Yutaka Mizutani: 60th anniversary of acting career feels like "part-time work"? Reveals in "Yudo Times"

It has been announced that actor Mizutani Yutaka will be appearing in a 90-minute special episode of TV Asahi's news and information program "Udo Times" (Sunday 8:56 p.m.), which will be broadcast on July 6th. He will appear in the program's flagship segment, "Legends & Stars," in which MC and news Caster Udo Yumiko interviews people who have made achievements in their respective fields and stars who are currently active at the forefront of their fields.

Previously, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Sadaharu Oh, Hideki Matsui, and Saburo Kawabuchi have all appeared on "Legends & Stars." Mizutani, the fifth guest, is celebrating his 60th year as an actor this year, including his time as a child actor. However, he confesses that he has always thought of acting as "a part-time job." He says that he has continued acting while thinking, "I can quit at any time."

"When I was 19, I quit this world once. I said I was looking for a normal world, or rather, a world of my own, and said goodbye (to people involved)..." However, when I failed my university entrance exam and was thinking about finding a part-time job, a producer who didn't know that I had quit the entertainment industry called out to me, and I thought, "I'm going to do a part-time job anyway... Well, it's a world I know, so I thought it would be fine," and I re-entered the world of acting.

His big break came in the NTV detective drama "Scarred Angel" (1974-75), in which he starred alongside Hagiwara Kenichi. The "Aniki~" (Big Bro), the way that Inui Akira, the character he played, sadly called Kogure Osamu, played by Hagiwara, became a catchphrase at the time. We will reveal the surprising story behind the origin of his unique way of speaking.

After that, he played a passionate teacher in the school drama "Netsujou Jidai" (1978-1981) on Nippon Television, a role that was the polar opposite of his previous roles as a delinquent or criminal, and drew much attention. However, he recalls that even in those times, he thought "there was a world that suited me better," and did not fixate on acting.

He also spoke about his role as Ukyo Sugishita in TV Asahi's flagship drama "Aibou," which has been broadcast for 25 years since 2000. He explained why he felt comfortable playing the role.