Takuya Kimura will appear on the 90-minute special of TV Asahi's "Udo Times," which will be broadcast from 8:56 PM on November 16th. In the interview segment "Legends & Stars" hosted by Caster Yumiko Udo, he will talk about his origins as an actor and the struggles he faces as a star.
The talk took place on the rooftop of a building overlooking the Rainbow Bridge. Kimura celebrates his 53rd birthday on November 13th, and Caster congratulates him by presenting him with a bouquet of flowers. The talk then begins with a discussion of his acting career.
Kimura made his big break in the 1993 drama "Asunaro Hakusho" (Fuji TV). Since then, he has appeared in a succession of hit dramas, but he reveals that his roots as an actor lie in the play "Seeing Eye Dog," directed by the late Yukio Ninagawa, which he participated in when he was 17 years old.
He has appeared in "professional" roles such as a hairdresser and a prosecutor, but he has always been mindful of "not being rude to people in their profession." That's why he says the best part of being an actor is hearing viewers say, "I saw that show and decided to do my current job."
He also appears in director Yoji Yamada's latest film, "TOKYO Taxi" (released November 21st). This will be his first appearance in a Yamada film in 19 years, since "A Minute of a Samurai" (2006), and in this film he plays a humble taxi driver. As the role is one in which he faces a physically and mentally tough reality, he reflected that it was necessary to strip away the "sparkle" and "excitement" within himself in order to prepare for the role.
Kimura has created many legends as an idol, singer, and actor, and is also known as "the man who embraced the Heisei era." When asked how he felt about idols at the time when he was enjoying overwhelming popularity, he confessed that he "kind of hated being called an idol," and that he had conflicted feelings. He also said that despite the overwhelming support he received, "I never got carried away," and revealed that "certain words" he received from Sanma Akashiya were what supported him.
At the end of the program, Caster Udo asked, "What does being a star mean to you?"Takuya Kimura replied, "It's not something that shines as brightly as you might think, it's just something that moves quietly like a celestial body..."
