Every role lives within me.
—Does what you said earlier—"I want to stay grounded, but I also want to keep a sense of playfulness"—relate to your approach as an actor?
Aoki: It’s less about being an actor and more about being a person. I’m not exceptionally crazy, but I do have my stubborn quirks. I’m aware that if I don’t leave some breathing room in my life, it becomes overwhelming, and I think that carries over into my work as well. I place a lot of importance on taking a step back and looking at the big picture because relying solely on intuition or talent will eventually lead to a dead end. But when I’m acting, if I don’t have the potential to transcend even that detached, objective version of myself, it just ends up being boring.
—Is it a feeling of possessing both subjectivity and objectivity at the same time?
Aoki: No matter what role I play, I value the feeling that the character “exists within me,” and even when I’m reading a script, I rarely find myself thinking, “I just don’t get this character’s feelings at all.” I really trust that feeling—the sense that while I would never do something myself, there are definitely people out there who would. Even with villains or characters who hurt others, I think everyone has a bit of that ferocity tucked away somewhere in their mind. Rather than imposing a character’s traits from the outside, I expand on what’s already inside me and breathe life into it. I feel that approach brings me closer to creating a realistic character.
—When you watch movies, Mr. Tairiku, do you pay close attention to the characters’ emotions and physical appearances?
Continent: Honestly, there are some characters I just can’t relate to, and others where I think, “Maybe I’m like that too”—it’s a mix of both. But the way I see movies has changed completely between when I watched them in elementary school and now that I’m 30. Take *Home Alone*, for example. Back in the day, I totally understood the main character Kevin’s feelings, but when I watch it now, I actually find myself relating more to his parents’ emotions. When I’m putting together a collection, I choose movies that match my current state of mind, but since not every single feeling fits into just one movie, I combine fragments from various films to create my own version of the protagonist.
Aoki: That's really interesting.
—Finally, what were your impressions of *Hamilton* after this conversation?
Continent: From now on, whenever I see a *Hamilton* watch in a movie, I’m sure I’ll find myself grinning (lol). It’s also made me want to rewatch *Oppenheimer* and *Dune: Part Two*, so it feels like I’ve gained one more reason to enjoy watching movies.
Aoki: I didn’t realize the brand had such close ties to the film industry, so I was really happy to learn that. Despite its long history, it continues to engage flexibly with various genres, including movies and video games. It isn’t afraid to evolve, yet it stays true to its core. That approach made me reflect on my own work. If a “Murph Watch” appeared as a prop, I’d give it a standing ovation (laughs). If a moment like that ever came, it would really get my heart racing.
Khaki Field Murph 42mm
This time, Tairiku has created an original 42mm model of the “Murph Watch.” Secretly engraved in Morse code on the second hand is “Eureka!”—the word Murph shouted the moment he solved the equation.¥157,300
