Learn English LingQ Podcast #:40 The Most Popular Commercial Actor in Japan! (2)
yeah
But it was worth it in the end.
Now you're...I was doing checking you out online, of course, before the
interview doing my research and, uh, your IMDB says that you are the most
popular commercial actor in Japan.
I love that.
And would you agree?
Most recognizable?
Um, I'm very humble, but, um, even now Japan is a mask culture so this is,
has nothing to do with the pandemic.
Um, the reason I say this is because here agencies like to tell celebrities
wear sunglasses and a hat or wear sunglasses and a mask so paparazzi
doesn't take pictures of you and you can kind of have somewhat of a normal life.
So I'm quite used to wearing a mask all the time.
Frustrating as it is quite used to it.
But um that's there because I was actually nominated as the most popular, um,
commercial talent for Japan, uh, male talent in Japan, two years in a row.
Um, I won.
So it's an official thing?
Wow.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I didn't know.
Um, there was a group, a famous Japanese group here called Smap and
the lead singer, or one of what some people would say is the lead singer
um, Kimura Takuya, uh, Kimura Takuya.
He was the number one commercial talent for eight years consecutively.
And then I happened and I took it for two years and now I'm super happy and super
grateful because it's not something that industry people vote on, that's fans only.
Ah, okay.
So it's real.
Cause yeah, it's very real.
So it's like even to this day I'm super humble.
I love that that happened because it's not something that's happened before.
Fantastic.
Definitely a milestone.
Yeah.
I have to say I lived, I lived in Japan from 2008 till 2011
and I recognize you for sure..
During the time you were here.
During the time you were here, that's when that happened.
Yeah.
I totally recognize you.
That the ad, which, um...
yes, they're still, they're still going now, knock on wood.
That's actually what kept me here for so long.
Um, it is such a, it's such a Japanese...
so for any listeners who don't know, SoftBank is who the ad
was for, SoftBank is the biggest cell phone provider in Japan.
They're huge.
Um, and you did an ad and it's delightfully Japanese, weird and you
know, funny and with Tommy Lee Jones.
Quirky.
Yes.
That's the word for it.
Yes I've.
Um, so when I started it was Vodafone and it moved to SoftBank
my second commercial, the first commercial I was cast as an extra.
It got changed.
We're on set the director, wasn't happy with the flow of things.
He asked me and someone else to switch places because he
was, he was just frustrated.
So he's looking, he's sitting at the table and he's looking at everyone's
profile pictures and thinks like, Hey, where's this guy, where's this guy?
And it's like, oh, he's over there in the break room.
And then they called me over and said, Hey, can you say these lines?
It was um ... and ... because when I started out, it was the ... series,
and that was for a year, then all the companies, uh, uh, mobile phone
companies had to basically redo their contracts because the regulations
and laws had changed in Japan.
So during that time period, I went on a two month photo shoot because
basically what it ended up being.
And then when I came back to like, Hey, new script, new idea.
And that was the introduction to the white family for SoftBank.
And it, by that time, it had officially become SoftBank in Japan,
but it's still Vodafone in Europe.
Um, T-Mobile and Sprint in the UK.
Ah, right.
Okay.
Sorry, very long explanation.
No.
Um, so how was it then?
So you weren't supposed to have that kind of role in the, in the commercial then
initially they kind of pulled you into it?
No, initially...
yeah.
So initially I was, so everyone auditioned, I was basically chosen
through the picture selection and, um, the director basically just liked my tone.
I was the only person that looked like me on set.
Um, and he's like, oh, it's kind of an interesting dynamic because, you
know, we, we don't really have every, because everybody was dressed pretty
much the same, your typical Japanese business suit style office, um, image.
And he just wanted something different.
And he's like, what do you have laying around?
It's like, Hey, can you put these glasses on?
And it's like, sure, put the glasses on and I did it.
And he's like, here take the phone because that phone is the sharp Aquos.
It's a flip phone.
Tei screen turns to the side.
So it's like, if I were to open it, you do like this to the screen and
I'm playing a snake game on there and just like, do whatever you want to.
Do whatever you want to.
We can we give you a cue, say your lines.
And he just liked the way I delivered it.
And then that's a wrap so to speak.
So quite low, quite lucky, quite lucky.
Yeah.
And how was it working with Tommy Lee Jones?
He's an icon and everywhere in Japan.
I always wondered about that.
