Japanese actor Koji Yakusho says his is a solitary craft

His film roles range from police officer to serial killer, dashing characters to self-destructive losers, a samurai warrior to an ordinary "salaryman," as Japanese office workers are called. But through all his work in Japan and Hollywood, Koji Yakusho has found what he must do as an actor remains surprisingly the same.

"It's lonely," he said recently. "You're before a camera, and you have to do something, and you can't make mistakes.

"You can't ever totally become a character, but you must get as close to that person as possible, and that moment you feel you are him — you make sure you don't lose that moment."

This image provided by 1996KADOKAWA CORPORATION NHN shows Koji Yakusho, right, in a scene from "Shall We Dance?" Yakusho has played a range of roles in Japanese films and Hollywood offerings like "Babel" and "Memoirs of a Geisha." And he's being honored at the upcoming Tokyo International Film Festival. (©1996KADOKAWA CORPORATION NHN via AP)

Yakusho, who is being honored at the Tokyo International Film Festival next month, has worked with the legends of Japanese film and starred in Shohei Imamura's "The Eel," which won the 1997 Palme d'Or at Cannes. He also appeared in "Babel" and "Memoirs of a Geisha."

"Koji Yakusho is Japan's leading international actor, demonstrating unparalleled versatility in wide-ranging roles across every genre," said the festival's program adviser Kohei Ando on why Yakusho was being honored at the festival.

"He has indelibly played dozens of characters, and imbued them with humanism."

This images provided by 1997 SOFTGARAGE Inc. SHOCHIKU BROADCASTING. Co., Ltd. KENMEDIA. Co.Ltd shows Koji Yakusyo, rear center, in a scene from "The Eel." Yakusho has played a range of roles in Japanese films and Hollywood offerings like "Babel" and "Memoirs of a Geisha." And he's being honored at the upcoming Tokyo International Film Festival. (©1997 SOFTGARAGE Inc. SHOCHIKU BROADCASTING. Co., Ltd. KENMEDIA. Co.Ltd via AP)

Ando pointed as an example to one of Yakusho's well-known roles, as a salaryman who becomes obsessed with ballroom dancing in "Shall We Dance?" directed by Masayuki Suo. It became a 2004 Hollywood remake, starring Richard Gere.

He learned to dance for his role in the heart-warming film.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press at Toho Studios in Tokyo, Yakusho said with a laugh it's true his professional surname was picked years ago by his mentor, Tatsuya Nakadai. He was working at a "yakusho," or local government office, when he joined a theater group Nakadai ran.

This image provided by 2018 THE BLOOD OF WOLVES Production Committee shows Koji Yakusyo, right, in a scene from "The Blood of Wolves." Yakusho has played a range of roles in Japanese films and Hollywood offerings like "Babel" and "Memoirs of a Geisha." And he's being honored at the upcoming Tokyo International Film Festival. (©2018 THE BLOOD OF WOLVES Production Committee via AP)

Nakadai had hoped the civil servant-turned-actor would go on to play many roles. "Yaku" means role; the first character in Koji, his real name, has the meaning for "wide."

Yakusho, 62, is being honored at this year's Tokyo International Film Festival, which opens Oct. 25 and runs through Nov. 3.

"We are all aware of the perspective of extremely regular people. That's something we are always thinking about and trying to observe," said Yakusho, noting he is one movie star with the regular-person experience of catching a rush-hour commuter train.

This image provided by 1996KADOKAWA CORPORATION NHN shows Koji Yakusyo, second right, in a scene from "Shall We Dance?" Yakusho has played a range of roles in Japanese films and Hollywood offerings like "Babel" and "Memoirs of a Geisha." And he's being honored at the upcoming Tokyo International Film Festival. (©1996KADOKAWA CORPORATION NHN via AP)

The hardest roles to play are the noble, honorable characters, he said, like the samurai in his next movie, whose tentative English title is "Touge: The Last Samurai," set for release in 2020.

The work requires memorizing long, complex lines because of the way samurai talk, he added.

Yakusho has directed one film, "Toad's Oil," a pensive story about coping with a young man's death. He plays the lead, the father of the man. He wants to direct more. He promised to be gentle with his actors so they feel free and natural, since he knows what it's like to be on the receiving end.

This image provided by 1996KADOKAWA CORPORATION NHN shows Koji Yakusyo in a scene from "Shall We Dance?" Yakusho has played a range of roles in Japanese films and Hollywood offerings like "Babel" and "Memoirs of a Geisha." And he's being honored at the upcoming Tokyo International Film Festival. (©1996KADOKAWA CORPORATION NHN via AP)

"I want to create a film that's like those images in my head," he said of the work he wants to direct, stressing it's about the ideas, while declining to go into specifics.

"That kind of special film," he said.

Yakusho watches his films only once. Each time, it's a bit embarrassing, and being objective may not be possible "for a lifetime," he said.

In this Sept. 6, 2018, photo, Japanese actor Koji Yakusho speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Tokyo. Yakusho has played a range of roles in Japanese films and Hollywood offerings like "Babel" and "Memoirs of a Geisha." And he's being honored at the upcoming Tokyo International Film Festival. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)

Yakusho seems to excel at evoking that strange mix of good and evil.

In one of his latest films, "The Third Murder," Yakusho plays a mysterious killer. The 2017 film was directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose "Shoplifters" won the Palme d'Or this year. In another recent film, "The Blood of Wolves," he plays a wild-spirited police officer, who starts to resemble the criminals he is trying to arrest.

The protagonist in "The Eel" murders his wife when he catches her having an affair. After serving time as a model convict, he starts a barbershop. An eel, which he keeps in a tank, is his only friend at the start. But he gradually begins to open up and form relationships with people around him.

