Actor Juri Kosaka　

Being true to your emotions and using your naturalness to make your dreams come true

Actor Juri Kosaka　

■ Profile
She has been an exclusive model for Seventeen since August 2009, and made her acting debut in the same year. In 2010, she played the heroine in NHK's "Heroine Birth! Dramatic Women" and in 2011, the NHK special drama "Menstrual Man and His Daughter," for which she won the Excellence Award for Best Drama and Best Single-Episode Drama at the Tokyo Drama Awards. She has also appeared in CX's "My Favorite Flower," NTV's "Nurse Aid Next Door" and CX's "Billion x School" in 2012, TBS Sunday Theatre's "Mikami Sensei," BS NHK's "True Colors," and an Oronamin C commercial. She will co-star in the NHK morning drama "Kaze, Kaoru" in the first half of 2014.

Juri Uesaka is an exclusive model for Seventeen and was selected to play the main role in the 2025 Sunday Theatre drama "Mikami Sensei." As she continues to expand her horizons as an actress, she will be releasing her first photobook on July 14th, her 20th birthday. We spoke to her about the changes in her mindset as she reaches the milestone of turning 20, and her future as an actress.

When I was in the sixth grade of elementary school, I auditioned for an agency, which led me to enter the entertainment industry. I loved wearing clothes that were passed down from my older sister, and when I saw girls my age in the magazines my mother bought for me, all sparkling with cute makeup, I thought, "I want to be like that too...!" and started working as a model. I was also the student council president at school, so people tend to think I like being in front of people, but this is also due to my older sister's influence. To be honest, I wasn't very good at standing out (laughs).
The reason I started aiming to become an actor was because I joined an agency, took acting lessons, and discovered the joy of playing someone other than myself. I think that being able to take on the life of someone who has different elements from yourself and play a role is an attractive part of the job of an actor.

■ Approach the play in a natural way

The time I hit a wall in acting was when I was appearing in the drama "Billion x School." My mind would go blank while I was acting, to the point where I thought, "Oh no, I can't do this." At that time, the director gave me some advice: I should pay more attention to the expressions of the people around me who were taking their acting seriously. It's true that at the time, I was trying to do everything on my own and not paying attention to what was going on around me. So, after receiving his advice, I started to pay close attention to what was going on around me, and to be conscious of the back-and-forth of my acting so that I could respond to the other person.
When I'm preparing for a role, I try to let my imagination run wild for the character I'm playing, but I try not to over-prepare. Unlike practicing alone at home, when it's a live performance, there are many reactions that can only be understood on the spot, such as the emotions that emerge when you see the other person's expression in response to the words you've spoken, so I try to be natural.
During filming, I can't objectively see how I look, so when I watch the broadcast in real time, I enjoy it as one of the viewers. It makes me happy to realize that "I'm in it!" My friends and family support this job, and they often contact me during the broadcast and watch the drama with me. Also, when I watch a drama with my family, we don't say a word, and after it's over, I ask them their thoughts on the work and how I acted in scenes that caught my eye. Every day, I feel blessed to have such great people around me.
What I find most rewarding is when I receive feedback after the show has aired. I'm very happy when I feel like I've been a part of delivering the message that the show wants to convey to the viewers. I want to continue to put my all into this work.

■ Her first life-size photo book was released on her 20th birthday

Releasing a photo book has always been one of my dreams, so I was thrilled to hear about the opportunity to release it on my 20th birthday. In order to express myself in my final years as a teenager, I deliberately refrained from expressing anything too expressive and instead focused on being myself, as I know only I am now. The photo shoot took place on the Goto Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture. It was a wonderful experience to be surrounded by scenery and nature that I had never experienced before. What made the biggest impression on me was going on a boat to fish, having it prepared for me as sashimi, and eating it on the spot. It was the most delicious fish I've ever eaten, and its expression is captured in the photograph, so it's definitely worth a look (laughs). I also love the ocean photos, which I took after getting up a little early and taking a dip in the ocean. I hope you'll enjoy seeing my natural, unpretentious self. I hope that just looking at the photos will make you feel like you're traveling with me around the Goto Islands.

From a regret-free teenage life to an actor in his twenties

People around me often tell me, "Your teenage years are only a fleeting moment, so you'd better enjoy them to the fullest," but when I look back on my time, I have no regrets. In fact, I'm almost wishing I could be in my 20s already!
By the way, the first thing I've decided to do when I turn 20 is to have a drink with my family. My goal when I'm 20 is to see myself on the big screen at a movie theater. As an actor, I want to become someone who can live as a person within the world of a work.
Also, my biggest dream right now is to become the heroine of a morning drama. When I get a little older, I would like to try playing a strong-willed role like a lawyer.

■Message to university students

When you meet a lot of people, you can't help but compare yourself to those around you. There was a time when I would compare myself to those around me during auditions and other events. At times like that, instead of trying hard to stay positive, I try to cry my eyes out and get as depressed as possible. I also try not to think about unnecessary things and focus on what I can do now.
I think that people of my generation are also reaching a point where they need to narrow down their options for the future. I've just turned 20 and have many thoughts, but I feel that the most important thing is to have strong convictions and be honest with my feelings. I don't know yet if this is the right choice, but at the very least, I want to spend my life facing the things I want to do and the things I love. I will also do my best to become someone who can inspire and encourage many people through the works I appear in.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on April 2, 2025 by Yuka Matsuzaka, a fourth-year student at Keio University

[Book information]

Mai Wakao, third-year student at International Christian University; Rinno Koshiyama, third-year student at Toyo University; Yusaka Matsuzaka, fourth-year student at Keio University; Rurika Abe, second-year student at Showa Women's University