Suzu Hirose Yoshito appears in the drama series "Who saw the peacock dance in the jungle?" (TBS, Friday 10pm) starring Hirose Yoshi Sakou. He plays Endo Rikiro, a death row inmate who was sentenced to death as a defendant in the trial for the Togayama Incident and is currently serving his sentence. In the 9th episode, which aired on March 21st, new facts were revealed in a letter from Rikiro that was received by reporter Kamii Takashi (Hayato Isomura), a childhood friend of Endo's son Endo Tomoya (Narita Ryo). We asked Sakamoto about the most memorable moment during filming.
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--Rikiro worked diligently as a gardener, but after his wife left him, he became addicted to gambling and alcohol. How did you intend to portray him?
I don't gamble. But being an actor is a bit like gambling. You never know when you'll take off or when you won't be called upon. Being able to encounter different roles is a reward. When I think about it like that, I guess I'm lucky to be able to play new roles, not the same ones every time. The character I played this time, Rikiro, listened to the directors' ideas, incorporated them into myself, and took on each scene.
--What does your son, Tomoya, mean to you, Rikiro?
I think they are so important that I think, "I'd do anything for this child." It may be a cliché, but I think they are so precious that I would not be able to bear their pain. I myself am a parent, so I have felt a little sad about this.
In the second episode, there was a scene where Tomoya was picking up pachinko balls at a pachinko parlor, and another scene where he, his wife, and Tomoya were sleeping next to each other. And the look on Tomoya's face when Rikiro was handcuffed and taken away was very memorable.
--It seems that through this production you discovered that you and Sakai Toshiya, who played Someda Susumu, the owner of the ramen stand, are from the same hometown.
This was my first time acting with Sakai-san. I was surprised when a classmate of mine, who is a high school teacher, told me, "The Sakai who appears in the same work as you is your junior." When I looked into it, I found out that we were both from Gifu Prefecture, and that he was a junior who studied ceramics at the same high school as me, one year younger than me. I was surprised. Thanks to that connection, we went out to eat together.
--Sako-san, you played memorable roles not only in this production, but also in the Sunday Theatre Drama "Diamonds Sleeping in the Sea" (TBS), which aired in October last year. Is there anything you keep in mind when acting?
I'm not particularly conscious of it because I'm not working on it with the intention of leaving my mark. I value what is written in the script and fulfilling my role in that scene. I don't look at social media at all, so even when the director told me in this film that "speculation about the culprit is on the rise," I didn't know what he was talking about at first (laughs).
--The theme of this film is "belief," but what is important to you when believing in something?
I don't think you can trust others unless you believe in yourself. If you don't choose your partner after believing in yourself, you might be betrayed somewhere along the line.
It's not easy to understand people, but I think it's important to look into their eyes. When you look into their eyes, you can somehow tell what kind of life they've lived up to that point. I don't have any psychic powers, but I feel like I can see something like the trajectory of their life up to that point. This is something I've come to understand as I've gotten older.
--Were you able to believe in yourself from a young age?
I couldn't believe it. If you don't know yourself, you can't believe in yourself. I think you can only believe in yourself when you understand who you are.
-Finally, please tell us what the highlights of this film are.
I think it's unusual that the actors didn't know who the perpetrator was during filming. I think I was able to bring out the part of Rikiro inside me, so I hope the viewers will think, "This guy is creepy" (laughs). Please enjoy until the end.