Like many of Yakusho's movies, it's a bleak story of a normal life that goes awry, the daily challenge of trying to live in search for meaning amid betrayal, loneliness and abuse.

"The complexity of Koji Yakusho's acting is illustrated by his unique interpretation of flawed but intriguing humanity," says Maggie Lee, film critic specializing in Asian cinema at entertainment magazine Variety.

"He is a master at portraying characters who retain a dignified core."

Trailers:

"The Third Murder" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plr3V4TYBQE

"The Blood of Wolves" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hv1yAnFfjE

Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yurikageyama/?hl=en

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Emma Stone just seems more comfortable out of her seat than in it at awards shows.

At the Golden Globes Sunday, the “Bugonia” star held court with a rotating cast of companions, from Kirsten Dunst to Jennifer Lawrence -- not in the main ballroom, but in a much smaller side room with a bar, a tea and coffee station and an ever-replenishing supply of decadent deserts, Nobu sushi, caviar cups and, perhaps most importantly, no television cameras.

Here’s some more of what you didn’t see on the Golden Globes broadcast.

Before the show even started Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo found one another near the bar and chatted for a while, not about plans for an impromptu “Thriller” dance, but about how Jay Penske, whose media empire includes Hollywood trade publications like “The Hollywood Reporter,” “Variety” and “Deadline,” also co-owns the Golden Globes. “Isn’t that crazy,” he said. Conversation then shifted to how he nearly missed his own category last year due to the security backup at the drop off area. He made it in, eventually, but just by a hair and had to take a seat in the aisle.

As the clock ticked down, Glen Powell escorted his mother into the ballroom, taking her arm to navigate the steps Alicia Silverstone just had to sidestep down. They spotted their table off to the side and Powell took a beat: “Want to hit the bar then?”

Silverstone was having her own issues though, and another mom soon came to the rescue: Mila Kunis was on a mission to deliver some Band-Aids to Silverstone, who thanked her profusely.

Elsewhere, Colman Domingo danced his way to his table. Teyana Taylor, flanked by security trying to rush her to her seat, snapped a selfie with a guest. Rose Byrne paused to hug Elle Fanning, while Universal chair Donna Langley spoke to Benicio Del Toro. And Kylie Jenner made her way in at the last minute, without Timothée Chalamet and with only minutes to showtime.

Stone beelined to the side room after the first award, leading her “Bugonia” director Yorgos Lanthimos and costar Alicia Silverstone along with her. Stone and Lanthimos were deep in conversation, with brief interruptions requesting selfies.

Over at the coffee and tea station, Kirsten Dunst was halfway through pouring herself a cup of coffee when she paused and told husband Jesse Plemons “I don’t want this, do you?” Her order instead was cranberry and some sparkling, which Plemons dutifully delivered to her throughout the night. Both were also excited to greet Wagner Moura.

After Stellan Skarsgård’s win, Sean Penn made his way to the “Sentimental Value” table to give Renate Reinsve a big hug, while Megan Everett-Skarsgård, who had just gotten a very public boost from her husband, celebrated with Elle Fanning.

Seth Rogen, meanwhile, followed his first win of the evening with what looked like a very, very dirty martini.

Ariana Grande led a glamorous train to the ladies’ room, telling Jessie Buckley and Reinsve to “hold on to me!” The three made a brief stop to say hi to Tessa Thompson, and pose for a photo, before reaching their destination. In the line for the toilets, Grande sighed “phew we made it,” holding up her voluminous gown as best she could. Still someone soon stepped on a part of it, apologizing profusely. Grande put her at ease immediately, though, insisting, “No, I’m the problem!”

Later in the show, Jennifer Lawrence made her way to the bar area where she hugged Jeremy Allen White before finding Stone, who put down her white wine and took her friend’s face in her hands. They fluffed their hair when a photographer asked for a photo before they decided to take their own selfie as well.

Dunst spotted Lawrence nearby too, telling “The Testament of Ann Lee” filmmaker Mona Fastvold and Zoë Kravjtz that she just wanted to say hi. Plemons soon arrived with three drinks to dole out. One was not for Lawrence, who joined the line to order her own drink.

In another part of the room, Gayle King, who snacked on a small bite of dessert, appeared to have procured a to-go box for the sushi and soon was next to the “KPop Demon Hunter” women picking some choice pieces.

Patrick Schwarzenegger took a good long look at the dessert table, before moving on, empty-handed to the sushi. No protein shakes here for the “White Lotus” star.

Back inside the ballroom, the commercial breaks are a race to socialize. Everywhere you looked, there were interesting chats happening: Dwayne Johnson and Steven Spielberg, Macauly Culkin and Parker Posey, Maya Rudolph and Selena Gomez, Johnson and Timothée Chalamet and Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke, to name a few.

Others stayed put in their seats as the night went on. Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Adam Sandler seemed content to hang at their very starry table. (Why get up when people can come to you instead?). Jessie Buckley let her “Hamnet” son, a tired-looking, Jacobi Jupe sit on her lap for a bit. And Eva Victor took a moment to reapply their lipstick before their category was up.

Were Marty Supreme (Chalamet) and The Smashing Machine (Johnson) talking about greatness? Was Sean Penn smoking inside the ballroom? What did Britt Lower whisper to Grande? And what did Grande then write on a napkin and pass to Lower? Why was Ethan Hawke’s wife Ryan Hawke carrying a tote bag that said “Snoop’s Survival Kit” and what was in it? And what did Stone say to the three Beverly Hills Police officers that made them laugh so much?

For more coverage of the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/golden-globe-awards

Benicio del Toro arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Audrey Nuna arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Colman Domingo arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Alicia Silverstone arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Kirsten Dunst, left, and Jesse Plemons arrive at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Ariana Grande arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Jennifer Garner arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Emma Stone arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)