Role Play: Life as a Japanese Actor in NY
Being released this July is the independent film Off Jackson Avenue by John-Luke Montias. A fast paced drama that follows three overlapping storylines centered along Jackson Avenue in Queens, it features a central character that is Japanese. Actor Jun Suenaga joined us at the Chopsticks NY office to discuss his involvement in the project.
Tell me about the role you play in the movie, Off Jackson Avenue.
I play the role of Tomo, a cold blooded hitman from Japan who is hired by a Chinese crime boss to kill an Albanian mobster. On his second day in New York, he gets a call from his brother telling him that his mother is dead. After that he begins to lose his control and starts to see her ghost. The role was created for me, but I think any ethnicity could play it because Tomo is a man trying to survive under a tough situation and is not a stereotypical Japanese. We, Japanese actors, are often sent to castings to fill a stereotype. I understand that’s what the majority of the market here wants; however I am always frustrated about this situation. You have no idea how happy I was able to get the role. At same time, I had lots of pressure because it’s one of the leads.
How did you prepare for the role?
Creating a character is basically filling the gap between yourself and the character. So I usually write a bio of the character. You have to be very concrete about your character in order for your imagination to take over. Tomo’s guilt about his mother is something I related to – I have a similar guilt toward my parents, who are still living in Japan. Tomo’s mother doesn’t want him to do what he’s doing, and my parents don’t support my pursuing acting. So there were similarities there to explore.
How difficult is it for Japanese actors to survive in New York?
It’s very hard. One of the major factors is English. I’ve been living here for a long time and my English has improved, but I still have an accent. So the criteria I can fulfill is limited. If I acted with my own accent, the audience wouldn’t believe I am an Asian American. Playing other Asians, I think I am good at foreign accents, but I need to be careful because adding another accent to my accent would probably be very confusing.
In general, legal status can also be very difficult – I know many talented actors who have had to go back to their country for visa issues. It’s very heart breaking to watch.
What advantages do you have as a Japanese actor?
I don’t know what other actors think about this, but I don’t think there’s an advantage. At the same time, I don’t think ANY actor has an advantage just for being a certain ethnicity. When they have a casting call for a Caucasian male in his 30’s, there’s probably more competition in those situations, for example. I don’t think there’s an advantage for anybody. It’s really up to you.
What drives you?
I like New York first of all. I can definitely witness true art here. But the biggest reason is my friends, who have been very supportive and really are my family. I think creating something in New York is also very interesting because you have to work with people with different backgrounds – you end up learning and getting a lot of ideas from listening to their experiences. John-Luke Montias and Gordon Eriksen, who are like my creative partners in crime, also drive me.
What is your future plan? Would you consider directing, or working in Japan?
Gordon and I have been planning to shoot a short film for a while, so hopefully we will do that soon. I will also be in John-Luke Montias’s next film, Mother’s Day, about a woman with Alzheimer’s rebuilding her relationship with her son. It will be shot next year and I will play the role of Tony who is a Mormon priest and an ex-major league baseball player.
I would say yes to all. Stivi Paskoski who plays Milo (the Albanian Mobster) told me to go to Japan and become a star in order to sell Off Jackson Avenue. He was kidding, but I realized it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go to Japan to work. To be honest, I wasn’t thrilled about Japanese filmmaking and theatre because of the strict hierarchy, but I would consider it. Regarding writing and directing, I have written some screenplays as well and am looking forward to getting into that field. Of course, I would be very happy to go anywhere if someone is interested in working with me. But I know I will always be based in New York.
A winged Hollywood agent floats down and offers you your dream role. What would it be?
I think I’m always attracted to the antihero. Steve McQueen in Bullitt. Sonny Chiba’s role in Battle Without Honor. I also hear Martin Scorsese is casting Silence based on the Shusaku Endo Novel. I’d love to be involved as Kichijiro.
——— Interview by Nobi Nakanishi
Off Jackson Avenue will be opening on July 17th at Quad Cinema (34 W. 13th St., New York City). www.quadcinema.com
Jun Suenaga Jun Suenaga, originally from Japan, dreamed of becoming a rock singer when he was in high school. After moving to Tokyo for college, he started getting involved in theater and independent film. In the end of 1991, he moved to NYC to pursue an acting career and studied with Terry Schreiber who was a huge influence. He starred in the indie-hit The Love Machine directed by Gordon Eriksen; and co-starred in Nicky’s Game also directed by John-Luke Montias. Jun also plays the voice of Toshi in the hit video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles.
Off Jackson Avenue
Off Jackson Avenue is an interwoven crime story, set in New York City, involving a Mexican woman (Jessica Pimentel) who has been tricked into sex-slavery by an Albanian pimp (Stivi Pasdoski) and must find a way to break out; A Japanese hit man (Jun Suenaga) who is in town to do a job for the Chinese mob and must finish his assignment, despite the fact that he is haunted by his recently-dead mother’s ghost; And a local car-thief (John-Luke Montias) who must go on one last stealing spree to raise enough money to buy a tire store and go legit. A smack bang tale of ambition, survival and fate, Off Jackson Avenue reminds us that there are still some parts of New York city that you won’t find on any map.
Written and directed by John-Luke Montias
Produced by Michiel Pilgram
Cast: Jessica Pimentel, Stivi Paskoski,
Jun Suenaga, Aya Cash, Gene Ruffini,
John Luke Montias
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