Tsuyoshi Kusanagi "Episode Zero" -Courage to restart with the role-December 4, 13:20

A lonely expression on the long hair with curly hair.

* This is the figure in the movie of Tsuyoshi Kusanagi.

In the movie "Midnight Swan" currently being released, Kusanagi plays the main character of a transgender whose body and mind do not match.

The enthusiastic performance became a hot topic and became a long-run hit.

Mr. Kusanagi said that his encounter with this movie reset himself to "Episode Zero" and stood at a new starting point.

He talked about his feelings after a big milestone in an interview over an hour.

* Kusanagi Tsuyoshi has the character "shear" on "bow".

("Good morning Japan" director Naofumi Okamoto)

"The role comes down to the turning point of life"

The movie was shot about a year ago.

In order to remind us of the feelings of those days, we borrowed the costumes and props used for shooting and welcomed Mr. Kusanagi to the studio lined up in a row.

I picked up the bright red high heels I was wearing and said, "This was painful, I walked steadily. I had a hard time because I was on my toes all the time. But I'm dancing, so I had a sense of balance and it was okay." I thought, "This coat was repaired by the stylist's parents' grandmother who did the night pan, but it's a lie," and the atmosphere is loose with jokes.

However, when I talked about the encounter with this "role", I got a serious expression.

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi

"I think that the turning point of my life and the role that suits my feelings will come down, and this role is" I can live more freely, Tsuyoshi! " I felt like he told me. "

"Transgender role" that I dared to challenge without making a role

Kusanagi played the transgender protagonist, Nagisa.

Having a strong sense of discomfort in the body of a man, he left his hometown to work in the night city of Tokyo and lived alone.

I will take care of my relative's child, Ichika, so that I can be pressed by chance.

Ichika, who was abandoned by her parents, couldn't open her heart to others, and at first she rebelled against Nagisa.

However, Nagisa gradually began to support her when she saw Ichika devoting herself to ballet.

Kusanagi performed with a look that he had never seen before, as Nagisa, who was cold and unfriendly, turned into a "mother" who tried to protect the fruit even if she threw everything. ..

When asked about the impression of actor Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, it is a unique presence that comes up in the news.

He is called a "possessed actor" because he seems to be assimilated with the role, and his acting ability has been highly evaluated.

When I asked him how he approached this role, he unexpectedly told me that he did not make a role.

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi

"I read the script first and thought it was a very difficult role. I met a transgender person and talked to him, but I think it must be like this, or femininity. It's better to do it without thinking too much about something. Even

transgender people are different, so I thought that I really didn't have to make a role, so I decided to play freely. However, I thought that humanity was important, and I thought this time more, so I was able to jump in without having to hold it. "

The harsh reality surrounding transgender

Mr. Kusanagi thought about how to play "the main character as a human being" instead of "transgenderness".

However, in the movie, the transgender isolation that is often seen through "colored glasses" rather than as "one person" is realistically depicted.

At the beginning of the movie, the scene of the show pub where the main character Nagisa works.

A man who seems to be a regular comes to the store with young women.

The man says the following to the female customers who praise the appearance of the cast at Nagisa and others.

Man "You guys Is the, for the time being or not a tapir're losing to a man"

woman "Well Is not badly?"

Man "because I'm so hard in gay, also'll persevere you guys"

(from the movie "Midnight Swan")

And here is a scene where Nagisa never decides to support Ichika's dream and is interviewed for employment.

Male interviewer "Now, it's popular, LGBT. It's hard, I'm also taking classes and studying."

Female interviewer "Chief ...!"

Male interviewer "What? Was it? ”

(From the movie“ Midnight Swan ”)

There are many words that hurt Nagisa and others, although neither is offensive to the person speaking.

I drew it based on an episode that I heard from many parties about the reality of today's society, which I know as a word such as LGBT but do not accept it as a foreign existence.

I want to eliminate the "thorns" created by ignorance

"Midnight Swan" is also written by Eiji Uchida.

Mr. Uchida is a unique film director with a career of more than 10 years as a magazine reporter.

I spent more than five years writing this script, including interviewing transgender parties.

He says that the reason for taking up this theme this time was the frustrating feelings toward a society that has not been able to move forward from a superficial understanding.

Director Eiji Uchida

"What kind of prejudice is lurking like in the old days, but I think that everyone thinks" Hmm? "In everyday conversation. That's why things like "Isn't it wrong?" Are somehow tolerated and passed through.

There are people around me who have such a questioning way of thinking, and that's what I am very much about. I was shocked and inspired me to draw this theme as the background of Nagisa.

I think it's because I don't know anything, I think it's because I don't know that there are people who get hurt when I say that. I feel that there is a lot of prejudice that comes from ignorance. Somehow everyone knows in their hearts that the reality seems to be progressing and not so much.

First of all

, it

is best not to

know.

It's not good, know it, and think about something, as a first step. I think you should already stand at the starting point. "

"Human strength" learned from the hero's way of life

Kusanagi says that there is a scene in the movie that left a strong impression on him.

It's the middle of the story, a scene where Ichika, who has been closed to everyone, explodes.

Nagisa desperately appeals while accepting the fruit that is trying to hurt her body with her whole body.

"If you're like us, you can't live alone all the time ... I'm going to be strong"

(from the movie "Midnight Swan")

Kusanagi said that Kusanagi was surprised when Nagisa's words, which she said to live strongly despite her worries and loneliness, gave rise to "feelings I had never felt before" while acting.

Through the appearance of Nagisa, he told me that he learned the "strength" to accept both the other party and himself as he is.

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi

"I really admire you, I'm Nagisa. There are times when I want a strong heart as a person like her. It's wonderful and necessary and the best to forgive other people. But first of all, the power to recognize myself before that.

I think that was the

first time Nagisa felt in her life, thanks to

one

fruit.

Nagisa thought she couldn't recognize her for a long time

.

I think I felt like forgiving myself little by little because of the fruit. Life that I couldn't accept or admit was the most boring, lonely, and sad. I think "

"In a good way, he brought me back to zero."

Mr. Kusanagi enthusiastically talked about what he discovered by playing Nagisa.

When I heard that word, I felt that I was repeating my own life trying to open up a new world after a big turning point three years ago.

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi

"Something is happening to me, to myself, to the world, or to the world. At various timings, this work exists now, and it's very. I think it suits my feelings too. That's why God plays a role. There are some people who

can't forgive me. Why did I do it that way? I wonder if I said it like that, there are things that remain in my mind. I think there are people who should forgive it, but that's what it's like now. It was a work that made me think like that.

Happiness is in my heart, it's not something that people can decide, it's a very simple thing. But human beings are complicated. I'm curious about my opinions, I'm curious about my surroundings, and I'm really curious about

what I think of myself, so I thought Nagisa was really cool. As a result of simply facing my happiness, it became such a story. I'm not a man or a woman, I'm a person, I know from before that a person who shines as one is wonderful It's kind of like that. In a good way, it brought me back to zero. It's about my life, about acting, and as I get older, I think it's going to accumulate, so it's very light. I mean, my feelings really became "episode zero". I think I can start again from here. "

"Good morning Japan"

director　

Naofumi Okamoto　

Joined in 2012.

Currently affiliated after working at the Okinawa station and economic programs.