The ‘Shōgun’ Cast on Channeling True Samurai Spirit

Anna Sawai (Lady Mariko), Hiroyuki Sanada (Lord Yoshii Toranaga), and Cosmo Jarvis (John Blackthorne) sat down with RT correspondent Nikki Novak to talk about their upcoming show ‘Shōgun’. The cast described what they think is “true samurai spirit”, gave us an inside look at the making of the set, and so much more. Watch ‘Shōgun’ on FX February 27.



Music:
Courtesy of Extreme Music

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[kimonowolf]

If someone can channel true samurai spirit, it's the living legend Hiroyuki Sanada.

[OfficialMriLLest]

I am so distraught after watching two episodes knowing this was always only going to be a 10 episode special series. This show is one of the best I have watched in recent years personally. Phenomenal.

[AtillaAtesOfficial]

Hiroyuki Sanada is just a LEGEND. Every movie he is in, just automatically becomes better.

[NicholasMcClure]

My first time seeing Cosmo in any production. What I find really impressive about him - in interviews, he strikes one as so soft spoken and gentle, yet he projects such raw, aggressive masculine energy in the character of John Blackthorne. ACTING.

[myarmfellff]

Hiroyuki is by FAR my favourite Japanese actor.

I'm so happy he was able to create something so important and authentic to his Japanese heritage.

Truly, one of the greatest.

[robstufflebeam]

As a teenager in the 70’s, my two favorite books were Dune and Shogun. What a glorious time it is … ignoring existential threats to democracy of course.

[jonlava]

Just caught how Cosmo Jarvis’s body language closely mimic’s Hiroyuki Sanada’s. It shows a deep level of respect he has for Sanada San.

[Phiiiiiiiiiiiii]

0:25 When the interviewer said Hiroyuki has been in the business since the 1960s, both Anna and Cosmo were visibly surprised by this insight. That was not a mistake - Hiroyuki Sanada started his career when he was 6.

[POTLmovie]

I was privileged to be hired as the 2nd unit director and stunt coordinator.

[K.a.r.a.k.a.n]

Anna as Mariko is simply breathtaking.

[roses]

The interviewer clearly did research and it shows. What an engaging interview!

[aytac]

Hiroyuki Sanada is such a great actor, this is my kind of show.

[JFergel]

Hiroyuki Sanada is a class act, I love every performance of his I've seen

[yhixowp]

Ofcourse Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai are brilliant but Cosmo Jarvis surprised me the most with his convincing acting of a lost Englishman in a foreign land still proudly defending and voicing his beliefs. He does not mince words even in the direst of circumstances, no matter who he faces. His love for his crew, his country and his religion make him very admirable in my eyes and its all thanks to Jarvis being such an excellent actor. He emoted the conflict, confusion yet blind trust in himself so well! He became the sole motivator for me to watch the first 2 eps an incredible charismatic actor to start off the series with drawing in the audience!

[DotaBoyzProc]

Very weird seeing Cosmo a soft spoken / shy person here than seeing him being Blackthorne in show, just shows how great actor he is.

[Pyllymysli]

This series has renewed my belief that Disney and Hollywood can actually produce high quality shows with high stakes and high intensity plot. I've became a fan of both Hiroyki Sanada and Anna Sawai. The casting overall is superb. Tadanobu Asano also has made a huge imperssion to me as Yabushige but to be honest, if I want to list all the great performances from the show I could as well just copy paste the cast. The costumes, the sets, everything. As a history buff, I'm glad to see that finally a production that hired historical experts, actually listened to them. It looks great and for a westerner it's a heart pounding series that rolls forward with full steam and offers a curiosity inducing sneak peek into feudal japanese culture. 9.5/10 and a chef's kiss.

[Only_Parky]

The way cosmo looks at both Anna and Hiroyuki shows the respect he has for his peers, all actors have been brilliant in this, especially cosmo as it’s my first time seeing him on my screen.

[KazeriantheVIIII]

I thought a well played scene was toward the end of the 2nd episode when Toranaga asks Blackthorne to draw a map of the world as he knows it and the conversation that followed. Whoever directed that sure knew what they were doing. Hiroyuki and Cosmo's acting in that scene is definitely on point.

[StanslaMichael]

This is a phenomenal series and a credit to Hiroyuki Sanada and his team. Note to Hollywood, this is how you portray strong women without agendas and narratives.

[mrobinson]

They had a Master of Gesture?? THIS IS THE GREATEST FILM IN THE WORLD! My heartfelt thanks to Cast, Crew & Studio for bringing this greatest of all stories from my childhood & adulthood to authentic & book-accuracy screening.