Shuhei Izumi is one of the actors I'm very good friends with who have played superheroes in tokusatsu sci-fi action TV shows.
Izumi played Domon in "Mirai Sentai Timeranger," who transforms into Time Yellow, a member of the superhero team in the show.
Izumi attended my wedding reception as well as the funeral of my mother, who had passed away around that time. In short, he was someone who was present at those milestones in my life. In October, I held the Izumi Matsuri talk event, and invited him as the main guest speaker so he could talk about his life thus far.
Izumi is a tall man. He was 170 centimeters tall while still in elementary school. He aspired to work in the entertainment industry because he wanted to appear on TV, but he was unsuccessful in one audition after another, even after joining a talent agency. While attending both university and an acting school, he decided to audition for "Timeranger," but was mentally preparing to quit the agency after the audition because he thought he would not get the part.
As he had no expectations of being successful in the audition, he had an unpretentious demeanor, which paradoxically seemed to work for him. He passed the audition and was chosen to play Time Yellow, thereby starting his acting career in earnest.
Domon is a man from the year 3000 who slipped back in time and arrived in the present. He falls in love with a contemporary Japanese woman but returns to the future. The woman subsequently has his child. Domon became an unforgettable hero to fans, thanks largely to Izumi's great performance.
Izumi subsequently won a regular role on a TV show after one senior actor favored him. But highs are usually followed by lows. One day, Izumi unwittingly improvised a line during the show, which enraged the senior actor. Following the incident, no one offered Izumi any opportunities to appear on television.
The backlash was severe. He would spend his time hanging out in a bar with a day's pay in his hand, which he earned from working as a day-laborer.
Apparently, I was the one who was able to help him during this period of his life. I was surprised to hear that from him when we spoke before the Izumi Matsuri.
Back then, I was involved in a project for a revival production of a play and thought he was a perfect fit for one of the roles. When I asked my actor friends for their opinions, however, they unanimously told me that he was out of control. But I gave him a call anyway and asked, "If you have nothing to do, why don't you come to the audition?" After a brief silence, he said in a strained voice, "I'll do it." To this day, I still think back fondly on that moment.
Izumi famously won that role, and people from other theater companies who came to see the show recognized his talent, which led to him blossoming as a stage actor. Now he receives offers for theatrical works one after another without interruption, and has become such a popular actor that a credit card with his picture has been produced. He secured happiness in his private life as well, by announcing this summer that he got married.
Life has many ups and downs, but it was possible for Izumi to make a comeback because he continued working hard and crawled his way up, even after hitting rock bottom. His relentless spirit, which is shared by the superhero he played, even makes me feel inspired.
Suzuki is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior specialist and an expert on tokusatsu superhero films and dramas.
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