Hiroyuki Sanada is one of the most respected actors in Japan, and he has successfully carved a niche for himself in Hollywood with his unique set of skills. Sanada’s rise to fame has been slow, but he is finally at a place where his voice is heard and honored in the industry. He donned the producer’s hat on Shōgun, and given the critical acclaim the drama has been winning, the actor has hit the jackpot.
Hiroyuki Sanada made his Hollywood debut in The Last Samurai in 2003, where Tom Cruise played the protagonist. Since then, he has gone on to lend his expertise in the fields of martial arts and Japanese culture, and after two decades of work, his efforts have paid off.
Hiroyuki Sanada’s first project as a producer is a massive success
Hiroyuki Sanada collaborated with Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks to adapt the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell. This is not the first time that Shōgun has been adapted for the screens. There is a miniseries too, and even though it was released in 1980, the reception that the new show is getting blows any comparisons out of the water.
Hiroyuki Sanada’s journey to reach this place has not been easy, but he did not give up. He confessed that when he started working on Hollywood projects, he wanted to break down the cultural “wall between the East and the West” (via USA Today).
He did just that as a consulting actor on movies such as Mortal Kombat and Westworld, even though Sanada’s voice may have been stifled a little. Hiroyuki Sanada did it again as the producer on the new show, in addition to playing the protagonist, the warlord Yoshii Toranaga.
Hiroyuki Sanada wielded his power as the producer as gracefully as he has wielded blades all his life. Recently, the 47 Ronin star opened up about what the title of the producer meant to him.
“For the first time, I’m not consulting as an actor. After 20 years in Hollywood, I’m a producer. It means I can say anything, anytime,” he said (via USA Today).
What is Shōgun, the ambitious FX show, about?
Shōgun has been in production for almost a decade, and Hiroyuki Sanada has been attached to it for seven years. Given his standing in the industry and his experience, he was the perfect fit for Toranaga. His character is based on the towering Japanese figure, Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The FX show tells the story of John Blackthorne, an English sailor who was stranded in Japan due to a shipwreck. Lord Toranaga, the powerful feudal lord, uses Blackthorne to defeat his political rivals. He also enlists the help of Lady Mariko, the translator, who is trying to overcome the dishonor of her family name.
The story is set in 1600 Japan. Hiroyuki Sanada made it his mission to make it as authentic to the time as possible. He went so far as to enlist Japanese consultants for every aspect of the show.
The first episode of Shōgun came out on February 27th. The show is currently available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+. With only three episodes out, the reception for the show has been phenomenal so far. Moreover, it is already being hailed as the biggest project on television at present, comparable to the likes of Game of Thrones.
