Sota Fukushi: Facing the present with all your might will be the fuel for creating the future

An actor　福士蒼汰(Fukushima Souta)

■ Profile
Born May 30, 1993 in Tokyo. He gained attention for his starring role in the special effects drama "Kamen Rider Fourze," which aired from 2011 to 2012. He won the Newcomer Actor Award at the 38th Japan Academy Awards for his performances in the films "In the Hero," "As the Gods Will," and "Say I Love You." He made his overseas debut in Season 2 of the drama "THE HEAD," which is currently streaming on Hulu.

Since his debut in 2011, Sota Fukushi has been active in numerous films and popular dramas, playing a wide range of roles. He is currently starring in a major international drama series, which is being exclusively streamed on Hulu."THE HEAD" Season 2We asked him about the highlights of the film, his thoughts on his first overseas production, and his mindset as an actor.

I've never been good at being in front of people, but when I stood on stage as part of a performance with the Double Touch Club during my student days, I began to enjoy being in front of people. This experience is relevant to my current job. I didn't have a clear dream at the time, but I thought that as a student I could take on challenges without fear of failure, so I jumped into the world of acting.
I studied hard when I was a student. I especially liked English, and when I was in junior high school, I was so happy that my teacher praised my pronunciation, which motivated me to study. I still continue to study English on my own. When I was 20, I had the opportunity to speak with a foreigner, but I couldn't speak at all, and I realized that I needed to improve my conversation skills. Since then, I have made it my goal to study every day, whenever I find a spare moment, such as when I'm traveling by car.
The best way to study is to start with pronunciation. If you can pronounce words clearly, you will be seen as someone who can speak English, which makes you feel good (laughs). As an actor, my job is to speak the lines I'm given, so I pay particular attention to my pronunciation and practice.

■Even if the world is your opponent, the things you have to do are the same

"THE HEAD" will be my first attempt at an overseas production. It's something I've always wanted to do, so when I heard about it I felt some pressure, but the joy outweighed that. Appearing in an overseas production has been my dream ever since I started working as an actor. It was a goal I wanted to achieve in my twenties, so I'm glad I was able to make it come true. I was really happy to have the opportunity to put to use the English I've worked so hard to improve.
All filming took place in Spain. At first I was a bit worried about communication, but everyone was so kind to me that I felt at ease. The cast members came from all over the world, including Sweden, the UK, and France, so it was difficult to understand the language differences and the cultural differences behind them, but everyone was interested in Japan, and when I was able to explain Japanese culture to them, I was reminded once again how glad I am to be Japanese.
Also, even if the location changes, my feelings about creating my work remain the same. Everything I have learned and acquired up until now is everything. I will make the most of that ability and strive to create a good work, and that is something I have always valued. I believe that who I am today is the result of seriously facing each and every task in front of me. I would like to continue with that attitude.

■ Facing the present moment

In this production, I play the role of Yuto, an excellent engineer. When I was thinking about what kind of person Yuto is as I was playing this role, I thought that as an engineer who is good at computers, he must be a fast typist. I watched a video of the World Typing Championship to study what kind of actions people take, and I was impressed by how they warm up their hands before touching the keyboard. I kept this in mind in the production, so I hope you will pay attention to such small details.
Yuto also has a personality that allows him to calmly deal with problems and try to solve them. I feel that there are some similarities between him and me in the way he approaches things after careful preparation. In dramas and movies, the same scenes are shot over and over again from multiple angles, so it's inevitable that you become accustomed to them as you do so. He values ​​the "present" moment so as not to lose naturalness and realism. During filming, he forgets everything and immerses himself in the "now." To achieve this, he discusses and confirms things many times beforehand, thoroughly reads the script, and never neglects to prepare meticulously. The key to being immersed in a role is to always keep in mind that "only preparation can solve anything."
The most rewarding moments as an actor are when everything in life is put to use in your work. Every day you experience a variety of things and interact with many people, which gives rise to a wide range of emotions. Remember the painful and sad things, the things you would normally want to forget, and even your failures. By doing this, you will be able to better understand the character when you act. When you find yourself thinking, "I know how they feel!" during your work, you will feel glad that your past experiences have been put to good use.

■ Find what you want to do and hone it

While you're a university student, it's important to find your core values ​​and what you want to do, hone them, and continue doing them. Because you have a lot of free time, it's a time when you don't know what to do.
At times like these, it's important to take time to search for yourself and reflect on yourself. It's important to go all out, but don't forget to be flexible at times, think about things from multiple perspectives, and make your life richer.