Well, so yeah, it is strange because it's like, when you see Tom Lee
Jones, he's very professional.
Um, he's, he's very straightforward.
And, um, I'll say that when I worked with him, he was very strict.
The whole time.
And then afterwards he's laughing and joking and it's like,
wow, where did that come from?
So I've worked with, uh, the Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones,
Quentin Tarantino, and, uh, Bruce Willis for these productions.
Bruce Willis, uh, set was actually cut a little short because of a recent
retirement, unfortunately, but you know, it is what it is, but I will
say this, um, uh, many blessings to him, his family, and also to anyone
that I've worked with, you know, I'm just happy that I had the opportunity
to do that because they're icons.
Um, and just, you know, Uh, Japanese cell phone commercials,
not something that you would expect.
So I'm, I'm happy either way, super happy, but working with them has been fun.
They've been fun.
Okay.
I bet.
Wow.
Tarantino.
How, how was he?
What was he like?
Of all of them I would say he is the most creative and quirky when he's
talking about features that he wants to put together or ideas for something.
Um, and he's just, he's very, very blunt.
He's very blunt.
Um, but I liked that.
I liked that about him because it is what it is.
You, however, it comes out that's, that's it, whether it's a joke or, uh,
an anecdote or we're talking about, uh, an idea that he has, because he
was a big fan of, um, my sister and the commercials because she had a TV series.
She had a movie series, excuse me, um, where she's playing a ninja and he's
like, oh, that movie is just so cool.
It's like, would you be interested in doing another one?
She's like, I'm kind of done.
The series is finished.
Because at that time, he was interested in potentially, uh, maybe getting the
rights or doing a remake kind of thing.
And she's like, you know, I've kind of moved on from it because what people
don't realize is once the films hit the states or hit the Western culture,
it's actually been out for a while.
Um, or it's, it's moved on.
So like Power Rangers in or Super Sentai here in Japan most of
the time, that's only one year.
So every year it's a new cast, new concept things, but outside we've
actually kept cast members and things of that nature for like 2, 3, 4
years, if not more, because we don't like to have them change culturally.
It's different.
So it just happens that way.
Um, so Dante, what do you have in the works at the moment?
Are you working on any productions?
Uh, yes, actually, um, quite, quite a few things, but the reason it's been, uh,
difficult to talk about because of NDAs or my personal favorite delays delays because
of pandemic and things of that nature.
So it's like, okay, our release dates going to do this, and we can start
talking about it from this date.
And then right, when you get ready to start talking about it you have to wait.
Oh, wow.
Frustrating.
I can say that...
it is, very.
I can say that I have a web series that I'm working on and
helping to produce and star in.
It's, it's one of my, one of my friends that I met here, um, a long
time ago, it's his passion project and I really want to help him.
And it's called Frayed Rope.
We've actually started, um, pre production.
Now we'll start officially filming the first half of it uh, next
month we've actually done some, some test shoots and things.
I'd say, uh, High Confidence Man uh, JP come up in the theaters in January.
It'll be Blu-ray next week.
And um, if you have Netflix, definitely check out Resident Evil Vendetta,
and Infinite Darkness Resident Evil.
Um, they're CG movies.
Um, the character DC that's in it, that's me.
And, um, Infinite Darkness I'm playing like four different characters.
So I'm everywhere.
Um, the, the other productions, I can't say yet, but definitely, definitely, um,
keep an eye out on my, I'd say Instagram is the one that I'm most active on.
Um, and I usually post something there, if not in stories then
definitely on the actual page itself.
I see.
Okay.
Wow.
So you're busy, pretty busy, lots going on.
Lots going on.
Excellent.
Um, well, listen, Dante, I will pop, as you said, the link to your Instagram, and
I know also you have a YouTube channel.
Uh, yes.
I have a YouTube channel, um, on apologies to anyone that's following or about
to follow, it has been slow because of productions, but it will be picking back
up, um, within the next couple of weeks, because there have been things that we
filmed just haven't had a chance to post.
So, yes.
Um, on Instagram I have two Instagram accounts.
Actually the main is Dante Carver official and anything dealing with, uh, otaku or
art, because I do art as well that is on 2DCSAN, which is my artist's name.
Excellent.
Well, listen, Dante, thank you so much.
Uh, best of luck with all these projects and yeah.
And, um, yeah, again, thank you for joining us so early.
No problem.
No problem.
Sorry for the delays and the hiccups in the beginning.
No worries.
Cheers, bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
