Aoi Okuyama
originally published in her. magazine volume 10
Coat writtenafterwards, Blouse & Skirt _ DHRUV KAPOOR, Scarf ADDICT NOIR, Sunglasses _ Vintage (Santa Monica Shibuya), Bag & Shoes Christian Louboutin
Dress _ Anna October
Top & Trousers _ Text, Sandals _ Manolo Blahnik
Cape_ writtenafterwards, Dress_ ROSEHA GEHY, Blouse_Tibi, Corsage_ TOGA, Shoes_ BEAUTIFUL SHOES
Above: Coat_ writtenafterwards, Top & Skirt_ DHRUV KAPOOR, Scarf_ ADDICT NOIR, Sunglasses _ Vintage (Santa Monica Shibuya), Bag & Shoes_Christian Louboutin
Below: Coat _ HOLIDAY, Shirts _ MAGDA BUTRYM, Hat _ BAUM UND PFERDGARTEN, Earrings _ Faris, Bangle _ TOGA Opposite Page : Dress _ BAUM UND PFERDGARTEN, Slip Dress _ SVNR
Left: Shirts_ writtenafterwards, Top_Vivienne Westwood RED LABEL, Blouse _ ALEXACHUNG, Trousers _ UJOH, Sandals _ Manolo Blahnik
Right: Dress and Harness_ noir kei ninomiya
Top Left: Coat_Vivienne Westwood RED LABEL, Dress _ ALEXACHUNG, Dress _ ROSETTA GETTY, Earrings Kenneth Jay Lane, Bag_ Roger Vivier, Sandals_ Christian Louboutin
Center: Dress_ROSETTA GETTY, Sandals _ Gianvito Rossi
Bottom Left: Jacket & Dress_ noir kei ninomiya
Top Right & Below : Dress and Harness_noir kei ninomiya
Photography_ Kenta Sawada
Styling_ Mayu Takahashi
Hair_ Nori Takabayashi (YARD)
Make up_ Kie Kiyohara (beauty direction)
Layout Design_ Yukio Sugaya
a conversation with Aoi Okuyama
Interview_ Mari Kishi
What was it that first made you want to be an actor?
For me, it was the Harry Potter movies. Watching Harry Potter as an elementary school student, I first wanted to be a wizard, but I realised that wouldn't be possible. So instead, I thought I'd become an actor and be in a Harry Potter movie.
So, you've wanted to be an actor since you were an elementary school student?
No. I still wanted to be a wizard, but the letter from Hogwarts never came, so I thought the only way would be to become an actor. I changed my direction unwillingly.
So, you got over it and aimed to be an actor instead. Tell us the story of your journey.
I found UPS Academy while googling acting schools in the winter of my third year of high school. It was perfect. I auditioned around December or January, and after graduating high school, I started lessons in April. Actually, I hadn't said a word about it to my dad, so when, totally out of the blue, I told him that I was leaving for Tokyo in April to study acting, he was angry and refused to let me go.
How does your dad feel now?
He wasn't exactly against my becoming an actor. I think he was sad that I'd chosen my path without telling him and was suddenly leaving to live on my own in Tokyo. Now, he is supportive of my acting career.
What was your first acting job?
My first job as a professional actor was in GIRI/HAJI. Near the end of my first year in acting school, I was called for an audition for GIRI/HAJI, which I passed and got the role of Taki. And then, from the summer of 2018, we filmed in England and Japan. It was my first time working on such a large scale production and it was also my first time working with an English script. Everything was a first for me, and I didn't know anything. When I received the script, I didn't even know how to pronounce my lines.
As this was your first professional job, were there any especially memorable scenes?
Being my first, everything left an impression on me. It's a tough choice, but it was probably the dance scene with everyone... and, the scene on the beach. Although I learned the flow of filming as we went along, there were several times when I didn't know that the camera was rolling and would ask, "Are we filming now? Which one?". Many times I found myself thinking, "Oh? This scene is over?", even when I heard, "Okay! Done. To the next scene!".
How long did the shooting in London take?
London took about 4 months, then we continued shooting for 3 months in Japan, before returning to London for another 3 months of shooting. It took a little less than 10 months in total. It was so much fun! If I have to pick something that was hard, I would say the weather... it was very cold.
How was London? Was it your first time there?
