INTERVIEW: Suzume English VA Nichole Sakura is All About the Friends We’ve Made Along the Way
Suzume, the latest film from legendary director Makoto Shinkai, sends its main character on a journey across Japan to avert disaster, placing emphases on the power of the past and the magic in the relationships made along the way.
In her role as Suzume in the film, English voice actor Nichole Sakura (Superstore, Ghosts) is well aware of the importance of these connections, small interactions that can ripple into life-changing moments, and says it’s part of what makes this film so special.
RELATED: Suzume Anime Movie Tickets Now on Sale
We spoke with Nichole ahead of the North American release of Suzume to dive deep into what it was like joining the film, Suzume’s personal journey and how fate weaves its way into every part of our lives.
Check out the full interview below. If you haven’t locked up your tickets for opening weekend, you can pick them up right here.
What has your journey been like with Suzume? What was it like auditioning and being cast in the role? What drew you to it?
Nichole: Well, I felt so blessed like, this was some kismet kind of, I don't know, kiss from the universe? Because I didn't have to audition for it. It literally just arrived in my email. My agent was like, “They want you to voice this Makoto Shinkai movie, the leading role, Suzume! And I’m like, “What?!”
Yeah, that kind of stuff hardly ever happens as an actor. Normally, we're auditioning for, you know, jobs that we don't even want to do. And so yeah, I was like, “Wow, this is amazing.”
And actually doing the thing with our director Bill Millsap; he was at Bang Zoom! I've done some animation before, but nothing on this scale. There's so much action and a lot of emotional stuff. He was really so helpful in getting my performance to where it needed to be.
It was an amazing experience, and then meeting Shinkai at the premiere, and like, he's such a lovely, humble genius! And you know, every step of the thing has been amazing. I feel so lucky.
Were you familiar with Shinkai movies before this one?
I was! I remember seeing Your Name. in theaters, like on a big screen and just being so blown away by it. So yeah, obviously I knew that he was this new kind of, like, a living legend in anime. And yeah, I was very familiar.
I think what I love about his films and a lot of Japanese animation films is the heart that he brings to the stories. I just, I love a good cry. I just love feeling all those emotions and to be part of something that can really, I don't know, just like break people open in a way, hopefully. It feels really cool.
Do you have a favorite character in Suzume?
My favorite character is Daijin. He's just so cute. You know, every time he's on screen, I'm just like, “I want more!” And he was voiced by a child in the Japanese version and in this version by Lena Josephine Marano. She's so wonderful in it. She's so great. I met her at the premiere too.
I think she's like maybe 10 or 12 years old, but there's just something about his little mischievousness and he's a really crucial part of the plotline too, obviously. Just such a cool little character, very unassuming, but is actually really, really crucial. So yeah, I liked him a lot. He's my favorite.
Was there a particular scene or moment in the film that stood out to you, something you’re still thinking about?
Yeah, it's honestly the last scene of the movie, but I can’t talk about that [laughs]. Gosh, I wish I could because Shinkai even said something at the premiere that was really interesting. Someone asked him what inspired the last scene in the movie, and he was saying how, you know, we're always talking to different versions of ourselves. We're always talking to our future selves, giving ourselves encouragement in the present moment, looking back at our childhood selves, and like, comforting them.
I just thought it was such a brilliant concept to include in a movie that I'd never seen before. And so moving. So, that last scene. People should stick around for that.
Suzume’s journey is centered around the connections she makes along the way. Do you have any personal connections or relationships that inspired your performance?
I was thinking about that concept of fate and reading about this notion of, like, intuition, and how, sometimes, you feel really drawn to somebody, you know. It's almost like the universe, because I believe in this kind of stuff, where the universe is like, you need to know this person, like, they're gonna play a role in your life, your development, and that phrase, “Some people are around for a season a reason or lifetime.”
I feel like we all have people that fit into those categories. I remember when I had just moved to LA and I was looking for an agent. And I was driving around with my parents, and my parents love to go look at open homes. And there was this open home going on in our neighborhood randomly, one day, so we make a turn. And we walk into the house. And the realtor was a former actress. We started talking about how I wanted to act and then she referred me to one of my first agents, and it led to one of my first jobs, which was like a McDonald's commercial.
But sometimes I think about that. It was so weird that we happen to be driving down the road that day, and you know, had the time to go to this thing. And one thing led to another and yeah, I think we all have stories like that. These little, you know, turns that we make in life that make a difference.
There’s this theme in Suzume about the beauty in abandoned places and the potential for their future. Does this resonate with you? Why do you think we’re drawn to the past in this way?
The power of old places! Yeah, I mean, I always think it's cool to go back somewhere. And I've done that before. I had this therapist who I loved, who passed away a few years ago. And I remember one time, I was like, “I wonder what happened to her office?” and I went back, and I opened the door to her office, and it was like, everything was gone. It was under construction. It was just this little room.
It was one of those experiences that bring to mind this Japanese phrase, “Ichi-go ichi-e,” it's like, “Only one time, in one lifetime.” It basically means that every moment is unique in its own way, and it only happens once that way. And that's what makes it so beautiful.
So yeah, when you revisit an old place that's changed or brings up old memories, I think it just reminds you of the ephemeral nature of life and how the present is all that we have. And obviously, you know, I definitely live in the past. Sometimes I love to reminisce and hold on to old trinkets and think about where I've been, where I've come, and all the changes that happen.
Yeah, I think it puts us in touch with the old versions of ourselves, and important events and all of that stuff. Actually, this is kind of a tangent, but I was thinking of this NPR story that I heard about how there are these tsunami victims in Japan, they had someone in the community set up a phone booth.
And it was these people who had lost their family members in the tsunami who would go into the phone booth and pick up the phone and they would talk to their family members. And they had recorded some of these conversations. They were incredible to hear because people were really getting emotional, obviously.
It's just interesting, they could have been doing that in their bedroom at home or in their car, but something about being in that space, in that phone booth, and having this capsule that really allowed them to feel like, “OK, this is my moment where I'm going to communicate with my loved one.” And, oh my god, it was such an incredible story. It’s that sense of how a place can really help you get in touch with old feelings and memories.
I have to know… are you a cat or dog person? Daijin is basically a cat.
Oooh, I used to be a cat person growing up and then I wanted to get a dog to protect myself, so I got a cat dog, which is a Shiba Inu, because he acts like a cat. But he's cute and he will bite like a dog. I’m both now.
Do you have any favorite anime?
Oh, god, I used to watch [My Neighbor] Totoro like every day as a kid. So that's something I can always revisit. I was thinking about anime films that I love. One of the most impactful movies I saw as a kid was this anime called Grave of the Fireflies. It’s a deep cut. I feel like, I don't know why, I'm like, everyone needs to see that movie because it's just so, so moving. You know, siblings in World War II. So yeah, I like anime films a lot.
What’s next for you? Do you want to return to the anime space sometime?
I mean, I would love to return to anime. I feel like it's so fun for me because it feels like part of my culture, right? My mom being Japanese, and just these films being things that I loved as a kid. And so it feels really cool to be able to like, step into that world now.
But yeah, right now I'm writing and I mean, we'll see what's next in terms of live-action. I'm kind of just cruising along right now. So yeah, developing my own projects!
Suzume hits theaters in North America and around the world starting April 14. You can get tickets for the movie right here.
Nicholas Friedman is Senior Manager of Editorial at Crunchyroll and Editor-in-chief of English Crunchyroll News. You can find him yelling about Nintendo DS games or TRON: Legacy on Twitter at @NMFreed.
from Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll! https://ift.tt/oa1SFVp
Comments
Post a Comment