Preserving tradition and pursuing innovation: His challenge to a wide range of expression captivates the world — An interview with Nakamura Shido

Please tell us about your current activities.

Nakamura Shido: I myself am also doing some work in the field of video, but my main job is as a kabuki actor. While I perform in kabuki performances, when I am not performing in kabuki, I work on television and in movies.

Speaking of video work, the role of Kazama Ryuichi (nicknamed Dragon) in the movie "Ping Pong" left a strong impression on me.

Nakamura Shido: At the time, in kabuki, I was only given roles in the crowd or in the line-up, so I wanted to become an actor who could take the center stage in kabuki, and "Nakamura Shido" was the name my father used when he was a child actor, but he retired at a young age, so I wanted to have a name that everyone would know in my generation.

In the midst of this, I looked for opportunities not only in kabuki but also in the outside world. I auditioned for various roles, and by chance I got into Ping Pong. At the time, I was playing a high school student, but I was 30 years old.

In your career so far, are there any people or events that have had a positive influence on you or left a lasting impression on you?

Nakamura Shido: Director Clint Eastwood, John Woo, director of "Red Cliff," and directors and scriptwriters Koki Mitani, Kankuro Kudo, and Ryo Iwamatsu. Recently, directors Takeshi Kitano, Koreeda, Miike, and Michihito Fujii.

I was very happy to be able to work with people who I had always wanted to work with since I was young.

Do you often get inspiration from their works, or do you learn by communicating with them in the films they have actually appeared in?

Nakamura Shido: Of course, I often have the opportunity to see the director's past works, but when I meet with the director for a costume fitting or a meeting, I may first observe what type of director he is and think about how to make a better work.

For example, is he the type of director who you can communicate with and create something together with? I think there are many different types of directors, but when I worked with director Kazuya Shiraishi on "The Worst Guys in Japan," I felt like we created the work on set, especially through discussion.

First of all, you express what you have in mind on set. Among them, there are also co-stars in the work, so how you respond to the other person's acting and the challenges that arise on set are also fun parts of acting.