Elementary School Newspaper September 15, 2023 Issue by Rikkyo University 9rd Year Student Narina Ogata

<English article>

Actor Sota Fukushi

Facing 'now' with the best of power would be the reason for living to create the future

■Profile
Born May 30, 1993, in Tokyo, Japan. He first caught attention when he played the leading role in the Tokusatsu drama "Kamen Rider Fourze" in 2012. He received the Japan Academy Prize for best new actor for his performances in the films "In the Hero," "As God Says," and "Say 'I Love You'." He debuted in an international production in Season 2 of the drama "The Head," which is available on Hulu.

Since his debut in 2011, Mr.Sota Fukushi has played a wide range of roles in various films and popular TV dramas. He is currently starring in Season 2 of the international drama series 'THE HEAD,' which is being distributed exclusively on Hulu. We asked him about the film's attractions, his thoughts on his first international work, and his acting mindset.

I have not always been good at being in front of people, but when I was a high school student and stood on stage in a performance of the Double Touch club, I began to find it fun to be in front of people. This experience led me to my current job. I didn't have a clear dream then, but I thought that as a student, I could take on challenges now without fear of failure, so I jumped into the world of actors.

I worked hard on my studies when I was a student. I particularly liked English because I was happy that my teacher praised my pronunciation in junior high school, which motivated me to study more. I still continue to study English by myself. When I was 20, I had an opportunity to speak with a foreigner, but I could not speak at all and felt I needed to improve my conversational skills. Since then, I have decided to study every day whenever I can find a free moment, such as when I am in the car.

The recommended way to study is to start with pronunciation. If you can pronounce it well, you look like an English speaker, which makes you feel great (laughs). As an actor, my job is to speak the lines I'm given, so I train especially with pronunciation in mind.

■ It is the same what to do even in international production

THE HEAD is my first attempt at an international production. It had always been a goal of mine, so when I heard about it, there was a lot of pressure, but I was more delighted than that. It has been a dream of mine to act in an overseas production since I started working as an actor, and it was a goal I wanted to achieve in my 20s, so I am glad I could do it. Also, I was pleased to have the opportunity to use the English I had worked so hard on.

All the filming was done in Spain. At first, I was worried about communication, but everyone was very kind to me and made me feel very comfortable. The cast came from all over the world, including Sweden, the UK, and France, so it was difficult to understand the language and cultural differences in their backgrounds. However, everyone was interested in Japan, and when I introduced them to Japanese culture, I was once again glad to be Japanese.

Also, even if the location changes, my feelings when creating my work are always the same. It is all about what I have learned and acquired so far. I want to make sure that I can fully demonstrate my abilities and create a good production, which has always been important to me. I believe that I am who I am now as a result of having faced each and every job seriously. I want to keep this attitude in the future.

■ Facing the 'now' moment

I played the role of Yuto, a brilliant engineer, in this production. When I thought about what kind of person Youto would be when playing this role, I imagined that he must type very fast if he is an engineer and good at computers. I watched videos of the typing world championships and studied how people type, and I was impressed by the way he warms his hands before touching the keyboard. I was conscious of this in production, so I want the audience to also pay attention to details to such.

Youto is also a character who deals with problems calmly and tries to solve them. I feel that the way Yuto prepares carefully and challenges things is similar to my own character. In dramas and films, the same scenes are filmed repeatedly from multiple angles, so actors inevitably become used to the process as they film repeatedly. Therefore, I try not to lose the naturalness and reality of the scene, so I focus on the 'now' moment. During production, I forget everything and concentrate on the 'now'. For this reason, we discuss and check the script many times in advance, read it thoroughly, and make careful preparations. The key to immersion is always feeling that 'everything can only be solved by preparation'.

The most rewarding moments for me as an actor are when everything I do in life is applied to my job. Every day, you experience many things and interact with many people, which creates a wide range of emotions. I remember the hard and sad things I would generally like to forget and the mistakes I have made. By doing so, I can understand more about the role. When I am working, I can say to myself, “I know how this feels!” then I can feel happy that I have been able to make use of my experience.

■ Finding developing and what you want to do

Find your own core values ​​and what you want to do while you are still a university student and develop them. I think it is essential to continue to do this. As you have a lot of free time, it is a time when you do not know what you should do.

At such times, spending time finding yourself and looking at yourself is essential. It's also important to keep at it, but sometimes you have to be flexible and think about things from multiple perspectives to make your life more fulfilling.

