It’s truly inspiring to see how far we’ve come from the era when women like my mom and her friends had to endure discrimination and societal expectations. Soo is doing an incredible job with “Pachinko” by making it feel real, and I can’t help but be in awe of those brave women who paved the way for us. They fought their battles, and here we are today, able to fight even harder. Kudos to them!
☢️ CAUTION: The ensuing conversation reveals plot details from the fourteenth chapter of “Pachinko,” the latest episode available on AppleTV+.
Anna Sawai, sporting a smile, remarked on Thursday that it had been an exceptional week for her. Following her Emmy win as the leading actress in a drama series, for her portrayal of Toda Mariko in “Shōgun” on FX, she made history by being the first actor of Asian descent to claim victory in this category. This triumph was one of an impressive 18 Emmys won during the show’s first season, setting a new record.
However, New Zealand-born actress Sawai could savor her Emmys triumph for a short while before returning to work in Australia. There, she discusses with EbMaster over Zoom while filming Season 2 of the Apple TV+ series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” where she plays the lead character Cate Randa (of course, alongside Godzilla).
Today’s discussion revolves around another series that features Sawai, as she stars in creator Soo Hugh’s period drama “Pachinko,” which is now airing its second season on Apple TV+. In the story set in the 1980s, Sawai portrays Naomi Ichizaki, an ambitious businesswoman, who is involved with colleague Solomon Baek (played by Jin Ha). However, their relationship encounters a significant challenge in this week’s episode.
In this conversation, Sawai shares her excitement over winning an Emmy and offers insights about the recent “Pachinko” episode. Remarkably, portraying Naomi has given her a profound understanding of the challenges her mother faced in the professional world many years ago.
I have to ask you some Emmys questions since it’s obviously very fresh. How are you feeling now, several days later?
It’s almost unbelievable! To be honest, I can’t wrap my head around the fact that our show made history. Even though I know it happened, it’s just so momentous. Honestly, when we started filming, I never thought this would become a reality. And then, with all the buzz and nominations coming in, I was like, “This can’t possibly be happening!” Life sure does take some unexpected turns sometimes.
There was a lot of talk about you crying so much, even before your name was called. Is that just who you are, or could you just not keep it in?
It seems that in my personal life, many people have witnessed me shed tears. I’m quite an emotional person, but it wasn’t as if I knew ahead of time that I would cry; rather, the tears often came unexpectedly, even before the day’s events had begun. For instance, when I encountered Kathy Bates and she paid me a compliment, I was in floods of tears. It was probably a combination of being nervous – it was my first nomination after all – and simply feeling overwhelmed by the situation.
After the show, there are all the parties, but did you carry the statue the whole time? I know it’s rather heavy, and it’s big!
At every gathering I attended, I found myself carrying something. It’s a mystery why I did that, but my companions suggested, “Just enter with it. People will be delighted to see you with it.” So I obliged. Now I feel as though my right arm has grown significantly larger than my left, due to holding it throughout the evening.
Which parties did you hit?
The FX show’s location was where I stayed the longest. Thus, there were all the FX team members and cast present. It was delightful to gather everyone and appreciate each other’s contributions collectively.
Tell me about the whole awards campaign, which is a lot of work. Did you end up bonding with any of your fellow actors through all that?
Absolutely, I’ve crossed paths with Nava Mau from the show “Baby Reindeer” on a few occasions. It was refreshing to meet someone else who was going through this for the first time. Additionally, I encountered Ayo Edebiri, and I believe she had a similar journey but is now at a more advanced stage. She’s perhaps a couple of years ahead of where I am currently, and she offered valuable advice based on her experiences. She truly understood what I was going through, finding it both strange yet incredible, and she shared some insights about potential challenges and opportunities. Overall, our interaction was very sincere, and I established a strong bond with her.
Between “Shōgun,” “Pachinko” and “Monarch,” these are all very big shows with big concepts. Is that by design, or is it really just the way things have fallen?
Instead of approaching my roles with a specific strategy, I tended not to think along the lines of “This is beneficial because of these reasons.” Rather, it was about reading scripts, discussing with showrunners, and sensing if I resonated with the character on a personal level. What excites me is that each role is unique, yet they hold significant importance as they present Asian characters in a fresh perspective. In my current project, “Monarch,” I’m portraying a Japanese American character for the first time, which adds an exciting layer of novelty to my acting journey.
In “Shōgun,” I discovered something new – understanding my mother’s generation and their experiences in business, which was particularly enlightening for me. The character of Naomi, who is Japanese, introduced in “Pachinko” by Soo, resonated deeply with me because our story is primarily about a Korean immigrant family. I was moved by her willingness to portray the struggles faced by women, a struggle we all can relate to. I’m grateful for the chance to share our unique narrative from various perspectives.
And your character in “Pachinko” is not in Min Jin Lee’s novel, right? She was created for the series?
Indeed, Soo created a character as she recognized the significance in representing Japanese women during that era through conversation.
How important is the Naomi and Solomon relationship to her, given that her career is also a priority for her — but we see they’re butting heads in this week’s episode?
