Japanese actor Ryohei Suzuki has praised the “inspiring” members of SAG-AFTRA who are on strike to secure a fairer split of profits from streaming giants and better working conditions.
Accepting Screen International’s Rising Star Asia Award at the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), the star of Egoist and upcoming Netflix feature City Hunter said: “It is such an inspiring time for us Asian actors when American actors are fighting so hard for their rights right now so I want to show my respect and my support to all the SAG-AFTRA members and what they are fighting for.”
Suzuki is known for roles in a string of Japanese TV series such as Segodon, Ship of Theseus and Tokyo MER: Mobile Emergency Room, winning best actor at Busan’s Asia Contents Awards last year for the latter.
He has also been gaining increased attention for his big screen roles in films such as Last Of The Wolves, for which he won best supporting actor at last year’s Japanese Academy Awards, and more recently Daishi Matsunaga’s LGBTQ+ romance drama Egoist, which played in competition at Tokyo International Film Festival and has sold to a raft of distributors including Strand Releasing for the US. The film screened on Saturday (July 15) as part of NYAFF’s line-up.
Speaking to Screen, Suzuki said his commitment to improving representation in Japan spurred him on to accept the role of a gay man in Egoist.
“Representation really matters so I thought about if I should play this role or if it should be taken on by a person who is gay,” he said. “The reason I accepted is because there are no openly gay actors in Japan. In this industry, actors still cannot be open about their sexual orientation. I knew that if I took this role, I had to be 100% committed, respectful and responsible so I started by learning about the LGBTQ community and the obstacles they face in their daily lives.”
His performance as Kosuke, a fashion magazine editor who begins a relationship with his personal trainer, has shifted perceptions of his range as an actor. “Before Egoist, most of my roles tended to be physically strong characters because I have a big physique,” he said. “But Kosuke is mentally strong and found the strength to leave his small town for Tokyo and find his own way. He has an aspect that is really vulnerable, so I think people started to see me a little differently. This muscular actor can be also subtle and sensitive.”
It is a world away from Suzuki’s breakthrough film role in comedy Hentai Kamen, in which he played a superhero whose powers are activated by wearing women’s underwear on his face. The film won the audience award at NYAFF in 2013 and spawned sequel Hentai Kamen: Abnormal Crisis in 2016.
“That was a silly comedy and a low budget film but people appreciated my commitment to that role,” he said. “It’s not a perfect film but had a certain energy that appealed to audiences. I had mainly been playing supporting roles but, after Hentai Kamen, I got a big role in a NHK TV drama series. It really changed my career.”
City Hunter
Suzuki will next be seen in City Hunter, Netflix’s highly anticipated live-action adaptation of a classic Japanese manga, in the iconic role of Ryo Saeba.
Set for release in 2024, it will mark a full-circle moment for Suzuki, whose love of the City Hunter animated series of the late 1980s first sparked his interest in performing. “When I was 10, I wanted to become a voice actor because my favourite anime was City Hunter and my dream was to be a part of that,” he recalled. “As I grew older, I wanted to enter the world of films and actually get inside the movies as an actor.
“There were so many moments on set when I was in the world of City Hunter, not just playing the main character of Ryo Saeba but actually being in that world and experiencing the story. That’s the greatest thing about it. It’s unbelievable. I remember filming one scene on Christmas Day last year, which is a very important scene in original manga and one I’ve read so many times, which made me cry.
“But while it’s a dream come true, the responsibility that comes with it is huge so I cannot say I fully enjoyed it. I have to make it good because I wouldn’t be able to face myself otherwise. The younger version of me has be satisfied with this film. That was a huge responsibility.”
Based on the original manga of the same name by Tsukasa Hojo and directed by Yuichi Sato (Kisaragi), Suzuki added: “I cannot say more about it but it’s going to be closer to the original manga than the animation. We’re trying to make something more authentic to the manga. The atmosphere will be a little darker as it takes place an actual city, Shinjuku, and many scenes are at night. But it’s going to be very enjoyable.”
Netflix is producing the film in partnership with Tokyo-based production companies Horipro and Office Shirous.
Looking ahead, the actor said: “I’ve always wanted to work with people from outside of Japan so if there’s a need for me, I’m open to offers. The presence of Asian filmmakers is really growing in America, such as Hikari [who directed three episodes of Netflix series Beef] so perhaps there are new opportunities.
“I was recently in Los Angeles and met with some people but was mainly taking English classes and acting classes. I work with acting coach in Japan on every job I do. I’m still learning. I always keep learning.”
NYAFF runs from July 14-30 at New York’s Film at Lincoln Center.
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