In charge of translation：INTERNATIONAL CHISTIAN UNAIVERSITY Mai Wako
Translated by Mai Wakao, a first-year student at International Christian University

<Chinese article>

actor　Fukushi Shota

Full-force development “currently” and future dynamics

■ Introduction
Born on May 30, 1993, in Tokyo. Starred as the teacher in the TV drama "Kamen Rider Fourze" broadcast from 2011 to 2012. He won the 38th Best Newcomer Award in Oscars, Japan for his work in the films "In the Hero," "As the Gods Will," and "It's Okay to Love." He debuted overseas in Season 2 of the TV drama "The Head," broadcast on Hulu.

Since his debut in 2011, Fukushi Taisho has been active in many TV shows, and has appeared in many TV shows. The Head is currently appearing in a large-scale international daily drama ``The Head'' Season 2, which was released exclusively on Hulu. The writer's review of the work, his own impressions of the work abroad, and the feelings of the performers.

Originally, I didn't wear a mask in front of people for a long time, but since I was a student, I've been trying to see it in front of people when I'm on stage. This is how the current work is also done. At that time, it was a clear dream, but I realized that the student could not fail, challenge, and therefore continue to enter the world of performers.
When I was a student, I worked hard to learn. When I was in junior high school, I was called an old teacher, so I was very open-minded, and I learned a lot. I am currently studying English. 20 years ago, there was an opportunity for a foreigner to speak to me, but at that time I would not be able to speak to them completely, so I would like to understand that you need to have a high level of conversation skills. After this, our goal is to study the car every time.
The recommended learning method is the beginning of the sound. I like the sound of the song, and when I see the image of the person who speaks in English, the person who talks about the situation changes their feelings (lol). Because I work as an actor, I work in a specific language, I have a different meaning, and I have a running program.

■The world is different from the previous one, and the same situation exists.

《The HEAD》This is the first challenge overseas work. Because of this, the goal is to be direct, so when you get there, you'll be happy, but you'll be more than happy. This is the dream of the actors who have appeared in overseas productions since the beginning of their career. This is the actual goal of 20 years of people, so the actual reality is the best. The opportunity for me to study English is very exciting for me.
The capital is in the West and is moving forward. When I first started, I was also worried about the situation, but the landlord did not give up on it, so I was completely absent-minded. Because the performers come from all over the world, including the United Kingdom and other countries around the world, there are differences in language and cultural differences in their backgrounds, but they are Japanese people who are native to Japan, understand Japanese culture, and understand Japanese cultural times.
In addition, the feelings of the production work are also the same. We are currently studying in the East and West, and we are in the East and West. This is a very rare and rare area in Nagoya. I am aware of the outcome of each situation, the actual self, in front of my eyes. There is no need to change your appearance after you wish.

■The face is “currently” for a moment

This is an excellent project director in the next work. At the time of the performance, when I was acting, I thought that it was a special person, and the production process was long, and the positive character was also fast. After observing the world's greatest explorations, the research was completed, and the results were very strong. Due to the fact that the work is important, I hope that the master will also be able to note the details.
Besides, Yuto has a calm and calm personality that solves the problem. Carefully prepare and then challenge the physical region, feel and understand the important parts of yourself. A Japanese video recording is capable of repeating multiple beats in the same scene, moving in multiple directions, and moving around the city without any doubt. An unforgettable natural feeling, a sense of peace, and a rare moment of being “present.” During the official production, I will not forget anything about the meeting, but please note that it is currently in progress. In the book, the truth is prepared.The heart is the secret of the introduction of the situation.
At the moment when I felt a sense of accomplishment as an actor, I was actively working on the project. Every day in the world, there are various kinds of circumstances, and there are many kinds of interactions, and there are various kinds of feelings in the middle of the world. Need to record painful circumstances, tragic circumstances, general circumstances, forgetful circumstances, and failed circumstances. At this time, I have a good understanding of the current situation. During the course of my work, when I arrived at ``Know this path's personal feelings!'', I would like to review and utilize the skills I have gained.

■Achievement of self-conceived circumstances and training

Current university student middle school student's own core thoughts and thoughts, and the details of the training. I understand that the details below are important. Because there is so much free time, that is why it is an unknown path.
It's important to take time to explore yourself, to focus on yourself. It's important to keep track of things, but there are times when you don't need to forget or remember things, think about things from multiple perspectives, and change your life.

Translated by: Mio Nakayama