"I Wanted to Put Umemiya's Essence into Words" - Interview with Shuhei Uesugi for the Film 'WIND BREAKER'

The live-action film 'WIND BREAKER' will be released in theaters on Friday, December 5th. The story begins when the protagonist, delinquent high school student Haruka Sakura, transfers to Furin High School to reach the top through his fists. He becomes a member of Bofurin, a group that protects the town, and while bewildered by their conduct, Sakura's mindset gradually changes as he confronts Shishitoren.

We conducted an interview with actor Shuhei Uesugi, who plays Hajime Umemiya, the leader of Bofurin, which features a distinctive setting that sets it apart from conventional delinquent stories. We spoke with him about what he was conscious of when playing Umemiya and the relationship between Sakura and Umemiya.

——I think Umemiya is a role that could be called a key person in this work, different from the conventional image of a delinquent gang leader. Even in everyday scenes like growing vegetables, there's an atmosphere that comes through as "Umemiya's essence."

Uesugi: I also wanted to put that "Umemiya's essence" into words, so I had many discussions with the director on set. It was extremely difficult to express the degree of his carefree nature. To express an Umemiya who is not standing above everyone but is being allowed to stand there, I struggled with how to bring out his approachability.

——Specifically, how did you explore this?

Uesugi: For example, even with the same words, the way emotions and feelings come across changes considerably depending on the expression method, such as the lowness or highness of the voice, so I set it to a slightly higher tone. However, it was particularly difficult in everyday scenes to find the right balance so that it wouldn't become a superficial expression.

——Does that mean those expressions changed significantly from your pre-planned acting approach?

Uesugi: I don't really bring pre-planned acting approaches to the set. I only bring my role and purpose in the work to the set, and then I ride with what happens there. Otherwise, I can't change things on set.

——So you cultivated the performance of "Umemiya's essence" through interactions with your co-stars.

Uesugi: I was conscious of that, but thinking about it now, I feel there might have been other methods too. It's the same with other works, but I'm never satisfied, and there are always scenes where I think I could have tried it differently.