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Upon its release,Shōgunvery quickly became the talk of the town. Becoming one of the most critically acclaimed series of the year, it established itself through its unique forms of storytelling and immersed the viewer in the magnificent landscape of Japan. While all the characters play a key role in the storytelling of the series, there is no denying that Anna Sawai’s Toda Mariko is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle.
During a recent interview, the actress was asked why she decided to take on the role of Mariko in the series. She was also asked if she ever wanted to play a different character in the show, and her answers were quite interesting.
Anna Sawai Was Afraid of Her Character inShōgun
In an interview withElle,Anna Sawaitalked about what it was like for her to star as Toda Mariko inShōgun.Specifically, she talked about why she felt close to her character, even though they were completely different people. She started by explaining every single character in the series was interesting in their own way.
She then stated that despite all their uniqueness, Markio stood out, and she could not help but pay all her attention to her. She revealed that initially, her character was quite unknown to her. With all the power and complexities that Mariko possessed, Sawai confessed that she was quite scared of her. Not because her character was too intimidating for her, but because she was nervous about playing her.
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I think all of the characters are just so interesting and special. But Mariko was so extraordinary. She is so powerful and inspiring and I think everything about her scared me. It was like I didn’t know if I could play her. There was a little bit of self doubt but everyone was just so patient with me and they made it possible.
Knowing how important her role was to the story and just how different she was, she was afraid that she would not be able to do all her complexities justice. However, the production and the creators of the series gave her enough room and space to shape the character in her own way. This allowed her to make a masterpiece out of an idea.
Anna Sawai Does Not Want To Play Any Other Character
Anna Sawaithen answered the second part of her question, being asked if she ever wanted to play another character inShōgun.While many actors would pick some character or another, simply out of curiosity, Sawai was far too loyal to Toda Markio.
She mentioned that she simply loved the character far too much to betray her in such a way. This is not surprising, as in many instances, Markio stole the scene most flawlessly, bringing a completely different kind of energy to the series.
I love Mariko too much and i can’t choose my other characters. It would strange coming from me because I played the character, but I really think that she is the heart of the show.
Sawai added to her answer, revealing that her experience playing Mariko was completely unmatched. Due to this, she understood that she was at the very center of the series. Knowing this, the actress would not want to play any other character.
Shōgunis available for streaming on Hulu.
Ananya Godboley
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2219
Ananya Godboley is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 2,000 articles published. She has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology from K.R. Mangalam University, Ananya also likes to fangirl as a full-time job. She covers news and analyses on anything from Rick and Morty to Hannibal and even Arcane. In between these lines, she also enjoys superheroes and Taylor Swift.A philosophy enthusiast, Ananya enjoys digging deeper into the media she consumes, trying to understand the root of her favorite characters' behavior.
