’47 Ronin’ Adds Four Japanese Cast Members

Japanese actors Hiroyuki Sanada, Kou Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano and Rinko Kikuchi have joined the cast of 47 Ronin, the upcoming Universal picture starring Keanu Reeves.

The action flick is based on the Japanese legend about a group of samurai who seek vengeance against an overlord who banished them. Reeves will play  Kai, an outcast who joins Oishi (Sanada), the leader of the 47 Ronin.

According to Variety, Universal was insistent on casting actors of Japanese descent in order to stay true to the film’s story.

Sanada appeared in The Last Samurai and Sunshine and played Dogen in the final season of “Lost.” Kikuchi was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of “Chieko Wataya” in the film Babel. Asano can be seen in the upcoming  films Thor and Battleship.

47 Ronin is set to be released in 3D on Nov. 11, 2012.

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Q & A: Justified’s Timothy Olyphant: “I’m not looking for answers when I show up to the set. I’m just… asking questions over and over”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:15 — 12.6MB)

I think Timothy Olyphant is immensely watchable in anything he does.

He can take the most under-written character and turn it into something unique. And he can take a terrific character and make that even better. Deadwood, Damages, Live Free or Die Hard and now, Justified are just some of the examples I’m talking about.

As ‘US Marshal Raylan Givens’ in Justified, he told me he can’t take full credit for his great work. He just say’s the words and tries to bring the character to life, he said.

I talked to him in a conference call about his work on the show, what his producing credit means and how some actors kind of stink – those are my words not his!

Justified airs on Wednesdays at 10pm on FX

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download from iTunes

You’ve decided to take a departure from your past work on film to shoot this television show and it really has a feel of a film. How do you enjoy building character over the time in television versus building a character for a short film in that capacity?

Timothy Olyphant: Well, the fun of it is in a film you more or less know the beginning, middle, or an end and you might have some wiggle room in there, but this really is a journey, you know, and I’ve been very fortunate to be kind of allowed in on a part of that process. So, that is one of the real challenge here for me that I’ve really enjoyed, which is – you know, it’s – I don’t think of it as building a character. I just think of it, you know, we’re just telling a story and I don’t know how it’s going to end, and that’s kind of the fun of it.

But for me, you know, at the end of the day this – it – the same things apply. You know, I’m still trying to scene to scene figure out what it is I’m doing and basic rules still apply. And you’re just – I think, you know, the tremendous upside here is that it’s such a great character, and it’s really tough to get your hands on a great character.

What have you learned about Raylan from filming this recent season?

Timothy Olyphant: What have I learned about Raylan from the second season? He’s not any taller than he used to be. I’m not sure. You know, I’m terrible at that. I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m just trying to figure out what to do next, but he seems like he’s got a — as usual — he’s got a lot problems.
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Q & A: White Collar’s Tiffani Thiessen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:06 — 8.3MB)

Tiffani Thiessen is probably best known for her role as ‘Kelly Kapowski’ in the classic (for good and bad reasons) Saved by the Bell. Since that series ended, she’s worked pretty much non-stop in shows like Beverly Hills, 90210, Fastlane and Good Morning, Miami.

She’s now starring in USA’s White Collar and she recently talked with me in a conference call about her work on the show.

She plays ‘Elizabeth Burke’, the wife of FBI Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay). She loves commuting from her LA home to the New York set, wishes she could be more like her character and thinks determination is one of the most important qualities an actor can have.

White Collar airs on Tuesdays at 10/9c on USA

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download from iTunes

In what ways would you say you are most like and least like her, your character that you play?

Tiffani Thiessen: I think I’ve said this before in an interview that as one of the first characters that I’ve played in the 20 some odd years I’ve been doing this business, crazy business, that I feel most like my character this time.  I inspire to be Elizabeth Burke every day.

The really only difference that I see, and a big difference, is the fact that they don’t have children and I, of course, now have a little seven and a half month old myself, so I think those are the only real big differences.

After all of your experience on various sets, do you have a chance to offer your input or say into your character?

Tiffani Thiessen: We have a great relationship with our writers and our producers and creators of our show and they always welcome our ideas, which is actually really nice because not every show is like that.  And there’s been a few little inputs that I have – at the very beginning they had Elizabeth have a different career.

