Appearing in "In the Hero"

Not too long ago, I had a chance to attend a private screening for a film I did in February called “In the Hero”. The film was a big-budget joint Korea-Japan feature, co-written by writers from both countries, with actors from both countries, with involvement from both Toei and Toho studios. (Two of the biggest in Japan). While I have done films of this scale before (the one before that was ATARU, and that seemed to be of about the same magnitude), after watching this, I can honestly say this was the best film (American or Japanese) I have been in to date. 

The story revolves around two characters: a young, up and coming Japanese idol-type actor who aspires to make it to Hollywood, and an aging Power Ranger style suit actor/stunt man, and the relationship that develops between them when their paths intersect. 

At the private screening of In the Hero at Toho studios

The coolest set I've ever done a fight scene on.

In the film, I play an American actor whom the young Japanese actor has to audition against, and eventually do a fight scene with. No speaking lines for me in this one, but this was my first time getting to do fight scenes with a spear, and a Japanese weapon called the Naginata. At the audition, they actually asked me if I had done sword action before (which I have) and then had me audition with that. And then when I showed up for the rehearsal, they simply handed me a spear instead. Thankfully, having studied Kobudo, I already had a basic idea of how to use a Bo, so I had a long-range weapons base that I could adapt to that made it doable. If not, it might have been quite a challenge.

Overall, it went fairly well, except that the opportunity came along while I was still in the recovery stages for my left knee, and much like the Super Smash Bros and Let it Die live action demos I did after that, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up, so I just did it anyway. Learning the choreography was fine and presented no problems, except that on the first day of the first fight, the choreo was changed by the directors request… and it meant taking a punishing fall on the very knee I was trying to protect. Unfortunately, this also meant doing it over and over again take after take, as each one hurt, and I couldn’t quite “do it right”. That was a painful day… and the next shoot was only 4 days away on top of it. In any event, I got through it (as you must if you expect to get anywhere in this industry), and although I had to wear a brace, the second fight was totally fine. Unfortunately, as is always the case with action scenes, most of both fights was cut out in editing, but what of it that did make it past the editors looked pretty good. 

As for the rest of the film, it was beautifully shot, really well written and set, and acted well. The film actually only had two weak spots: 1) While all of the major actors did a fantastic job with their characters, 2 of the supporting actors were weak and 2) The English of some of the Korean and Japanese actors was pretty weak at times as well. Those two facts aside however, it was simply a great film, and my wife, (whom I brought with me to the screening) cried 3 or 4 times during the film. Definitely a good sign that the quality of film content coming out of Japan is getting better and better.

While flying back to the states last night, I had a chance to see ATARU on the plane ride over, and I can only hope that this one shows internationally as well. Not because I expect to get famous for it (or even have anyone remember me)... but just because it is a great film about what actors and stunt people go through, and I think it’s a story that deserves to be told. 

Best Shooting Yet- First Appearance on Kamen Rider

Sunset at Toei Studios when I was leaving on the last
day of shooting. 

So as anyone who has ever worked (or lived) in Japan can tell you, kids' entertainment doesn't get much bigger than the Power Rangers stuff. So much in fact, that there's a whole slew of them. I found this out several years ago when I appeared in one film called "Geki Rangers". Although I thought it was super famous, when I told people about it, some had heard of it, but some had not. Amongst the genre though, the biggest and the baddest of them all is Kamen Rider. It's been running for at least 25 years now, everyone knows it, and everyone has watched it. In a way, I guess it's like the Japanese equivalent to Disney Movies.

As a function of that, when I was invited to play a role in the next film, I was stoked to say the least. The whole thing came about because not too long ago, my buddy Enis (a tricker, free runner, model, stuntman from Germany who I used to train with out here) was in town and he asked me to come out and join him and a few other guys in hitting an onsen that day. At the time, I was still in the middle of doing the kids camps I do every year, I was hyper busy and physically worn out, but as he's a good friend, I didn't wanna miss the chance to spend time with him, so I came out to join him anyway. Once we met up, I found out that the two guys joining us were both super-kickers from Studio BOS whom I've known for a while, but never actually had the chance to hang out with.

Even if I was exhausted at the time, I had a great time catching up with Enis, and it was also cool to spend time with the other guys as well as I'd never really spoken to either one of them in-depth before. A few days after that, as luck would have it, the action director of the series contacted one of them, and asked him if he knew of a large boss-looking foreigner who could act and do action for the next film, and with my buddy's recommendation, I was invited to come by the studio.

