How hard was it for you to make the transition from Sumo champion to actor?
– In Pro Sumo, everything was either “win” or “lose”. That’s all I knew from age 15 to 27.
When I started acting, it was challenging at first, because it wasn’t about winning or losing, it was about doing the best possible PERFORMANCE. If I perform well, people will be drawn to watch my work. I really developed performance ability, especially from my 18 months of work on the hit Netflix series “Sanctuary”.
Please tell us a little bit about your work in “John Wick: Chapter 4.”
– The John Wick franchise is an amazing, globally-recognized series of films. Being part of that was a big credit for me.
I spent one full month in Berlin, Germany, rehearsing and filming for John Wick 4. One of the coolest experiences was to watch the big stars like Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, and of course, Keanu Reeves, all working hard on their stunts. They were working out and rehearsing intensely. I was very impressed to see A-list Talent all putting so much serious effort into their training! Great to see it firsthand.
The Netflix hit drama “Sanctuary” offered a glimpse into the world of Sumo. Can you share a memorable or funny behind-the-scenes moment from that project?
– We worked for over a year, just on shooting that series. It was pretty intense. Some of the main characters, like me, had real Pro Sumo experience for years. However, some of the actors did NOT have a sumo background. So, they had to spend months, before the shoot started, on training heavily every day, eating a huge amount of food, and learning the basics of sumo.
When it came time to shoot, the director was telling me to smash my opponents with a lot of force, but the ones with no real sumo background were scared, and I was afraid that I would hurt them. So, I held back a lot, and just used 10% of my power. The director kept screaming at me to hit harder. When I finally gave just a tiny bit more power, though, some of the actors got injured. There were a lot of challenges like that behind the scenes!
“The Wide West” is your first Western. Do you generally like this genre?
– I love Westerns, and really any movies with a cool historical and cultural setting. For example, this is not a “Western” series exactly, but I like all the “Indiana Jones” movies because they take place in such interesting, iconic settings. You can see the Sphinx and Pyramids from ancient Egypt. In the same way, in Westerns, you can see the lives of pioneers who traveled west.
When I see movies set in historical contexts, I really enjoy researching about those times and cultures. Watching “The Wide West” made me study more about the U.S. over a century ago, and about the journey by Hitachiyama in 1907 (on which the film is loosely based).
How did you approach your character, Daiki?
– After portraying the character of Shizuuchi on “Sanctuary”, it was really easy and fun for me to play Daiki. Even though Shizuuchi was one of the lead characters, he was always silent. So, I had to portray his feelings, using only facial expressions and body language.
I am a naturally talkative and outgoing person. So, when I read the script for “The Wide West”, it was exciting to get into the Daiki character. I could express all my feelings so easily through my words!
What was the hardest part of making “The Wide West” for you as an actor? And what was the easiest?
– The hardest aspect was that we shot for days in a row, 14 hours every day, in 100-degree weather in the Yucca Valley desert, in June! It was very taxing. Not only that, but before we did the sumo fight scene (on my last day of shooting), when I was doing a scene of taping up my injured knee, I stepped on some ants, and got bit quite a bit. So, when I was doing the sumo fight, I was actually in pain from ant bites!
One aspect that made the shoot easier was that I was shooting with friends and familiar faces, like my fellow sumo wrestler Ichi, as well as Kaz Kobayashi (the referee), Alexander Nevsky, and Andrew Freund (who I have worked with globally, for many years).
Also, all the cast and crew were very warm and welcoming to me. They all seemed to love Japanese culture, and made the shoot very comfortable for me.
What is your favorite scene in “The Wide West”?
– My favorite scene is when Ichi and I held a large table and did the traditional sumo charge, smashing into several of the bad guys! Iconic.
I also was happy, after winning the sumo match, to get a kiss from one of the ladies, on camera!
What was it like working with your fellow Sumo champion, Ichi, and former Mr. Universe, Alexander Nevsky?
– It was wonderful to work with Alexander. He has acted in and produced SO many movies, so his experience helped all of us, and made everything go very smoothly. He helped guide us in many ways, like a mentor. His past credits and long history in movie-making were a big plus to the production!
Ichi was great to partner with, too. He was very successful in Pro Sumo, but he is pretty new to acting, so actually I had to help him get a feel for it. It was a positive experience for both of us.
With so much adrenaline during each scene, how did you unwind after a long day on set?
– There was no time to “unwind”. After a day of shooting, I barely could eat some food and then sleep.
What was it like working with your co-stars Tatiana Neva, Nick Baillie, and Kaz Kobayashi?
– My Japanese co-star, Kaz Kobayashi, is an inspiration to me. He did a great job studying all his lines in English (not his native tongue). He was very self-motivated and fantastic to work with. Thanks to Kaz, the sumo group scenes all went very smoothly.
Other co-stars, like Tatiana and Nick, were great role models for me, too.
What is your favorite scene in “The Wide West”?
– My favorite scene is when Ichi and I held a large table and did the traditional sumo charge, smashing into several of the bad guys! Iconic.
I also was happy, after winning the sumo match, to get a kiss from one of the ladies, on camera!
What was it like working with your fellow Sumo champion, Ichi, and former Mr. Universe, Alexander Nevsky?
– It was wonderful to work with Alexander. He has acted in and produced SO many movies, so his experience helped all of us, and made everything go very smoothly. He helped guide us in many ways, like a mentor. His past credits and long history in movie-making were a big plus to the production!
Ichi was great to partner with, too. He was very successful in Pro Sumo, but he is pretty new to acting, so actually I had to help him get a feel for it. It was a positive experience for both of us.
With so much adrenaline during each scene, how did you unwind after a long day on set?
– There was no time to “unwind”. After a day of shooting, I barely could eat some food and then sleep.
What was it like working with your co-stars Tatiana Neva, Nick Baillie, and Kaz Kobayashi?
– My Japanese co-star, Kaz Kobayashi, is an inspiration to me. He did a great job studying all his lines in English (not his native tongue). He was very self-motivated and fantastic to work with. Thanks to Kaz, the sumo group scenes all went very smoothly.
Other co-stars, like Tatiana and Nick, were great role models for me, too.
Are you pleased with how “The Wide West” turned out? What are your hopes for the film?
– Yes, it was satisfying to watch. I hope that many viewers enjoy it.
Are you interested in a potential “The Wide West 2”?
– Yes, I have long wanted to work on a movie series (with several parts). Let’s bring the sumo wrestlers to Washington D.C., just like what really happened historically, in 1907!
If you were stuck on a desert island and could only take three films with you (any genre), what would they be?
– Well, I would take the Netflix series (multiple seasons) “Squid Games”. That is really exciting.
Oh yeah, but that’s not a feature film, right? It’s like a TV series.
OK, in that case, let me choose 3 SERIES of films: The Mission Impossible series, the John Wick series (of course), and the Jurassic World series.
In Jurassic World, even though we know dinosaurs are not alive in the world today, it’s fascinating to watch what might be happening if they were here.
As you can see, I did NOT choose “The Wide West”. Why? Because it’s not a series . . . YET.
Thank you to Hiroki Sumi for taking time to talk to us and Alexander Nevsky for your support.
