HELIX — “Vector” Episode 102 — Pictured: Hiroyuki Sanada — (Photo by: Bertrand Calmeau/Syfy)
Hiroyuki Sanada Adds Mystery To Helix
by London Christopher
His Scientist Adds Mystery To A Pandemic In Syfy’s Helix, and He Discusses His New Steven Spielberg/Halle Berry TV Series Extant,Voicing A Despicable Me Minion and His Extraordinary Career FromKing Lear To The Last Samurai!
Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada is best known for his superb portrayal of the reluctant Samurai, Seibei Iguchi, a sensitive and loving family man in the 2002 Japanese foreign language film, Tasogare Seibei (The Twilight Samurai). That film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It swept the Japanese Academy Awards, winning twelve awards including for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, and a Best Actor win for Sanada.
Sanada, who was born in Tokyo, was already a major star in his native Japan, having crafted an extensive, multi-faceted, and stellar acting career on stage, screen, and TV.
The Twilight Samurai and its talented star caught the attention of US and international audiences – and filmmakers who wanted to see more. Hollywood came calling the very next year in 2003, with Sanada’s American major film debut in The Last Samurai, starring with Tom Cruise. From there, Sanada’s career took off.
Hiroyuki Sanada began his acting career at just five years old, playing a Yakuza’s son in a Japanese film, after a talent scout noticed and enrolled him in a school for child actors. Sanada also trained with martial arts icon Sonny Chiba’s Action Club. He went on to star in a host of hugely successful martial arts and Samurai films, many for Sanada’s favorite film director, Kinji Fukasaku. These included 1981’s MakaiTensho (Samurai Reincarnation) – which garnered Sanada a Japanese Academy Award for Best Newcomer Of The Year – and 1983’s Satomi Hakkenden (Legend Of The Eight Samurai).
Sanada then went on to amass a diverse and acclaimed landscape of roles. His work in drama, romance, comedy, horror, science fiction, and musicals showcase his immense emotional depth and range.
Sanada starred as the heroic father in 1998’s Ringu and its sequel, 1999’s Ringu 2. Ringu is Japan’s highest grossing horror film and a cult classic that paved the way for many Japanese horror films to become hit underground favorites here in the USA. Both films were remade here in America, into hit English language films, as 2002’s The Ring and 2005’s The Ring Two.
Hiro also starred in numerous Japanese TV series, including the hit 1997 Japanese dramatic TV series Konna Koi No Hanashi (A Story Of Love), which dealt with serious, topical issues of social commentary within its romantic subplot.
Sanada’s first love is the theater, as well as also being a gifted singer, songwriter, and musician. He has continued to light up the stage throughout his career. He starred as Seymour in the 1987 Japanese stage production of the hit horror rock musical and comedy The Little Shop Of Horrors. Hiro also appeared in Japanese stagings of the Tony® award winning Broadway musical Big River in 1988, Broadway Bound, the Tony® nominated story of playwright Neil Simon’s life in 1989, and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in 1986.
In 1998 Sanada became much the venerable thespian owing to his lauded role in Hamlet on the London stage with a Japanese theater company.
This led to Sanada receiving international acclaim when British actor Sir Nigel Hawthorne personally invited Hiro to star with him and portray The Fool in The Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1999 and 2000 London stage production of King Lear. Sanada learned and became fluent in English for his role in King Lear. Sanada’s portrayal in King Lear also garnered Sanada an honorary MBE (Member of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth II.
After Sanada’s international acclaim in The Twilight Samurai, he lit up the American screen for the first time in the fact-based blockbuster history epic, The Last Samurai, in 2003. Sanada portrayed the formidable and proud Samurai warrior Ujio, who mentors Tom Cruise’s character, Captain Nathan Algren. The role of Ujio became a favorite with American audiences. An esteemed dream list of directors and actors went on to cast Sanada in their illustrious work.
Art house film director James Ivory cast Sanada in two of his critically acclaimed films. The first of those was 2005’s The White Countessstarring opposite Ralph Fiennes in a tale of emotionally vulnerable people traversing the political upheaval of 1930’s Shanghai. Ivory again sought Sanada’s talents in 2009’s The City Of Your Final Destination starring as Anthony Hopkins character’s young gay lover.
In 2007 Sanada starred with Chris Evans in director Danny Boyle’s science fiction disaster film Sunshine. Sanada also portrayed a villain opposite Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan in director Brett Ratner’s comedy action hit Rush Hour 3. The infamous Lana and Andy Wachowski (ofThe Matrix fame) invited Hiro to play Mr. Musha, President of Musha Motors in their 2008 live action film of Speed Racer.
