This is a clip of a variety show ep. from 2024, to promote the drama Mountain Doctor.
I thought it was kinda cute how he tries to be aware of his surroundings on set and keep busy 🤭 with like wardrobe or whatever, so that younger co-workers do not feel any pressure to come over to bow and do those kinds formal greetings to him.
Date of publication: 11/01/2017
Artists, actors, and creators who believed in their own potential, overcame adversity, and achieved success. What do these leading figures of our time mean by “SELF TURN”? Through their stories, we explore what it means to live and work as your true self.
For this first installment, we spoke with Nao Omori, an actor and member of the band Tsuki ni Hoeru.
What is Nao Omori’s philosophy on “purpose in life” and “work”?
Since your father is Maro Akaji, one of Japan’s leading butoh dancers, did you aspire to be an actor from childhood?
Nao Omori: Not at all. I knew instinctively that my father was a butoh dancer, but I had absolutely no idea how he made a living. To a child, it just looked like he was painting his body white and performing in some kind of haunted house (laughs). But because I was occasionally dragged along to watch his performances, I gathered that he belonged to that "other side"; the world of show business. However, since he wasn't on TV, I didn't really think of him as a "celebrity" in that sense.
So, what was the first profession you actually wanted to pursue?
Omori: A manga artist. I really loved manga. Though it was more on the level of just liking *Doraemon* and stuff like that (laughs). I used to draw manga in the back corners of my textbooks, and when people told me, "Omori-kun, you’re really good at drawing," I thought, "Maybe I’ll be a manga artist" (laughs).
However, as I was moving from elementary to middle school, I started watching Western music chart shows like Best Hit USA on TV. I fell in love with rock and bought a guitar. I formed a band in my first year of high school and made my live debut. I was totally immersed in it, but then the "band boom" ended... the public mood shifted to this cold, "Wait, you're still doing the band thing?" vibe. I was at a total loss (laughs).
(Laughs).
Omori: Right around then, my father’s manager at the time invited me to try acting. I started going to auditions while still doing the band. I had a vague interest in the acting world, you know, wondering what kind of place it was. Plus, back then, there were lots of small "V-Cinema" (direct-to-video) sets, and they’d call me for bit parts or whatever they had.
But because I was at the bottom of the ladder, I was constantly getting yelled at. I couldn't get into the "inner circle" of the people making the movie at all. I remember thinking, "I want to be in that circle. I want to be over there, feeling like I belong." To be honest, I feel like I'm still doing that same thing today.
Did you give up on the band as you pursued acting?
Omori: Yes. I was 29 at the time. By then, I was getting more film work, and my filming schedule was causing trouble for the other band members. We ended up arguing over it, and I told them, "I'm quitting." I left, and before long, the band broke up.
When you shifted toward acting, didn't you have any lingering regrets about the band?
Omori: Of course I did. After all, the routine I’d had since high school, going to the studio with the band almost every week or heading to the music store to buy strings, disappeared completely. It made my heart feel restless. But I still had my guitar, so I’d play it just to unwind.
Weren’t you anxious? You’d given up the music you’d been doing all your life, and you didn’t exactly have a solid foothold as an actor yet.
Omori: I’m sure I was anxious, but I also had a vague sense of confidence. I feel like actors who make a living from acting don’t usually have many stories of hardship; it’s the ones who possess that vague confidence who tend to make it. I’ve seen countless actors disappear over the years, and those people were always quick to complain or voice their weaknesses, saying things like, "I'm so worried." Regarding that, I stayed vaguely confident. Mind you, I had so little money it was almost funny (laughs). I have memories of staring off into the sunset, wondering if I could really survive like this (laughs).
Did you stick with acting even when you were dirt-poor because you wanted to do creative work?
Omori: I didn’t start acting with that mindset. Like I mentioned before, it was just a very simple desire to be inside that "circle" of a movie or drama set and be doing well within it. After turning 40, I started a band called “Howling at the Moon (Tsuki ni Hoeru),” but even that was just because I wanted to play at summer festivals and be part of that kind of crowd. I’m already 45 now (laughs). I guess I’ll be like this until I die.
(Laughs). When was the turning point in your career as an actor?
Omori: It was Ichi the Killer when I was 28. I went to the audition and got the part. That was the first movie where I had a leading role. The director was Takashi Miike, and I was playing opposite top star Tadanobu Asano. I thought, "I've finally made it!" and immediately quit all my part-time jobs. But then, after filming wrapped, I had nothing to do. It takes a while for the pay from a movie to come in, so I was completely broke (laughs). I had to start working part-time jobs again.
At what age were you finally able to make a living without working part-time jobs?
Omori: Around age 31. I was able to support myself once I landed a regular role in a daytime TV drama. Looking back now, I wonder how I managed to eat (laughs). But at the time, everyone around me was in the same situation, so I didn’t really think much of it.
Setting aside the financial aspect, were there ever times you faced failure or frustration as an actor?
Omori: Tons (laughs). I’ve been told my acting was terrible, that I should just "go die," or "What are you even here for?! Are you just here to eat the catering, you bastard”. Compared to people today, film industry veterans back when I was young were truly terrifying. I got kicked plenty of times.
There was also a time when, even though I wasn't in a lead role, the production had to do dozens of retakes because of me. And the worst part was, they wouldn't tell me what was wrong. They just kept saying, "Okay, once more! Again!" over and over...
Which project was that?
