Anna Sawai, winner of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for “Shogun,” Hiroyuki Sanada, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for “Shogun,” and the cast and crew of the series pose at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.
15:28 JST, September 17, 2024
Actor Tokuma Nishioka, one of the stars of “Shogun,” which won a record 18 Emmy Awards for its first season, has expressed his admiration for Hiroyuki Sanada and the attention to detail he put into the drama.
Nishioka was cast as a subordinate of Yoshii Toranaga, a warlord played by Sanada. Nishioka had previously starred with Sanada in NHK’s Taiga historical drama “Taiheiki,” among other productions.
After Nishioka successfully auditioned for his role in Shogun, he was reunited with Sanada after many years.
“We promised that we would produce a Japanese historical drama that would not disappoint, and we had a firm handshake for that,” he said.
Nishioka said Sanada also made his mark as a producer.
“The filming took place during the COVID pandemic. Even on the days when he didn’t have a shooting schedule, he watched all the scenes, wearing two masks, glasses and a hat,” he said.
“He was so meticulous about detail, correcting the hand position of a samurai extra he had seen bowing.
“Sanada pushed herself harder than anyone [as an actor and a producer].”
