My "Hiro" in Danny Boyle's "Sunshine"

I am a woman of many interests, but my admiration and respect for Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada  (真田広之) knows no bounds!  I belong to a small group of intensely dedicated Sanada fans scattered throughout the world, who tirelessly share all available information about our Hiro.  I became enthralled during his year-long run back in 1991 as the lead actor of NHK Taiga drama, Taiheiki (太平記) in which he played Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏), the man who redefined the Shogunate’s role in the 14^th century from the age of 20 to 54 years old, and have been following the remarkable career and achievements of this fascinating actor ever since!

Before I continue to wax poetic about Hiro, I want to talk about his latest role in Sunshine directed by Danny Boyle of Trainspotting and 28 Days Later fame.  It’s terribly disappointing that U.S. residents have to wait for the movie’s anticipated release later this fall while the rest of the world gets to see it in April L, so I’ve taken to consoling myself by following the movie’s Japanese premiere (it opens there on April 14).

Misty at Hiroyuki Sanada Enthusiast has done a beautiful job compiling all of the Hiro-related information here.  Her site is chock-full of anything and everything related to Hiro and it’s a must-see for all self-respecting fans of this amazing actor, so please check it out – you’ll have a great time, I promise! J

Anyway, Hiro and Cillian Murphy are in Japan to promote Sunshine and there are tons of information coming out in Japanese … Misty has done a great job updating all the info with some translating/interpreting, but it’s a lot for one person to handle so I offered to tackle some of the job.

The following is a great article on the Q&A session during the Japanese premiere with yummy shots of Hiro and Cillian:

http://www.cinematopics.com/cinema/c_report/index3.php?number=2597&offset=0

I’m not going to attempt a line-by-line translation, but I’ll do my best to summarize their Q&A session –

Q.  Reactions to Danny Boyle’s videotaped message giving high praise to both actors --

Cillian:  Working with Danny Boyle on 28 Days Later was a dream-come-true for me.  I was a long-time fan of his, and because of the movie, I was given the opportunity to learn a lot from him along with more success and recognition in the United States.  28 Days Later will forever be an important film in my career, and the opportunity to work with him again was a wonderful experience.  The only way I can describe him is that he is a great director.

Hiro:  After reviewing all of his work, he struck me as a genius. Before I met him, I was afraid that he would be difficult to work with but he sometimes lacked focus during filming (laughs).  He was a gentleman in his dealings with the staff and I found it a pleasure to work with him.

Q.  Reactions to the spacesuit that both actors had to wear during the filming –

Cillian:  It was like, WOW!   The spacesuit was very well-made – there even was a built-in camera in the helmet.  It was so difficult to move with that suit on!  Sanada-san didn’t complain at all but not to do so was impossible for me… (laughs)  You can see how sweaty and tired I was in the film, but that was for real!

Hiro:  That spacesuit will be an unforgettable item for the rest of my life (laughs).  Not only was wearing the suit so hot and heavy, but we were suspended during the spacewalk scenes!!  As Cillian said, the suit symbolizes our blood, sweat, and tears (laughs).

Q.  Before the filming began, we understand that all of the cast members spent some time living and training in a dorm-like environment, and that Sanada-san did the cooking –

Hiro:  There was no one else that could cook, and we had no choice but to use the items in the refrigerator.  I served as the head chef rather than the captain (laughs).

Cillian:  Sanada-san was the perfect captain since he’s noble and resolute without being pushy.  He was really terrific when he sang and played the guitar for us.  We all had a great time in training.

Q.  What attracted you to the film?

Cillian:  The script – it was by far the best script I’d read in the last 2 years.  I called the director the minute I finished reading the script to ask for an audition.  I’m not a SF fan but I love Star Wars, 2001 Space Odyssey, and Solaris, and I felt that Sunshine was a continuation of the intellectual/philosophical flow of all of these films.  Also, I never had the opportunity to play a reticent, introverted character like Capa so that was a draw for me as well.

Hiro:  The first attractive factor for me was Danny Boyle.  Of all the SF films that have been made to date, I wondered what kind of impact that Sunshine would have on the genre.  And the most attractive aspect for me was the complex human drama that’s contained in this film.  I very much looked forward to see how Danny would “cook” all of the elements.  I also wondered how a Japanese captain could contribute to this project, and I jumped into the filming with both excitement and apprehension.

Q.  What was it like to work with actors from different countries?

Cillian:  Because the script demanded actors to hail from different countries, the whole experience was very refreshing thought the filming.  Everyone had a different style of acting and preparation.  Because the director gave us extra rehearsal time, we all got to know each other very well and were able to devote 100% of ourselves to our acting.

Hiro:  Getting to know each other as human beings was essential in creating the subtle nuances that are required in ensemble acting and I feel that Danny’s “direction” had already begun when we started our training camp.  Because of all the time we spent in training, we were able to communicate with each other through eye contact – which is exactly the theme of the movie.  Humankind has to overcome national boundaries and come together in order to achieve our collective goals.  This is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves.  We all were gifted with wonderful friendships and a sense of accomplishment after the filming was completed.

Q.  What is the significance of a Japanese actor portraying the captain?

Hiro:  I was conscious of the “responsibilities” as an Asian with respect to the earth, and I felt some sense of pressure.  I also realized that the time has come for a Japanese to be placed in positions of responsibility. Furthermore, I felt that a thoroughly Japanese sense of virtue and spirit was being demanded of me.  Those seemingly insignificant but ultimately important things were likely entrusted to be the factors that underscored Captain Kaneda’s actions.  As Kaneda himself begins to realize that there are things that shouldn’t change even as internationalization progresses, I hope that the members of the audience will share that realization.

Q.  What will the earth be like 50 years from now?

Cillian:  I have no idea what life will be like for me in 50 years, but I do think about the world that will be left for our children to live.  In that sense, I hope that this movie’s message will be understood by the younger generation.