Omori: It was a film called Moonlight Serenade, directed by the master Masahiro Shinoda. I was in a scene with Hinano Yoshikawa and Jun Toba, and because my acting wouldn't get an "OK," it finally came to the point where he shouted, “Let’s take a break!” At that moment, I thought about punching the director and walking off set. But I realized that wouldn't solve anything, so I asked the staff, and they told me, “It’s not your acting that’s the problem, it’s your positioning. “You need to act in a way that lets the leads' faces be seen." When I tried that, I got an "OK" on the very first try. I started feeling this boiling anger toward the director, thinking, “If that’s all it was, why didn’t you say so sooner?”. After filming finished, my manager told me to go say goodbye to the director. I went over ready to punch him, but the director said, “Omori-san…” ..." Not only did he remember my name, but this legendary master bowed his head to me and said, “Thank you so much for your work today...” It was a tremendous learning experience.
Being an actor is a deep journey, isn’t it?
Nao Omori: It wasn’t until much later that I wondered why I’d been given so many “NGs (no-goods),” but I realized it was the director saying, “You need to figure out for yourself what exactly is wrong.” Unless it’s a massive blockbuster, they usually don’t let you do that on set. When I think about it that way, I realize they really believed in me and patiently tried to turn this clueless guy named Nao Omori into an actor. I’ve been fortunate to meet such sophisticated adults and learn what’s truly important for an actor from them.
I think many working adults, as they get older, face reality and gradually give up on their dreams.
As mentioned earlier, you started the band "Tsuki ni Hoeru." in your 40s and started performing as a musician. Is this a way of reclaiming an old dream?
Omori: Exactly. I just felt like I hadn’t quite finished what I needed to do with a band and music. I don’t know if I have the "sense" or whatever else is required for music and I don’t know if we’ll be successful, but I felt like I should be in a band… After a lot of soul-searching, that’s the answer I came up with. Once I passed 40, I thought, "Humans die anyway." If I don't do this band before I die, life is going to be incredibly boring. Of course, I know there are people who are really pissed off that an actor like Nao Omori is in a band. But I don’t care about that kind of criticism at all. Because when I’m playing in the band, I'm having a truly great time.
That said, it can’t be easy to keep up band activities while you’re so busy with filming, right?
Nao Omori: No, it isn't. Especially with the music industry being in a slump (laughs).
I’m sure you’d have a much more stable, comfortable life if you just stuck to acting (laughs).
Omori: You know, some actors really love Hawaii or are obsessed with golf, but I think those hobbies cost even more money (laughs).
Good point (laughs). So, how does it actually feel? Reclaiming that old dream of being in a band.
Omori: For example, even when going to the same TV station, the treatment is different depending on whether I go as the actor Nao Omori or as a member of the band Tsuki ni Hoeru. I’m enjoying that aspect as well. Also, acting and being in a band involve different approaches. As an actor, whether on stage or in front of a camera, you’re just one person within a world being created through interaction with others. But when you’re in a band on stage, you’re not just facing the audience, you can actually talk to them. I think actors and musicians are similar yet different, and their methods of expression are quite distinct. Because of that, I feel like performing on stage with the band actually helps my acting. To be specific, I feel like learning to perform without pretending is a valuable lesson.
I see. So starting your music career in your 40s has ultimately had a positive impact on your acting. This ties in with the discussion about side hustles for business professionals, too. Whether it’s acting or music, it feels like you’re not so much “working” as you are searching for a place where you can be yourself and have fun, just like you did as a child. Balancing work and life is an eternal challenge for working adults, but if I may ask, what do "work" and "life" mean to you personally?
Omori: In the sense that work means putting food on the table, my job is acting. I wouldn’t call the band a mere hobby, but it’s something I do because I simply want to do it. Acting is certainly something I want to do as well, but I can’t exactly just be myself in that role. However, it does allow me to take on the challenge of seeing just how far I can transform into a character. In fact, if I don't approach it with a sense of play, thinking "How weird can I make this guy?" or "How far off the rails can I take this performance?", I’ll end up hating it. That’s why I’m always looking for something interesting on set, so I don't get sick of it. I might even be smiling to myself while looking at the assistant director’s face (laughs). I'm half-joking, but I really believe it’s better to find the humor in everything. In short, I think for me, work and life are simply a journey to find the "interesting" things.
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自分自身の可能性を信じ逆境を乗り越え、 成功を掴んだアーティスト、俳優、クリエイター達。 時代の表現者達が語るSELF TURNとは？ 彼らのストーリーを通じて
One of the most interesting parts of this interview was when he talked about his approach to music and acting and how they differ, but made a point that being proficient in one of these careers benefits the other to some degree. I think it all comes down to the overlapping stage presence and finding interesting ways to express certain emotions that's needed for both.
Btw I've seen several video interviews and promos where he is holding back his laugh; he gets little dimples on his face and you can visibly tell he's trying not to laugh for no obvious reason. It looks like he's keeping something only he noticed to himself. Whenever he did that I would just assumed he thought he was being sneaky and it would always make me curious about what amused him and made him laugh internally like that.
Now thanks to this interview, I know he does that sometimes to not get bored; like some kind of mischievous coping mechanism to keep his spirits up. It would have never occurred to me that he makes a mental game out of finding humor within tedious or intense chaotic environments😅. I can imagine very few things more intense than being an AD in the middle of a hectic production schedule, and then there's Nao mentally clocking out while looking for anything amusing out of that stressful situation; just to give his brain a little jolt 💀