The last few years have seen Sanada celebrate a cult status for his many recent film and TV roles throughout the science fiction, fantasy, and comics genres. Sanada lit up fan boards and garnered acclaim from mainstream audiences as the mysterious “Other” Dogen on season six of the ABC TV Network’s Lost and for the role of Satoshi Takeda, the martial arts mentor to Emily VanCamp’s character Emily Thorne on ABC’s Revenge. 2013 saw Sanada starring opposite Hugh Jackman in the summer blockbuster The Wolverine, the hugely popular X-Menspinoff.
Hiro also stars in the independent, critically-acclaimed film The Railway Man, along with Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Irvine and Stellan Skarsgård, The movie is the autobiographical true story of Eric Lomax, a British soldier and survivor of a WW2 Japanese POW camp, coming to terms with his past in the present day. The film received standing ovations and accolades from the press when it premiered last September 2013 at The Toronto Film Festival. Sanada portrays Takashi Nagase, the Japanese Officer who tortured Eric in the camp, who also comes to terms with his past in the present day.
December 2013 saw Sanada star in 47 Ronin, opposite Keanu Reaves. Hiro portrayed real life Samurai hero Oishi Yoshio in the blockbuster supernatural fantasy envisioning of the true story of Japan’s most beloved and legendary chapter in their nation’s proud history.
On the day of the January 10, 2014 premiere of Helix, Sanada’s new science fiction, suspense thriller TV series, Hiro graciously took time to discuss his starring role as mysterious scientist Dr. Hiroshi Hatake. Helixis executive produced by Alan D. Moore, renowned screenwriter and producer of Battlestar Galactica andStar Trek: The Next Generation. The series also stars Billy Campbell, Kyra Zagorsky and Mark Ghanime. Helix airs on the Syfy Cable Television Network, Fridays at 10pm EST.
Hiro also regaled me about his luminous acting and music career, and the many esteemed upcoming creative projects he’s currently working on. This summer 2014 he will be starring with Oscar® winner HalleBerry in the CBS Television Network’s science fiction series Extant, produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. Sanada is also voicing the character of Sumo Villain in the summer 2015 Despicable Mespinoff animated feature film, Minions!
Congratulations on the January 10, 2014 premiere of Helix. For people who haven’t yet seen it, what can you tell people about the show’s storyline: especially about your scientist character Dr. Hiroshi Hatake and how he relates as a pivotal figure to the plot and to the other characters on an urgent scientific expedition?
My role in Helix is Dr. Hiroshi Hatake. He is the director of research in the Arctic, at Arctic Biosystems. In the beginning of the story, CDC (The Center For Disease Control) members arrive to the Arctic base to investigate a possible disease outbreak. Dr. Hatake explains to them about the disease but he has a lot of secrets in his past. He is a mysterious man and has his own mission. It will be clear how he’s involved with the disease and what kind of relationship he has between the other members little by little.
Helix is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore, known for his esteemed work as a screenwriter and producer on Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. How did you become involved with Helix? What’s it like working with Ronald and also Helix creator Cameron Porsandeh?
I am so excited to work with Ronald and had a wonderful time during shooting. I received the script and the offer letter at the same time. I really enjoy the story and my role. Cameron told me that he created the character of Dr. Hatake for me. It’s a very happy thing as an actor, but also, it’s a lot of pressure for me, too.
How did you prepare for and immerse yourself in your character?
I followed my first impression for my character and I just reacted to the other actors on set. They helped me a lot and I enjoyed the collaboration with the great directors.
You’ve done science fiction genre roles before, most notably as Captain Kaneda in the 2007 film Sunshine. But Helix is also a suspense thriller with a mystery to be solved as well. Are you a fan of those genres and how exciting is it for you to be playing Dr. Hatake?
I am a big fan of Alien and many other science fiction movies. I was so happy to be a part of the cast of Sunshine. I learned a lot from the director, Danny Boyle. I really enjoy playing Dr. Hatake because he is deeply involved in the story, but with a mystery….
From the first fifteen minutes you feel Dr. Hatake is an ambiguous character with complex motives. Is he a hero? Is he a villain? Is he part of a conspiracy? Without giving too much away, what can you reveal about his hidden motives and agendas?
Dr. Hatake has a huge dream as a scientist. He has devoted all of his life towards discovery. But sacrifice is always necessary for the development of science. So, he must be a villain for somebody, but also he could be a hero if he can get something! Part of a conspiracy? Maybe… As a victim?… Let’s see!
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