Motoki Nakazawa is currently appearing in the Tuesday drama "Toki Sude ni Osushi!?" (TBS, Tuesdays at 10 PM). He plays Nagisa, the only son of the protagonist, Minato (Hiromi Nagasaku). Nagisa, who is kind and devoted to his mother, has been praised on social media as "the best son." We asked Nakazawa, who says he can relate to Nagisa in many ways, about his impressions of Nagasaku and his thoughts on acting.
◇Hiromi Nagasaku was "always smiling" on set.
The drama tells the story of Minato Machiyama, who, having finished raising her children, is bewildered by the "time to herself" she has gained at the age of 50, but begins her second life and jumps into a "sushi academy" where she can become a sushi chef in three months.
Nagisa lost his father, Wataru (played by Junpei Goto), in an unfortunate accident 14 years ago. Since then, he has seen Minato living his life to the fullest for Nagisa, and has grown into a kind, serious young man who cares deeply for his mother. This spring, he left Minato's home and started working for a major railway company, living in a dormitory and aiming to become a Shinkansen driver.
Nakazawa recalled that she was "simply happy" to be cast in this film. She also mentioned that she and Nagisa had a lot in common, which made it easy for her to get into the role.
"I've also had the experience of working hard towards a single goal, and I think we're similar in that we tend to worry too much about what others think. I also think we're similar in that we rely on our mothers when necessary, but can be distant at other times (laughs)."
At first, I struggled to understand the dynamics between Minato and Nagisa.
"As an only son, I felt it wouldn't be right to be too cold to his mother, so finding the right balance was difficult. I also felt a little uncomfortable with him constantly smiling and making eye contact while talking, so I discussed it with the director before filming."
Nagasaku was "always smiling" on set. "Just Nagasaku's smile brightened the atmosphere on set, so I want to emulate her," he recalled.
In the second episode, Nagisa is shown treating Minato to a meal with his first paycheck, which was well-received on social media, with comments such as "Nagisa is such a great son, it makes me cry." Nakazawa smiled shyly and said, "I'm really happy to hear that people are saying he's a good son."
In episode 6, there is a scene in which Nagisa is harsh towards Minato. "I'm worried that this might lower his reputation, especially since everyone has been saying he's a 'good son,' but I hope you'll pay attention to the reasons why Nagisa is so harsh," he urged.
◇ Acting is "fun!" Even now, Ryohei Suzuki's presence is very significant.
Since making his acting debut in 2022, Nakazawa has appeared in many works. When asked about acting, which involves living the lives of other people, he said with sparkling eyes, "It's interesting!" and described its appeal, saying, "I think it's a one-of-a-kind job, and it's fun to think about the kind of person you're playing."
I've had many encounters so far, but the person I'll never forget is Ryohei Suzuki, with whom I co-starred in the Sunday drama "Gekokujo Kyuji" (TBS, aired in 2023).
"Ryohei Suzuki has had a huge influence on me. He played a teacher in the role, and he showed me by example. I have a lot of respect for him not only as an actor but also as a person, and it made me realize again that it's not enough to just be good at acting. I realized that I need to cultivate the kind of interpersonal skills that make people think, 'I want to work with this person.'"
In an interview during the broadcast of the Sunday drama "Gekokujo Kyuji," Nakazawa stated that his ideal actor is "an actor who can act naturally, but also know when to show off, an actor with a good balance."
"I don't think that will ever change. Right now, I'd like to bring out something like a 'playfulness' from that. I think humans have many different sides, so I'd like to try various things to add depth to the role," he said, describing his current thoughts.
