, many disputes are taking place on the Earth, but I truly felt we don't have time to fight with each other, but should cooperate together, to protect our Earth."

　"Sunshine" is Sanada's second role in an English-language film, and he uses different forms of English depending on the role and the circumstances. In his role, Sanada said he was told to change his English according to the situation.

　"I always discussed it with the director and according to its intent, I worked with a dialogue coach," he said, "In 'Sunshine,' the base is a British English, and if I disclose an official statement, I use proper official English, but when I talked with other crew members one-on-one, I used more friendly American English, taking into account the situation that Kaneda had trained at NASA."

　I can imagine how difficult it must have been to learn his lines in English under such varying conditions.

　"If I do it as a duty, it makes me exhausted, so I made it my hobby during that period," he said, smiling.

　But he added that he did not memorize all his lines, since he faced the possibility of script changes, and even one changed expression in five or six long pages of dialogue could have thrown him off.

　"I always had to be very flexible about it. I weathered that situation with strong concentration," Sanada said. "What moves people is not language but emotion. That is what I believe and learned from my experience. So, English lines are an extension of Japanese lines -- just like when I learned the intonation of dialect and put the emotion in it in a Japanese drama."

　Sanada said he currently lives in Los Angeles not because Hollywood is there, but because it is a center of information.

　"While working on my English in Los Angeles, I am getting ready to go to anywhere around the world from there. But I always feel my foundation is in Japan."

　While expanding his work field to the world, the one thing I wondered was if he is willing to appear in any more action films.

　"Of course I will," Sanada said. "Actually, I was just killed after fighting with Jackie Chan at the Eiffel Tower (in a scene from his next film, "Rush Hour 3"). I'll continue to do it as long as my body can stand it."

• plum role　大きな役割
• the...self-devotion　精神性、美学、自己犠牲
• godparent　名付け親
• weather(ed)　切り抜ける