Actor Hiroki Narimiya has announced that he will be returning to acting after a hiatus of about eight years. In 2016, he surprised the world by suddenly announcing his retirement from the entertainment industry, but what was his reason for choosing to return to the public eye? We spoke to him about his comeback role in the drama "Shinuhodo Aishite" (ABEMA, starting March 27th), in which he plays a murderer.
I was surprised when Narimiya appeared at the interview venue. His appearance was exactly the same as it was eight years ago. Of course, he has aged. He entered his 40s while away from the entertainment industry, and turned 42 last September. "I never thought I'd feel like an excited rookie again at 42," he said with a mischievous laugh.
This work is a live-action adaptation of a manga, and the opportunity to appear in it came from an offer from the original author, Amagi Seimaru. He had previously appeared in the live-action drama (2014) of Amagi's representative work, "The Kindaichi Case Files." It was because of Amagi's offer that he decided to appear in the film.
"I received the offer about three years ago, but in the past I had played attractive villain roles in "The Kindaichi Case Files" and other dramas. When I heard about it, I wasn't even in an agency, but they offered me the role... They're very strict people, so I was very happy to be chosen by them."
In fact, during his time away from the spotlight, he never thought, "I want to be an actor again."
"When I heard about it (from Amagi-san), I was like, "Eh?!" (laughs). It was something I'd never imagined coming true. But because I'd been away from the role, I gradually started to feel like I wanted to try it again. I wondered what kind of acting I'd be able to do if I opened the script now, and with that thought in mind, I decided to take up acting again."
Although it had been a long time since his last acting performance, he revealed that he "didn't feel like there was any gap."
"However, my pronunciation and facial expressions were still quite stiff (laughs). I felt like I was loosening up a little at a time, and gradually becoming more flexible during the filming period. It felt like I was remembering the 'tricks' as I went along."
The drama is a love suspense story about Mio Kamishiro (played by Miori Takimoto), who has remarried her savior and is living a happy life, but gradually learns of her husband Masato Kamishiro's (played by Masato Narimiya) evil nature. Filming took place over two months, but she said, "I had to be careful in every scene. The two months went by in a flash."
"It's an appealing work because each character burns their life for love. My role was to deceive many people, so every scene was difficult (laughs). If you watch it to the end, it's a pure love story, but the content is outrageous. You shouldn't watch it with your family (laughs). It's a thrilling story, so I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts."
He continued to use social media for eight years. He said he was happy to hear comments from fans like "Please come back!" When asked for a message to his fans, he said with a smile, "Sorry to have kept you waiting! Or should I say... I'm starting my second chapter as Hiroki Narimiya, so please continue to support me."
The second chapter of his acting career. Now that he has passed the age of forty, he says, "I think I can show more and more of the 'aesthetics of a man.' I think I'm at an age where I become more interesting as an actor. I hope I can perform well and gradually become a leader."
"I want to have fun," he said. "The cameraman for this film is someone I've worked with in the past. I'd love to have some fun reuniting with my co-stars and staff members who I used to work with."
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Born September 14, 1982, in Tokyo. In 2001, he made his acting debut in the play "The Ruined Humanity, the Essence of Love..." directed by Miyamoto Amon. He has appeared in TV dramas such as "Gokusen," "High School Teacher," and "Bloody Monday," and played Kai Toru, the third partner of Sugishita Ukyo (Mizutani Yutaka), for three seasons starting with "Aibou Season 11" in 2012. On December 9, 2016, he announced his retirement from the entertainment industry. After that, he produced an apparel and accessory brand under his real name, Hiramiya Hiroshige, but this year he resumed his acting career for the first time in about eight years.