At the time I think when the pilot was written she was an accountant and they ended up scratching that during the pilot and shooting and that’s why in the pilot you really don’t know what she does for a living because they couldn’t figure it out.

And so when the show got picked up I sat down with Jeff Eastin, the creator, and we kind of went around some ideas of what possibly could be her job and her career and I’ve always thought that if I wasn’t an actor I always wanted to be an event planner, an event coordinator.

So, that’s where that idea came from.  I told him and he was like I love it, so that’s actually, it was definitely a big input of mine.
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7 Tips to Survive and Thrive In Student Films

This is a guest post by actor Paul Cram.

7 Tips to Survive & Thrive In Student Films

1. Prepare Like You Are After An Oscar
Be on time, off book for the scenes that day, be professional. You’re
reputation starts now & practice does make perfect. Start being a pro now.

2. Pursue A Goal
Are you experimenting with acting techniques? Resume credits? Demo reel
material?  The hours get long. A goal makes them more bearable.

3. Put Your Feet Up
Go into it knowing it is a learning experience for the director. Don’t set
your expectations so high that the student will never be able to impress
you. They aren’t Spielberg… yet.

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Q & A: Raising Hope’s Lucas Neff and Greg Garcia

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:50 — 11.6MB)

Did you know that Lucas Neff had only one TV credit to his name when he booked the lead role in FOX’s Raising Hope? He put himself on tape and sent it to series producer Greg Garcia. Garcia watched the audition from his computer and immediately knew that Neff was his guy.

Even though his life has changed, he says that he’s just happy to be able to afford to go out to dinner and buy new socks.

I talked with Lucas and Greg in a conference call where they talked about Lucas buying new socks, the process of him getting the role and how he’s grown as an actor.

Raising Hope airs on Mondays at 9:30/8:30c on FOX

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download from iTunes

Greg, I know you found Lucas in a huge, casting call.  What was it about him that stood out from the tons of other actors you saw?

Greg Garcia: I watched Lucas on tape.  He was in Chicago, so I watched on the computer.  He just felt very real to me.  A lot of auditions that you watch, and people are pushing it and trying to push real hard to get the comedy and stuff.  He just felt very honest and real to me.  I wanted this character to be somebody that people were rooting for and kind of the eyes of the audience into this crazier world, somebody that definitely feels very overwhelmed by this new responsibility thrown in his lap.  I just got that from his performance.  I got that from him as a person that he was a very—it just came through in his performance that he was very honest and likable guy.  Then, I met him and realized he was just a really good actor.

This question’s actually for both of you.  What’s your advice to actors?

Lucas Neff: I think being open.  Certainly, my best work on this show has always been what I’ve embraced: the other people working on it.  Listening to your directors and listening to the other actors.  Just being as open as possible, trying to constantly recommit yourself to the more honest choice.  I know, sometimes, it’s easy to get lost, especially in a comedy, and be like, “What’s the funniest thing?  What’s the funniest thing?”  Greg’s great about reminding me that the funny is there.  It’s best just to be honest and simple.  I think as actors, if you can just be honest, simple, and listen, you’re probably doing something right.

Greg Garcia: My advice to actors would be to try to get onto a hit TV show or a really big movie because that’s where most of the money is.
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Harry Connick, Jr. Coming Back To Broadway

HARRY CONNICK, JR. RETURNS TO BROADWAY

in

ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER

A NEW BOOK BY PETER PARNELL
BASED ON THE ORIGINAL BOOK BY ALAN JAY LERNER

MUSIC BY BURTON LANE & LYRICS BY ALAN JAY LERNER

RECONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY MICHAEL MAYER

OPENING FALL 2011 ON BROADWAY

 

(New York, NY – Tuesday, March 1, 2011) Grammy and Emmy Award winner, Tony Award nominee and multi-platinum recording artist Harry Connick, Jr. will star in a reimagined production of ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER opening fall 2011 on Broadway at a theatre to be announced.  The delightful Tony Award nominated score by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) is enhanced by classics from their film scores for On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970) and Royal Wedding (1951).  With a new book by Peter Parnell based on the original book by Alan Jay Lerner, the musical is reconceived and directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer. Further casting and creative team to be announced shortly.
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