Kotone Furukawa is a Japanese actress who has been in many features as well as TV dramas. She is the recipient of the Nippon Rising Star Award at this year's Nippon Connection for her contribution to the Japanese film industry, which range from her roles in Ryusuke Hamaguchi's “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy”, Yuta Shimotsu's “Best Wishes to All” and Hayato Kawai's “Secret: A Hidden Score”, which will all be screened at Nippon Connection as well.
In our interview with the actress she talks about her work in those features, her collaboration with directors such as Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Yukihiko Tsutsumi and Isao Yukisada but also working in as an actress in the Japanese film industry nowadays.
What drew you into the role of Yukino in “Secret: A Hidden Score”? In general, how do you choose the roles you want to play in?
I like about Yukino that she is very pure and that she spends whatever time she has left with her loved ones. In general, my agency sends me scripts which might interest me and if that is the case I do the project. However, sometimes they also decide which parts I should take.
You also act in a lot of dramas. Is your approach different between movies and dramas and which do you prefer doing?
The difference between TV dramas and feature films is the time I have to prepare. In TV dramas, me and the other actors have little time to prepare as we receive the script and have to do the scene. It is comparable to a treadmill because I have to grasp the essence of a scene and a role very quickly. When I work on a movie I have more time to discuss my role with the director or do some research on the part I am playing.
There is also the difference that with movies you usually have just one director whereas with TV dramas you have sometimes three or four, depending on how many episodes the drama contains. Much like my work on the part I am playing, I try to quickly grasp the director's philosophy, how he works and what he is looking for in a scene.
Do you prefer directors who allow improvisation or those who are very strict about what they want from their actors?
I prefer to have more freedom for improvisation and when the director believes in me. In these cases, acting becomes more like a challenge for me which I cherish because the director sees how much I put into the character and the scenes I am in. When you work like this I think it much more rewarding as an actor.
When I was working with Ryusuke Hamaguchi he gave me and the other actors lots of freedom to improvise during the actual shooting. During the rehearsals we had a lot of time to discuss the characters and ask questions so when the first day of shooting came we both had the same understanding of the character. That kind of preparation gave me a lot of confidence in how I would portray the character.
You have worked with some very accomplished directors withing the Japanese film industry. Can you give us some details on how was working with Yukihiko Tsutsumi, Ken Ninomiya and Isao Yukisada? Is there someone who stands out?
Ryusuke Hamaguchi is probably the director I learned the most from, especially the way he organizes the rehearsals before the shooting, as I mentioned before. Part of this process is that the whole cast comes together and we read the script without any emotions. We do that multiple times so that we know the script and our lines by heart. This process deepens your understanding of the plot and the character you are playing, to the point that your lines become natural to you, if that makes sense. Hamaguchi gives you some direction concerning timing, the breaks between each sentences or before you respond to the person in front of you.
He also tells all of his actors we should imagine the people we share a scene with as if they are having some kind of bell. It is our task to make their bell ring with the way we say our lines, but also our emotions and gestures. This way I concentrate less on myself and more on the person or the people in front of me.
How was you collaboration with co-star Taiga Kyomoto in “Secret: A Hidden Score”?
Before the shooting began, Taiga and me had the chance to practice the piano together. When you play the piano together naturally you are very close to one another which made our scenes and in general our communication more natural as a consequence.
How is working as an actress in the Japanese movie industry nowadays?
I like to be an actress who inspires directors. At the beginning of my career I wanted to play in romantic movies or play only the main characters in a feature, but that has changed. Today I prefer if a director actually wants me for a specific part, be it the main character or a smaller part. That challenges me, because the director has certain expectations in me which I want to fulfill and perhaps even surpass.
Can you give us some details about your future projects and is there any genre you would like to discover or explore further?
I would like to play a part in an action movie because you can do those movies only when you are young. I got the taste for the genre while I was shooting a historical drama where I had to learn sword fighting.
