BR / Charisma

[gregory starr]

Don,
I got a chuckle out of your following comment:

>Well, my top 10 won't get published (for good reason probably), but
>Charisma was my number one.  Plus, it's always nice to see Yakusho Koji in
>something other than a TV commercial.  Isn't the guy rich enough that he
>can stop making an arse of himself?

I know he's in a lot of commercials, but he's also got to be the hardest
working man
in Japanese films.  I think he's an excellent actor, but I wouldn't mind seeing
more films that he "isn't" in.  Maybe give some other actors a chance at some
plum roles.

Re: the "rich" comment; unfortunately, I'm not sure that there's an actor
or actress in Japan
who can make a living just from films.  In fact, I know a few who make the
average New York actor/waiter seem like John Rockefeller.  Asano has been
adamant about not doing
TV and sticking to film, but the lucrative lure of commercials seems to have
been too much for him, since he's seen on the screen often enough now that he
might as well be in one of the dramas.

I have found it extremely difficult to get more than a glimpse into how
much the top actors make
from their films here.  It's another black hole that the industry protects
so well.
Aaron, do you or Mark have any ideas?  Is it possible for someone to pay the
rent without dressing in a ketchup bottle and cavorting on the tube?

Greg Starr
Premiere Japan