It’s crucial for her because he’s the sole male counterpart who shares her perspective, despite their contrasting goals and distinct methods in business. They admire and comprehend one another due to their shared status as outsiders. Naomi is a woman navigating a predominantly male field, while he is a Korean man in Japan. I believe they can empathize with each other’s struggles. As a result, they form a special connection.
Naomi finds it challenging due to her family’s contrasting expectations for her, as they belong to an older generation and may not comprehend the deep ties between Koreans and Japanese. Since they hold opposing views, she struggles to reconcile these differences while maintaining familial bonds. She yearns for her family to share her aspirations, but feels unable to sever those ties completely. Solomon fails to grasp her predicament, perhaps expecting a simple choice between the two cultures. It’s deeply saddening to witness their growing estrangement because I believe their feelings for each other are sincere. However, external factors appear to be driving them apart.
But his timing is also not great, because he ends things with her and then immediately asks her to do call in this loan, which she’s not going to do. Do you think she would have had a different reaction if the timing had been different?
From Solomon’s perspective, it’s unlikely she would have reacted differently because he was presenting her with fresh information that was surprising and revealed his true character. Regardless of the state of their personal relationship, discovering what he had done and his current requests would have left her shocked. The timing might seem odd, but Solomon seemed indifferent at that moment, prioritizing this business above all else. I can’t predict Jin’s response, but for Solomon, this business matter is of utmost importance now — he no longer cares about anything else.
So now I’m worried for her. How big is this going to get personally and professionally?
It’s evident that the professional world can be ruthless toward women. Women often need to excel significantly more than their male counterparts just to reach comparable positions. They frequently invest double the effort and time, yet a single error can derail their progress. On the other hand, men are often given a second chance. This underscores the unfairness that women face in our society.
Forty years ago feels like a different world when I listen to my mother and her peers share their experiences. They were treated and expected to behave in certain ways that just seem unfair, and it’s frustrating to think about. However, Soo is doing an exceptional job by making these struggles feel real, which allows us to understand and fight against them more effectively today. Yet, those women had to endure all of this hardship.
The costumes in the show — from costume designer Kyunghwa Chae — are fantastic. I know everybody’s talking about the “Shōgun” wardrobe, but can you also talk about your wardrobe in “Pachinko?” Naomi gets to wear some really stylish business suits.
In the ’80s, she was a woman, so we aimed to incorporate shoulder pads and such, but we didn’t want her to be just an object of male desire. We experimented with hemlines, going from slightly above to far above the knee, but settled on just above the knee to avoid portraying her as overly sexual in a professional setting, as that wasn’t fitting for her character. The intentional choice of professional attire also served to showcase her personality and was very much in line with her office persona. However, outside of work, she is seen in more casual, charming outfits, reflecting a different side of her character that we don’t often see in the office. This includes wearing some Chanel suits, which was truly fantastic. The wardrobe, overall, effectively conveys her personality and maintains a strong professional image.
I have to mention how fun the “Pachinko” opening credits sequence is. I never skip through them, by the way.
I found it enjoyable for a few reasons – primarily because I wasn’t involved in the initial season’s opening sequence, which left me pondering questions such as whether I should dance as Naomi or simply as myself. The crew reassured me to just be myself since Naomi wouldn’t have been dancing exuberantly with wide grins and twirls. Being on set and being able to let loose and enjoy everyone’s company made the experience even more enjoyable.
One last Emmys question before we wrap this up. Do you have an idea yet where the statue will go in your home?
I haven’t found the right place for it yet, as my current space isn’t ideal. I need a new shelf to accommodate both my existing award and the one I received at the TCA Awards because I have at least two awards now. Upon my return to Japan, I’ll likely ponder over what I’d like to do regarding their display.
Japan is home, right?
Between Tokyo and the United States, I travel back and forth so frequently that it’s difficult for me to choose one over the other. However, since my family resides in Tokyo, I prefer to visit there when my work schedule allows, spending as much time as possible with my mother.
Also, I know you have a singing background from early in your career. Will we see you in roles where you’re going to get to sing? Because it just seems like a no-brainer, but —
I’m not that confident in singing, so someone would have to really make me feel like I can do it. But because I do have experience being in the music industry, I know that there’s a very interesting story to tell. I do want to maybe be part of a film musical.
It seems like they remake “A Star Is Born” often, so you can do the next version!
After watching “A Star Is Born” following Lady Gaga’s portrayal, I must admit that I could never fill those shoes. However, in my imagination, I sometimes entertain the idea…
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Read More
- AAVE PREDICTION. AAVE cryptocurrency
- W PREDICTION. W cryptocurrency
- PENDLE PREDICTION. PENDLE cryptocurrency
- OKT PREDICTION. OKT cryptocurrency
- ATR PREDICTION. ATR cryptocurrency
- Lunar Remastered Collection releases for PS5/4, Xbox, Switch, and PC Steam worldwide in Spring 2025
- Lingsha Trailer — “Burning Scent of Home” | Honkai: Star Rail
- SOL PREDICTION. SOL cryptocurrency
- GODS PREDICTION. GODS cryptocurrency
- PLXY PREDICTION. PLXY cryptocurrency
2024-09-28 03:18