KENTO YAMAZAKI

Exclusive Interview Summer 2018

From “Good Doctor”

KENTO YAMAZAKI

As one of the immensely popular actors in Japan, Kento Yamazaki is now playing the leading role in Fuji TV's prime time drama series “Good Doctor." In his first interview, he talks about some of his new challenges, as well as his thoughts on the new heartwarming Monday night drama series.

Q

What was your first impression after reading the script?

A

I thought that it is a heart-warming story. Like, the ways in which Minato’s single-minded character gradually begins to soften up the feelings of those against him.

Q

What kind of character do you think Minato is?

A

I think that he is honest and pure-hearted as a child. Someone who wants to make sure that many of the children at the hospital are given the chance for a blissful future.

Q

How do you intend to play Minato, a character with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

A

I will try to play the role, without being too overly conscious about it. Of course, I need to be aware of it to a certain degree, or else the character won’t be portrayed well enough. But, I don’t want to make it seem too obvious. It may not be so easy, but I just hope that I can play Minato in a way that stays faithful to his unwavering character.

Q

Some of the lines seem kind of challenging?

A

As there are many long lines, I have been going over the script many times. When he needs to explain about an illness, I try to talk very fast, without paying much attention to my intonation. It’s sort of like drawing out all the words that I had remembered off the top of my head.

Q

What are some of the preparations that you have done, for playing the role of a doctor for the first time?

A

I had the opportunity of interviewing one of the pediatricians at a hospital. Most of the things that the doctor told me were very informative. I had visited pediatricians during my childhood years, but I barely remember most of it. During the interview, I was able to realize many of the important areas that doctors usually take into consideration, when working with children. For example, there are many pictures and posters of animation characters on the walls, and they often play music, such as those from popular kid’s animations. These are all efforts undertaken by hospitals, to make it a comfortable environment for children. Apart from the children, pediatricians also make a great deal of effort, to communicate as much as possible with the parents too. I think that they are splendid people. However, there aren’t many pediatrics like these available. In some cases, patients who need immediate care fail to receive the necessary treatment on time. In serious cases, this could be at the detriment of someone’s life. After hearing these kind of stories, I really hope that more hospitals are able to offer pediatric care.

Q

How do you hope to work with children?

A

We’ve only just started filming, but I think they’re incredible. Like the other day, we had a scene which involves a child who gets injured. Despite the use of special makeup, the young cast member was professional about it. I often have a great time chatting to them, during the interval periods of filming. I feel really relaxed during these times. It’s interesting to see children who are very conscious of their surroundings, and those that are not. Even though this is a drama about helping children, I believe that the children themselves have more of a challenging time playing the roles. Especially, the operation scenes must be really hard for them, as they have to be really focused. We hope that we can all work together to make a great drama series.

Q

What are your impressions of the other cast members?

A

I had the wonderful opportunity of having a rehearsal with Juri Ueno. When I met her, she was already “doctor” Natsumi. Even though Minato and Natsumi pursue the same goals, they are often met with contradictory ideas, which often lead to clashes. Juri Ueno is aware of some of the distance between the two characters, so I’m interested to see how the relationship develops between Minato and Natsumi.

Q

Lastly, could you give us a message for the viewers?

A

I hope that we will be able to address more people, about the current situation regarding the world of pediatrics, and I really hope that more and more people will be interested in working in the pediatric medical field. And I hope that the drama will make the viewers feel that they would like to see more doctors, like those depicted in the drama. I hope that everyone will enjoy the new drama series.

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