I showed them my resume and stunt reel, and had a fitting for the costumes, and then when I met the producer, I found out that Geki Rangers was one of his films, so we had actually worked together before. It turns out that I had also worked with the main actor on a drama called Otomen, so he knew me as well. With that, I was invited to join the project.

I can honestly say it was the best shoot I've ever had. While I loved doing ATARU, this one allowed me to act as a character AND do fight scenes in a large production. Something that until this time, I had yet to be able to do. For the first time ever, I was given the option of delivering all of my speaking lines in both Japanese and English, so the director could decide in the end which delivery he liked best. (Personally, I'm hoping he goes for the Japanese).

My dressing room with my name on the door
(and the respectful suffix, "sama" after it) WORD. 

Beyond that, it was also cool because they actually got clothes and shoes that were my size, instead of my having to bring my own stuff or wedge myself into things that were way too small, as I usually do. I even had my own dressing room in the studio to put them on in this time. Granted, all of this does not mean it was a perfect shoot. For one, it was extremely hot and humid out, and as a gang boss, I was in a full suit. Beyond that, the forested area we were shooting in was teeming with Suzumebachi (Asian Giant Hornets), and when it did finally cool off, it was because a full-on thunderstorm rolled in (complete with lightning) and we had to finish the shoot in the rain. I was also still recovering from a pulled muscle in my back, and left leg, so I wasn't at 100% for the fight scene.

One of what seemed to be a swarm of Asian giant hornets
(the most dangerous animal in Japan) living in
the area where we were filming. 

Despite that though, more than anything else, I think what made it such a great day was the level of respect I was given on set. Much like when I did ATARU, it was a constant reminder that I'd come a long way from being the zero-respect extra working for peanuts, or the foreigner who was set up to lose in a tough man contest and then stiffed on the payment by the agency. Admittedly, as a gangboss, I was still playing a bad-guy, but at least it was a damn cool one (in a really pimp suit), who only gets caught instead of killed. ( I consider that a step-up! ;) At the end of the last day of shooting for me, the action director, said, "Thanks. Well done. We will do this again.", so that is also most certainly a good sign. ;)

Walking Away From Full-time Work- 3 Month Update

- On the set of ATARU

At this point, it has been 3 months since I decided to say goodbye to the best and most comfortable job I've ever had to make the final jump to supporting myself full time in Japan's entertainment industry. Up until this job, I had always worked as an actor/model part-time, but once the economy went south, I thought it was best to return to full time work to pay off some debts and rebuild my savings before making   my second attempt at "the big leap". (The first time I tried was about 3 years ago).

The job I found though, (teaching in the sports department of a Japanese university) was not just a lot of fun, it paid really well, had an unbelievably chill schedule, and the coolest co-workers I could ever ask for. As a function of this, what was supposed to one 5-month contract period turned into three. Especially once I got used to having the money to do all the things I want to do, the ease and comfort of having regular pay, and being able to make financial forecasts for myself, it got very hard to leave.

The turning point came however when I found out that they were reducing the number of teachers at the school, so that everyone remaining's workload would increase. With that, I decided that maybe it would be time to start transitioning out of the job, but that I would do one more contract just to make myself a bit more secure before I do. Soon after that,  I was offered the chance to do a few film projects abroad that would be in the middle of my next contract period (one in Thailand and the other in Austrailia), so I decided that it was just time time to just let it go, and "make the jump" as soon as this contract expired in January.

I had nowhere near the financial safety net that I had hoped for, but if there is anything I have learned it's that great opportunities never come at very opportune times. Usually, they come along when you least expect them. I have let opportunies like that go before because the timing "wasn't right" and watched my contemporaries career take off around me, so I was determined not too do it again.

Deciding to make this jump was like looking out from a cliff into a foggy ravine, and catching just a glimpse of what looked like solid land in "jumping distance"...and with that dropping all my things and running at the edge of the cliff full steam.

As I kind of expected it to be, the "jump" itself was a messy one, and the landing was just as rough. Although I did manage to land a job or two in february, it was nothing that paid very well. In march, despite hitting audition after audition, I didn't land a single job. Not one. Thankfully however, two of those auditions did end up landing me jobs in April, and soon after that, I got into ATARU. My first regular role on a TV drama, and its on the most watched drama in the country right now. Right around the same time that I got ATARU I ended up being cast in another even, bigger international project (which Im not at the liberty to speak about until July or so) that will be running until October.

A leaked photo from a project Im currently involved in. You can't see me in the photo, but I'm sitting behind the gunner. More on this one later! 

Last month, I barely made rent. This month, I made it in the first two days of the month. The funny thing is, I am still waiting to see if either of the two international projects I quit for will work out...but even if they don't, needless to say, thus far, the jump was worth the risk.