Interview with Eriko Tamura (Mai)

A new (well slightly, was shown a month ago) interview featuring Eriko Tamura (who plays Mai) has surfaced. Thanks to LegendaryForums for finding this.

You have a successful career in Japanese entertainment and are now expanding your career into the US. Have you experienced any differences between the two?
Yes, there are many differences. I don’t even know where to start! I have been very fortunate to work in television series and movies nonstop since I first started out in the entertainment industry. I also toured and sang in concerts all over Japan. Yes I did it all! In Japan, you’re expected to conquer everything. Here in the U.S., you have the luxury of focusing on one thing at a time, (which I think is great). This really gives me the power to focus on my acting and be able to control where I want to go.

Is there any other particular difference you could share with us?
Oh, here’s another thing that’s different! I just came back from filming in Durango, Mexico. (Eriko was filming a 20th Century Fox movie called “Dragonball” for three months) I was surprised to see everyone brought their girlfriend or boyfriend to the set. That would never happen where I come from! If it did, you can be sure to find yourself in the gossip headlines the very next day. In Japan, work is strictly work. Also, actors in Japan bring 2-3 people (managers) with them to the set whereas actors in the U.S. would normally go to work by themselves, which is how I like it! In Japan, it doesn’t matter if you’re well known or not, what matters is the agency you belong to. It’s a power play between the agencies that compete with each other. I know it may sound funny, but that’s how it is in the Japanese entertainment industry. I can’t imagine bringing a guest in Japan, so even after learning that’s common here, I still didn’t have the guts to bring a guest to the set, until the very end of shooting!

What is it like working in Hollywood for you?
It’s been great. I enjoy working in American films. Though I must say it is tough, and competition is extremely high. In America, you have to be focused all the time, and if you’re not, you can lose it in an instant. It really makes me challenge myself as an actor to always push my limits and strive to do better.

I met some wonderful people while filming Dragonball. To be able to work with people like Jim, Tim, Rod and my co-stars was a reward for me. When you genuinely like the people you’re working with, it becomes about more than making a movie, and becomes a lifetime experience. I feel very lucky to be a part of Dragonball.

It was a turning point for you in the US when you played the role of Princess Yaeko in the Hit TV series Heroes on NBC.
Thank you. Yes, I was very happy when I heard the good news. Heroes opened a lot of doors for me. I’m a fan of the show and was excited to become a part of it. At first I was a little nervous being the new person on the show, but soon felt welcomed and comfortable. I appreciate the producers and the writers for taking me under their wings. Masi Oka, who plays Hiro, as well as David Anders, who plays Kensei, were really great to work with. On a TV series, the cast and crew spend so much time together that you become a family, making the experience so much fun! I had such a wonderful time working on the show.

Oh, Kensei is sort of a bad guy in Heroes!!!
In reality, David is such a caring person, and a great actor.

Have you struggled with being typecast in typical Japanese roles?
I must say I’ve been very lucky. For example in Heroes, although Princess Yaeko is a woman from a different era, they were looking for someone who could bring strength to the character. I think the writers believed that even in that particular period in Japan, there must have been a woman like that, and I agree. Historically, Japanese woman have the image of “walking three steps behind the man”. Yaeko is a modern, “Americanized” woman who believes in herself.

I was able to relate to her. I myself had to be strong when I came to the U.S., not knowing anyone here and starting over from zero. Yaeko may not be what you would think of as a “typical” Japanese woman, which made it even more interesting to me.

The writers are unbelievably talented! I couldn’t wait to read the scripts, and once I started, I couldn’t stop. The whole experience working on HEROES was great. It was rewarding as an actor to play a character from such a well-written script, and I got sucked into the story.

How was it with Dragonball?
In Dragonball, I was thrilled to be cast in this role, especially since they were looking for an actor of any ethnicity to portray this strong character. This was my first studio film in the U.S. and I played a villain for the first time in my career! Mai, the character I play, is a killer. I also got to do a lot of wire action scenes. That was so much fun! Filming Dragonball definitely brought new challenges and I loved it. Look out for Dragonball coming out next year, and please go see it.

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