Earning the title of ‘cinematic legend’ is no mean feat. Just a small fraction of actors who strive to make it in showbusiness manage to climb their way to the top.
There are some who deserve to be regarded as household names, those bursting with talent, who – for some unfathomable reason – are not placed on a high enough pedestal.
The iconic Hiroyuki Sanada, who stars as one of the leads in the spectacular and Emmy Award-winning FX and Disney Plus TV series Shōgun, is one of those people.
Last night, the drama made history at the Emmys with a record 18 wins at the awards ceremony, including lead actor for Sanada and lead actress for the stellar Anna Sawai, who plays Lady Mariko.
Shōgun is inspired by the 1970s novel of the same name by James Clavell, which was previously adapted into a mini-series in the 1980s.
In the latest version of the story, Sanada commands armies as the formidable Lord Yoshii Toranaga, a character inspired by the real-life warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu, who changed the course of Japan’s history during the country’s feudal era in the 17th century.
Since its launch in February, Shōgun has received widespread critical acclaim from audiences and critics alike, as well as clocking up millions of views.
On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently holds a critics’ approval rating of 99% and a 91% audience score – percentages that are extremely rare to achieve.
The series, which has been hailed as a ‘masterpiece’, brought in nine million views across the globe on various streaming platforms in the first six days of its availability, beating the highly popular second season of Jeremy Allen White’s The Bear.
The show has been applauded for its sweeping fight sequences, compelling drama and magnificent performances – with much of the praise being awarded to Sanada.
Those who have been following the 63-year-old’s career will already be aware that he is held in extremely high esteem by his fans and peers.
So why has it taken this long for him to finally be cast in a big-budget, blockbuster, leading Hollywood role, where he also serves as a producer?
Frankly, our minds are boggled.
Having been acting since he was a child in the 1960s, Sanada rose the ranks as an action heavyweight, training in martial arts from a very young age before starring in the Japanese film Shogun’s Samurai in 1978.
In the 1980s, his career propelled him into action cinema in Japan and Hong Kong, gaining international attention through his role in the 1998 film Ring, a supernatural horror that became a cult classic.
Shortly afterwards, he was cast in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of King Lear, for which he received an honorary MBE in 2002 for his ‘contribution to spreading British culture in Japan’.
In the years since, Sanada has become even more of a familiar face on the small and big screen.
He faced off against Hugh Jackman in The Wolverine, showed off his stellar skills in John Wick 4, was struck down by Jeremy Renner in Avengers: Endgame, and recently was a part of the impressive ensemble cast in the high-octane Bullet Train.
He was in Lost, Westworld, Rush Hour 3, Mortal Kombat, The Last Samurai… we could go on and on.
Frankly, with a resume like his and an undeniably charismatic presence, plenty of fans are also perplexed why he is still perceived to be so ‘criminally underrated’ in his profession.
An X user going by the handle @spoooonngggeee stated: ‘Hiroyuki Sanada is probably one of the most underrated actors of all time,’ stressing that he ‘needs to win the Emmy’ for his role in Shōgun.
Entertainment journalist Shah Shahid criticised the fact that in their opinion, Sanada had been ‘reduced to empty cameos’ in huge Hollywood blockbusters, but is ‘finally getting the acclaim he so rightfully deserves’ thanks to his performance as Toranaga.
Another X user called @GLKnightWrite wrote that having been a fan of Sanada since childhood, seeing a younger audience appreciate his talents in Shōgun filled them ‘with a glee that is both indescribable and too deep’.
As a producer on Shōgun, as well as being one of the lead stars, Sanada believed strongly in ensuring that Japanese culture and history was depicted in an authentic way.
While speaking to Metro.co.uk and other media, the actor emphasised the significance of a Japanese and Western film crew working together on the project ‘to create something new’, which avoided any ‘stereotyping’ or ‘misunderstanding’.
‘It’s going to [have] great meaning for me and for the industry, for the next generation of Japanese artists,’ he told us.
During a conversation with USA Today, Sanada summarised how much it meant to be playing such a huge role in Shōgun, both in front of and behind the camera.
‘For the first time I have the title. For the first time, I’m not consulting as an actor. After 20 years in Hollywood, I’m a producer. It means I can say anything, anytime,’ he said.
The actor continued: ‘I had a team for the first time, ever. I carried the pressure of being a producer on my shoulder. But more than that, I had happiness.’
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With a talent like Sanada’s, it should definitely not have taken this long for him to be granted the recognition that he deserves on a wider scale – and in our eyes, he still merits more.
And if you’re not familiar with Sanada’s work and haven’t had a chance to catch up with Shōgun yet… just give this masterful series a watch, and you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.
A version of this article was first published in March this year.
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FX’s Shōgun is available to watch on Disney Plus.
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