How a bowl of ramen led to stardom日本とアメリカ合衆国で活動する俳優、米本学仁さん

ハリウッドで俳優として活動を開始し、現在は国内外で活躍している米本学仁さん。もともとは映画プロデューサーを目指して渡米したが、ひょんなことからハリウッド映画で俳優デビューを果たした。すべての始まりはラーメンを食べていたときの運命的な出会いだったという。

It was a bowl of ramen that helped launch the movie career of Takato Yonemoto. While slurping away on noodles at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Los Angeles, he was suddenly approached by a man who asked him if he was interested in becoming an actor.

“Maybe I was just good at eating ramen,” says Yonemoto, laughing. “Going to L.A., my dream was to be a producer. I didn’t know how I could achieve that, I just loved movies and thought I’d give it a try. Acting wasn’t something I’d previously considered.”

He told the scout he might be better behind the camera than in front of it. At the time, the Sendai city native was with Shoji Nakayama – a comedian known by his stage name of Nakayama Kinnikun – and suggested he might be a better choice. The scout, however, was only interested in Yonemoto.

“We exchanged contacts and then five days later I was asked to come in for an audition,” recalls Yonemoto. “I wasn’t told what the film was, but at the studio I saw these pictures of major actors so thought it must be big. Denise Chamian, a famous casting director, asked me to do some scenes. I did a couple of them in a comedic style, and everyone burst out laughing. I got goosebumps.”

Yonemoto was called back for a second audition and then a few weeks after that, flew to Budapest to appear in the Hollywood blockbuster 47 Ronin alongside Keanu Reeves. He was handed the role of the superstitious baby-faced ronin Basho.

“I grew up with low self-esteem, so getting that part was a big turning point for me,” says Yonemoto. “Not just regarding my career, but also in terms of my confidence. It was like receiving a big ‘I love you’ from the casting directors. Then arriving on set, one of the first people to greet me was Hiroyuki Sanada, who said ‘Basho’s finally come, don’t lose your weight.’ He gave me lots of energy.

“Keanu was also amazing,” continues Yonemoto. “To do my death scene with the man I watched in The Matrix and Speed felt surreal. We also drank Scotch together in his trailer and spoke about the movie The Tree of Life. Years later, I recommended my friend’s ramen shop in Hollywood. I then saw pictures of him there posted by fans on Twitter. He didn’t mention anything. Just went there. That’s Keanu.”

After 47 Ronin, the Japanese man appeared in several comedies, including sitcom The Good Place, starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson. Appearing alongside Hollywood stars was like a dream for Yonemoto, who’d been obsessed with American cinema since he was a child.

His first trip to the movie theater was when he was 3 to watch Star Wars. He doesn’t remember it, but his mother assures him he was there. Growing up, films were an escape for him as he didn’t have a good relationship with his strict father.

Despite watching Hollywood movies on an almost daily basis, Yonemoto had no particular interest in English as a youngster. That briefly changed when he visited Los Angeles for a month as part of his school’s study abroad program.

He says he picked things up quickly but forgot most of what he learned when he came back to Japan. Upon his return to L.A. around a decade later, he worked on his language skills night and day.

“I studied like crazy and only slept only one or two hours a night,” remembers Yonemoto. “I tried to think in English instead of Japanese and within a couple of months, I could understand easy conversations.”

Yonemoto’s dedication to mastering English certainly benefited his acting career in the States. In recent years, however, he’s been garnering more roles in his native homeland, including two successive taiga dramas on NHK: The 13 Lords of the Shogun and What Will You Do, Ieyasu?

“The 13 Lords of the Shogun was the first time my wife’s grandmother watched me perform,” recalls Yonemoto. “She called and said, ‘You really are an actor, it’s just a shame you died so soon.’ The next one I was in much longer, but she passed away before it aired. I was devastated but my wife reminded me she can see it any time in heaven. I hope she’s still watching me now.” (Matthew Hernon)

Words to live by