Yes, it was. England is the setting for Harry Potter, so it was amazing, and I also went to the studio and took photos on the platform set from Harry Potter. It was probably the best experience of my life and even now, when I look back at the photos, the expression on my face shows how happy I was. It was simply heaven! Also... the drunks were memorable. It made me realise that they are the same all over the world.
What has been the number 1 influence on your life? Some incident, or some person... anything at all.
For me, I'm especially vulnerable to fortune-telling. When the fortune-telling segment begins on TV in the morning, I have to switch it off immediately because it bothers me too much. If I hear the fortune for the day, I end up wasting the entire day thinking about it. Fortune slips too! I will worry if I've drawn a bad one and... So, I try to avoid all forms of fortune-telling.
Is there a particular role you would like to take on?
Probably something with an open ending. Stories with a happy ending make you think, "Ah, thank goodness it ended well", and the story ends right there. But with an open ending, it feels like it will go on forever. Even if imaginary, it's like it lives on forever, I guess. For example, the role Eri Fukatsu played in Villain lingers in my mind, I feel drawn in and I still think about her every now and then. Things like, "Did she find happiness after that?" and "What kind of life choices did she make after that?" I guess I want to try playing a role where people keep thinking about it long after they've finished watching.
Have you released anything else in Japan? Is the filming process in Japan different to overseas?
I've only had a little screen time in Japan, but I got the chance to be part of a special drama. Personally, I felt that in Japan, filming is done in a very procedural manner where they test various things again and again. During the filming of GIRI/HAJI, there were many scenes that made me go, "Oh? You were filming that?", but there doesn't seem to be much of that in Japan.
Do you have any favourite movies or music that you get inspiration from?
For movies, I can watch Love Actually anytime of the year. I love Christmas movies and Christmas songs all year round, and I love Notting Hill too. I end up watching Love Actually over and over mainly for the scene with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson. I don't know much about music, but I like what I like. Recently, I've been listening to The Kooks... and Shawn Mendes too. If I like one song, I will listen to it endlessly.
Between film, Netflix, and TV dramas, which are you most interest in?
I'm not sure I can call it an interest, but I watch Netflix a lot these days and I often check out the original series. I especially love Stranger Things. At the beginning, I was watching and thinking that it was a suspense series, but it ended up being Sci-Fi. It's very interesting. But for drama series, the beginnings are crucial, aren't they? Because you can't sleep at night once you get hooked. But in terms of working in film, Netflix and TV dramas, I think each have their own merits, I personally do not have a particular preference and my work as an actor remains the same. I act.
Since becoming an actor, what has been the biggest personal change?
I guess nothing has really changed that much... it's just a matter of whether I'm living in Hokkaido or not. My living environment has changed, I guess. The people around me; my family, and everything else, is still the same. I haven't had the chance to meet anyone around my age since I came to Tokyo, so I want to do that in Tokyo. That is one of my wishes. Lately, I'm able to make small talk, even with people I'm meeting for the first time. I'm naturally shy, so that's been a big change. The other day, I had a conversation with an older lady at the cash register about whether to put the beef bun and chocolate in the same bag. I guess I have matured a little, I hope.
What kind of self-image do you have of yourself as "Aoi Okuyama"?
I'm just another country bumpkin, I guess. Because it still scares me to see tall buildings all lined up and my heart still beats a little faster when I go to Shinjuku or Shibuya. That crossing at Shibuya! The sheer number of people and busyness. But from afar, it still looks pretty, though. I'm still very much a country bumpkin.
Let's talk about fashion; what kind of style do you like? Do you have any favourite brands?
I love fashion, but I don't know much about brands, though. For shoes, I like Dr. Martens, but I don't have any favourites for clothes. I like clothes that have soft and gentle materials and are sort of boyish and casual, so I often pick those kinds of clothes. I like used and vintage clothes the most. I feel warm and fuzzy thinking how the old piece of clothing has passed through so many hands and has seen so many things before reaching me. I like to go around the used clothes stores of Harajuku.
Are there any actors that you like and take note of?
I watch a lot of movies and get influences from the stories rather than the actors. For example, if I'm watching movies from the 80s, I end up wearing retro 80s clothes, so you can kind of say that I like used clothes after all.
Finally, how do you see yourself in 10-20 years down the road? Also, what kind of actor do you want to become?
I want to become an actor who embodies kindness, sadness, and loneliness, all in one. As a person, I want to be someone who can say a heart-felt, "Let's eat" and "Thank you for the meal".