Interview with the production manager and director of "Bakebake": Behind the scenes of the casting of Charlotte Kate Fox

Akari Takaishi plays the heroine in the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake" (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times). In the 62nd episode (broadcast on December 23rd), Eliza Belsland, played by Charlotte Kate Fox, arrives in Matsue. This will be Fox's third Asadora appearance, her first in nine years since "Massan" (late 2014) and "Beppin-san" (late 2016), and we spoke with production manager Hashizume Kuniomi and director Murahashi Naoki about the reasons for her casting and the appeal of her acting.

◇Why were you chosen for the role of Eliza?

Fox plays Eliza, a colleague of Haven (Tommy Bastow) from his time in the United States. She is a "perfect woman" with intelligence and the drive to travel the world, and she is the one who encouraged Haven to go to Japan. Throughout the film, we often see Haven cherish Eliza's photographs, and finally, Eliza comes to Matsue to meet Haven.

In creating the character of Eliza, Hashizume said she was inspired by an American journalist named Elizabeth Bisland. She actually worked at the same newspaper as Yakumo Koizumi, who is the model for Heaven, and they had a special friendship, sometimes referred to as "soul lover." According to Hashizume, she was "a very famous journalist in the United States at the time."

"He also traveled to Japan. There is an anecdote that he helped Setsu (the model for Toki, played by Takaishi) after Yakumo's death. However, there is no record of him coming to Japan while Yakumo was alive, so this is an original part of the drama."

When asked why he chose Fox, he revealed, "Eliza is a role that requires particularly strong acting skills. I thought that Charlotte was the only woman of her age that I knew who could play the role of Eliza."

"It's been a while since Charlotte last appeared in a Asadora on BK (NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station), and she hasn't been in public for about three or four years since giving birth. I thought viewers would want to see Charlotte now. Most importantly, she has great acting skills, and she's an actor everyone knows. I thought it would create a welcoming atmosphere, so I asked Charlotte to play the role."

◇I was surprised to find out he was such a good actor!

Hashizume said that through her role as Eliza in "Bakebake," she was reminded once again that Fox is "a truly wonderful actor."

"At first, I was nervous because it's been three years since I've last acted, but when we started filming, it went without saying that I gave a confident performance."

Meanwhile, director Murahashi said he was very surprised when he saw Fox's performance up close.

"It was my first time seeing Charlotte as an actor, and I was surprised at how good she was! She was nervous as it had been a while since we last worked together, but once she let go her acting was really free and she showed different expressions and different acting every time we shot, so I directed her with the thought, 'It's okay if it's different every time, so just act however you like.'"

Fox's acting this time was so good that "we've decided to have her appear again in the second half of the story," but what is so great about her?

Hashizume said, "Charlotte learned the basics at an acting school and has gained experience in a variety of Japanese and American productions. In 'Massan,' she played the role of the protagonist's wife for a year, and she developed a lot of skills during that time. She has the basics and talent, and she can also apply them."

◇Reunion with the "Massan" team

For Fox, "Bakebake" was the first time in a long time that he had filmed at NHK's Osaka Broadcasting Station, but according to Hashizume, during the filming period he thoroughly enjoyed his time in Japan with the "Massan" staff, many of whom still remain in Osaka.

"He went to karaoke and drank alcohol with the 'Massan' team. He also said that he was planning to go to Universal Studios Japan or the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan with his children, who he had brought with him to Japan."

Fox also had a "happy reunion" when he met Shinichi Tsutsumi, with whom he co-starred in "Massan," for the first time in a long time.

"Although the two did not appear in any scenes together in ' Bakebake,' Charlotte was in the studio on the same day as Tsutsumi and was delighted to be reunited. I think that this made her stay in Japan a very special one for Charlotte."