Kitamura Yukiya plays the role of Goro Kuwata, the leader of an underground organization, in the TBS Sunday Theatre "Reboot" (Sundays at 9pm), starring actor Suzuki Ryohei. His calm demeanor as he relentlessly corners Gido/Hayase (played by Suzuki) has been generating a lot of buzz. We spoke to Kitamura about what he keeps in mind when acting, stories he shares with his co-stars, and highlights of the series.
◇Goroku is "not just a bad person" and is particular about the meal scenes.
--Kitamura-san, you played Goroku Wataru, a character with two sides to him; outwardly he appears to be an intelligent businessman, but underneath he is the head of an underground organization. How did you view this character when playing him?
I think many people probably have the impression that Goroku is the "worst character," but I always approach my characters as if they are "the same human being," so this time too I tried to make him not just a "bad guy," but also pay attention to the background that forced him to be that way.
As someone who has risen to the top of an underground organization, he must have walked risky paths many times, and from that experience he foresaw the possibility of being betrayed, and he read far into the future, so it was inevitable that he would do so as a way to ensure his own safety and the smooth running of the organization. I am playing Goroku from such a multifaceted perspective.
--One of the highlights of this film is the scene where Goroku corners a traitor while serving food. Please tell us what you paid particular attention to, such as the gestures that are unique to such food scenes.
I pay particular attention to the eating scenes, as they reveal a certain kind of "dignity," or rather, the character's "personality." For example, in the first episode, Goroku says to Fuyuhashi, "Your eating habits are as messy as ever. If you don't fix that, you won't be able to move up." This is exactly what I mean, and I believe that there is a wide range of ways to express eating depending on the role.
◇A relaxed and trusting relationship with Suzuki Ryohei
--This work is a completely original script by Kuroiwa Tsutomu, and has been much talked about as a masterpiece that took three years to conceive. Please tell us what you found appealing about Kuroiwa's script, such as its worldview and various devices.
I think this work will probably be difficult to understand even if you start watching midway through, and from the first episode it's so detached in a good way that it makes you feel like "you'll be left behind if you don't concentrate." I think there are some works that are too polite (to the viewer) and you lose interest (with each episode), but Kuroiwa's scripts are appealing in that they value that sense of distance. So I hope everyone will not give in to that sense of distance and will stick with it until the end.
--I'd like to ask about the lead actor, Suzuki Ryohei. Kitamura-san's character, Goroku, is a character who corners Suzuki-san's character, Gido/Hayase. How did you communicate with Suzuki-san on set?
I spent a long time with Ryohei (on set) when we co-starred in the historical drama "Saigo Don" (2018), in which he starred. At the time, there was something that bothered me while watching his acting, and I told him directly, and I think this is one of his talents. Depending on how you take it, it may seem arrogant, and it may be bothersome for me to say it, but he immediately imagines it and absorbs it, saying, "I see, I'll take that! Thank you!"
He's very enthusiastic about his research, and he has a lot of free time, and I felt that this was also a very attractive person. So I thought, "I'm glad I said that," and since we've built up a relationship of trust since then, this time too, we didn't have to be overly considerate of each other. Even when I was messing around a little on set, he would reply, "It's not the time for that right now," and I'd have to apologize (laughs).
◇ Admiration for Toda Erika
--Due to your role, you probably had many scenes with your subordinates, but what was your impression of Toda Erika, who played Kogo Ichika?
It was very impressive to see Toda-san stopping every now and then to organize the situation and consult with the director as she approached filming. This drama has a complicated setting and story development, and the order of filming was also quite random, so I often found myself wondering, "What time is this?" However, she was able to grasp that and act in a way that hit the key points, so I thought she was truly impressive.
--What did you think of Nagase Ren, who plays Fuyuhashi Wataru, and Fujisawa Suzuka, who plays Kiriya Naoto?
When we first filmed the scene where Goroku and Fuyuhashi meet, I didn't know who Nagase was, but my first impression was that he was a very aura-filled person. Soon after, when I found out he was a member of "King & Prince," I thought, "I knew it!" (laughs). I heard that this was his first time playing a violent role like this, but I thought he was a perfect fit for Fuyuhashi's aura.
When I first worked with Fujisawa, he had a different aura to that of an actor, so I wondered, "Who on earth is this guy?" He was always humble and worked very hard on his acting, so I was always aware of him as someone I was interested in, but it was quite some time before I found out he was a member of "Mrs. GREEN APPLE" (wry smile).
◇The highlight? "The rapids are 'eroded' by the Gido."
-Finally, please tell us what we should look forward to in the future and what points you would like people to pay attention to.
For me, the highlight of this drama is Ryohei's acting in the complex roles and situations he plays. Even in a single scene involving the use of a gun, the subtle differences between Gido and Hayase in the reboot are interesting, and above all, I think the dual structure of Ryohei playing Hayase and Hayase playing Gido is extremely interesting.
As Hayase continues to play the role of Gido, there are scenes in which his personality is gradually "eroded" by Gido's, but I think these scenes are also very worth watching, so I hope you will watch until the end.
