Actress Hinako Sakurai recently attended a press conference at TV Asahi (Minato-ku, Tokyo) for the drama "My Cheating Husband with 3 Months to Live" (Fridays at 11:15 PM, excluding some regions), which starts on April 24th. She spoke of her struggles, saying, "I'm not very well recognized as an actress."
The drama is an adaptation of a vertical-scrolling manga by Webtoon studio "SORAJIMA," which has surpassed 100 million views in Japan. It is a revenge love suspense story in which Aoi (Jin Shirasu), who has been given a terminal diagnosis due to a malignant tumor, discovers his wife Mizuki's (Sakurai) infidelity and goes on a quest for revenge to protect the future of his beloved son. Shirasu, Kohei Shoji, Yua Shinkawa Shinkawa, and Mitsuomi Takahashi also appeared at the press conference.
Sakurai, who plays a "free-spirited cheating wife" who engages in extramarital affairs, said, "For me, it's no exaggeration to say that this is my first time playing a villain. Up until now, I've mostly played happy, energetic, and earnest girls. However, this is a challenging project for my villain debut. It's a very rewarding role." She added, "The producer and my agency told me to enjoy this role, but to be honest, I don't have the luxury of enjoying it at all (laughs)," indicating that she is having some difficulties.
Takahashi, who plays Sunayama, Mizuki's lover, praised Sakurai's portrayal of a villain. "What is this beauty? I've been calling it 'devilishly beautiful,' and she's absolutely perfect for the role. I'm completely captivated," he said, to which Sakurai responded with embarrassment, "I'm breaking out in a cold sweat."
When asked about his own "rock bottom experience," in reference to the protagonist Aoi, a betrayed husband, Sakurai confessed, "Even now, even though I'm an actor, I'm not really recognized as an actor... I'm recognized as an idol or a talent. I had just assumed that my acting career was going well, but maybe it wasn't reaching the audience..." He continued, "Even now, I'm often told, 'You actually like acting,' which is surprising. I want to be an actor for the rest of my life, but it's difficult to convey that passion. Sometimes I feel like, 'I'm no good at all,' and I get really discouraged."
Then, Shirasu added, "If you watch this work, you'll be fine. I think you'll get to know actress Hinako Sakurai." Takahashi also said, "She's really good at playing a villain, so I hope you'll watch it. I think viewers will be surprised." Sakurai looked pleased and said, "Just you wait and see! I'll do my best."
