Actor Tori Matsuzaka voices Paddington Bear in the Japanese dubbed version of the film "Paddington 3" (directed by Dougal Wilson). The film is the third in the series based on a children's novel starring Paddington Bear, a "British gentleman" with his trademark red hat and duffle coat. We spoke to Matsuzaka, who has been voicing Paddington in the Japanese dubbed version since the first film was released in 2016, about his thoughts on playing Paddington for the first time in seven years, the changes he has undergone in those seven years, and his thoughts on his family. (Part 1 of a two-part series)
◇ The voice key that was set for the first work 9 years ago: "I was worried whether it would come out or not."
"Paddington" is a best-selling children's novel that has been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 35 million copies worldwide. The first film was released in 2016, and the second in 2018. In this third film, Paddington the bear goes on a family trip to Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy, who lives in an "old bear home," and embarks on an adventure deep in the jungle.
Regarding playing Paddington for the first time in seven years, Matsuzaka recalled, "I've been waiting for this for a long time (laughs). I had heard rumors through the grapevine that production was apparently underway, and I was talking to Furuta Arata (who voices Mr. Brown). I was really looking forward to receiving the script, filled with excitement, thinking, 'I'll be playing the role again' and 'I wonder what the story will be next'."
He said that he "wore a red knitwear" to match Paddington's red hat for the recording. As it had been seven years since he last played Paddington, he revealed, "That (time) was my biggest worry. It's been nine years since the first movie. I had talked with the director nine years ago and we'd decided on the key, so I was worried whether I'd be able to get that voice out nine years later."
Therefore, before starting recording, he watched the first and second films repeatedly, and "listened to the key of my own voice and tried speaking myself to get used to it," he said.
During the recording, the staff occasionally pointed out things like, 'Your voice is back to normal,' or 'Your voice is a little lower again, so let's go a little higher,' but I don't think it was that difficult to adjust the key."
◇Becoming a father: "Family love is great after all"
The thing that surprised me most when I read the script for the third film was that Paddington had become more proactive!
"In the first film, Paddington comes to England from Peru, meets the Brown family, and gets caught up in all sorts of different environments. In the second film, Paddington goes to prison and gets caught up in all sorts of things in his new environment. This time, Paddington takes great initiative in helping his beloved aunt, who has passed away. I thought it was a new format in which the Brown family gets caught up in all of this."
In the seven years since the previous film, Matsuzaka has married and started a family.
Watching the series in light of his own changes, he said, "The series depicts family bonds so I could really empathize with them, and there are parts where I feel strong feelings for my family. I think family love is wonderful, and when I watched 'The Secret of the Vanished Golden Land,' I felt there were many parts where I thought the family connections and bonds, and the tremendous love that exists as a family even after they have grown up, were wonderful."
He said he was particularly touched by "Paddington's earnest search for Aunt Lucy" in this film. "It's heartbreaking. It makes your heart ache, but his purity cleanses your heart. You, the viewer, are also purified by Paddington's sincerity."
What does family mean to Matsuzaka? "A place to return to. Even if you are physically apart, if you have a place in your heart to return to, I think that is family. For example, if you lose your family home, you may no longer have a physical place to return to. But people have an origin in their hearts, and I think that people with whom you can share that place to return are called 'family.' It is because we have family that we can all do our best in our own positions. Family is my greatest source of comfort right now, my anchor," he says emphatically.
Having a family has also brought about changes in himself. "My priorities have dropped significantly. My family has become my first priority. But I don't dislike that at all; in fact, I feel comfortable with it, so that may be the biggest change in me," he says.
When she finds time to relax despite her busy schedule, she said, "I can go out somewhere with my family or go to the park. Spending time with my family is a way to relax for me. I feel like I'm able to take good care of my personal matters, and I've realized that my family has become a new core for me."
