Hiroyuki Sanada has been an unsung hero in Hollywood since the early 2000s where he has starred in many supporting roles in major blockbusters. From his dedicated performance in Tom Cruise’s The Last Samurai to starring in the biggest film of all time Avengers: Endgame, the actor has made a name for himself in Hollywood and is highly respected in the industry.
Sanada made a big impact in the fourth John Wick film playing Koji, one of John Wick’s friends from the past. While his action sequences and martial arts skills were expectedly brilliant, the scene that leads up to where he strikes up a conversation with John is narratively interesting. Sanada stated that he loved that intimate character-driven scene rather than his big action sequences.
Hiroyuki Sanada Loved His Character’s Heart-to-Heart Moment in John Wick: Chapter 4
Hiroyuki Sanada played a pivotal role in the fourth John Wick film playing the head of the Osaka Continental in Japan. Keanu Reeves‘ John Wick seeks refuge in the Continental and the two characters have a heart-to-heart talk about the meaning of life and the emerging threat that John might not be able to ‘shoot’ his way out this time.
The scene is particularly poignant and signals that the characters have had a history together and share a very close bond. This character-driven moment was pointed out by Sanada in an interview with Geeks of Color when talking about working with Reeves and his own relationship with him in real life.
The actor stated, that for that particular scene, they did not have to work to develop some kind of chemistry as they were friends in real life. For Sanada, the scene felt like him having a drink with Reeves in real life and so it had a natural flow, with more information being conveyed through the eyes.
This poignant aspect of the scene made it his favorite rather than all the killing (using katanas and guns) and awesome action sequences one expects from the franchise. He said,
“I love the scene between Keanu and I, drinking whiskey and just chat chat. No action, just talking. But I think we could use the chemistry from our own friendship or long time knowing each other. So easy to make a scene feel like we are drinking real whiskey, you know? [laughs] Just looking to each other, we can talk with something in our eyes. So, I really enjoyed that scene.”
The scene proved to be one of the standouts from the film, as for once, audiences got to see John having a meaningful conversation with an old friend. While the action sequences are awesome to look at, such intimate and character-driven scenes provide layers to the character and add to the legacy of John Wick in the mythology of the franchise.
Hiroyuki Sanada Leaves the Door Open For A Second Season of Shōgun
Shōgun recently ended in a surprisingly nuanced and poetic way instead of having an epic battle between its warring factions. With Hiroyuki Sanada‘s Toranaga already knowing the outcome of his confrontation with Ishido, fans have wondered whether there will be a second season 2 to continue the character’s story and delve further into how he manages a peaceful Japan devoid of conflict.
In an interview with ScreenRant, Sanada revealed that the series covers the entire James Clavell’s novel Shōgun. With no follow-up book, Sanada stated that the makers could lean on real history if they decide to do a second season, but he has no idea if it will be made. Sanada said,
“We’ve finished the novel, so we don’t have any more James Clavell novels, but we have real history. The Japanese know what happened after that, so yeah, who knows? Yeah, well, it depends on the idea, I think. I have no idea. We have a model, so I know everything he’s done until he dies.”
The series has provided closure for the characters and many will be apprehensive of doing a second season when the first is already a complete whole. The show has already been deemed one of the best of the year and while season 2 is up in the air, it is sure to be nominated for several TV awards and Emmys.
Shōgun is on Hulu or Disney+ (bundled with Hulu). Watch Keanu Reeves and Sanada in John Wick: Chapter 4 on Peacock.
