Anna Sawai is getting a lot of love for her role in the FX historical drama Shōgun — which has led to something of a renewed fan fascination with some of her earlier projects outside of Hollywood.
The actress walked the carpet at a special Shōgun FYC Event at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday, where she spoke with ET’s Ash Crossan about how some fans have really gotten into the J-pop girl group she used to be a member of.
“Oh my gosh! I have seen some videos,” Sawai said, referring to clips of herself from when she was a member of FAKY.
“It’s strange, ’cause it’s a career that I left,” Sawai said of the unexpected appreciation for her time as a bandmember. “But, I guess, thank you ?”
When asked if there would ever be a possibility of reteaming with her old bandmates for some sort of reunion, Sawai said, “I don’t think so. I mean, I’m so happy doing what I’m doing right now.”
“I’m glad that I had that experience, but I left for a reason,” she added.
Anna Sawai attends FX’s “Shogun” FYC Event at the Directors Guild of America Theater in Los Angeles, California, on June 11, 2024. – ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, Sawai has been showered with praise and acclaim for her role on Shōgun, and she recently joined a number of A-list stars for an Actress Roundtable hosted by The Hollywood Reporter, which featured Jennifer Aniston, Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, Brie Larson, Sofia Vergara, Naomi Watts.
Looking back at the experience, Sawai reflected on who she would most love to work with in the future, and the actress shared her particular love for Foster.
“I loved just hearing what she had to say and I just loved her work,” she shared. “I think after meeting her, I’ve just been kind of star struck this whole time, and it would be amazing if I was able to work with her.”
In Shōgun, Sawai plays Toda Mariko, a translator in 1600s Japan who navigates a dangerous world of warriors, kingdoms and politics and facilitates communication between the powerful Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and the English maritime pilot and soldier John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis).
Shōgun, created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell. The novel was also previously adapted into a limited series, which aired on NBC in September 1980.
The show has been met with universal critical acclaim and a loud fan following, which Sawai said she “had no idea” would happen when they began filming.
“I think we were just reading these beautiful scripts and trying to make it come to life and I had no idea how it was going to be perceived,” she shared. “But it’s been so amazing.”
All 10 episodes of FX’s Shōgun are available to stream on Hulu.
RELATED CONTENT: