JAPAN: Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano plays Mongolian Hero in Oscar-nominated "Mongol" and plays nervous student in Golden Bear Award nominated "Kabei - our mother".

Record ID: 462157

  • Title: JAPAN: Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano plays Mongolian Hero in Oscar-nominated "Mongol" and plays nervous student in Golden Bear Award nominated "Kabei - our mother".
  • Date: 31st January 2008
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JANUARY 29, 2008) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TADANOBU ASANO SAYING: "Though sometimes I complained, I never refused to do anything I was asked to do even those were seemingly unreasonable and unneeded swordfight scenes during the filming. I think that attitude helped other people to trust me as a decent actor."
  • Embargoed: 15th February 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Reuters ID: LVAB5BA94D9QK1XR9Y3ONWWDDTV1
  • Story Text: Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano plays Mongolian Hero in an Oscar-nominated "Mongol" and plays nervous student in Golden Bear Award nominated "Kabei - our mother".
    An Oscar-nominated epic about 12th century warrior prince Genghis Khan might appear to have nothing in common with a nostalgic drama about an impoverished Japanese family struggling to survive World War Two.
    In fact, the fearsome, long-haired hero of "Mongol" and the bespectacled student in "Kabei - Our Mother", nominated for a Golden Bear award at this year's Berlin film festival, are both played by Japan's chameleon-like Tadanobu Asano.
    Such career twists are nothing new for the 34-year-old Asano, who made his teen acting debut in "Kinpachi Sensei," a long-running school drama on Japanese television and has since played everything from a samurai warrior to a suicidal librarian.
    His off-beat choice of roles has led some fans to dub him Japan's answer to Johnny Depp.
    "The movie on Mongolian Hero is directed by Sergei Bodrov who was not Mongolian but Russian and the main charactor was played by me, Japanese, not Mongolian," he said in an interview at a Tokyo film studio, days after hearing the film had been nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film.
    "It was very fascinating to make a movie with a lot of people from different cultural grounds from Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongol, Japan, South Korea and China in a rural China," he added -- a situation that sometimes led to misunderstandings.
    "Mongol," based on the story of the man who united nomadic tribes of northeast Asia to create a formidable force that invaded much of Asia, was funded by Kazakh investors to the tune of 15 million euros and shot by Russian director Sergei Bodrov in China and Kazakhstan.
    Preparing for the role was hard work for the Yokohama-born Asano, who had to learn to ride a horse in the one-handed, backward-leaning Mongol style, speak the language and eat by ripping pieces of meat off a joint with a knife.
    "Though sometimes I complained, I never refused to do anything I was asked to do even those were seemingly unreasonable and unneeded swordfight scenes during the filming. I think that attitude helped other people to trust me as a decent actor," he said.
    He also said that he was happy of the Oscar nomination for best foreign film considering the tough circumstances he endured for it.
    At the Feb. 24 Academy Awards in Hollywood, "Mongol" will be pitted against "The Counterfeiters" from Austria, "Katyn" from Poland, the Israeli war drama "Beaufort" and Russia's "12". The nomination is the first for a Kazakh-funded film.
    But an international nod for Asano's work could come earlier if "Kabei," directed by veteran Yoji Yamada, finds success at Berlin.
    He acted as Toru Yamazaki, a student who befriends the troubled family at the centre of the story.
    "These two movies are totally different and both are important to me.
    Acting in a historical play is really challenging for me but on the other hand, a movie depicting usual day is interesting as well for I can easily release myself into acting there," he said.
    The nomination for "Mongol" comes a year after Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi was nominated for an Oscar and four years after Ken Watanabe was nominated for the best supporting actor award for "Last Samurai".
    "I think people are paying attention," Asano said of the recent focus on Japanese acting talent. "Just like baseball players are going to the United States these days, I want people to look at what we're doing."
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