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Yamamoto Yusuke is currently playing the role of the narcissist and a bit dumb Suou Tamaki in "Ouran High School Host Club" (TBS). We asked him about the unprecedented drama filming which has some wire action too.
"I'm playing an idiotic character with 150% of my power!"
The filming is just like an athletic place!?
--Tamaki-senpai is an idiot yet lovable, it's quite a unique character, have you gotten used to it?
Yamamoto: It has slowly becoming one with me, but I'm still filming this with much hesitations. I'd want to do each take with all my strength, so even if I was told to do the same acting twice, I just can't.
--That's just how different this character is, huh.
Yamamoto: Really... I'm doing this with 150% of my strength. (laugh)
--This must be the most unique character you've ever played compared to the ones you did in the past.
Yamamoto: This just might be on the higher rank. I haven't acted an idiotic character since "Kamen Rider Kabuto" (TV Asahi), my debut work. That time, I just debuted, so I acted the idiotic role without experience, but this time it's like the advanced version of "The returning Idiot" after 6 years experience.
--Since it came from a manga, it must be hard to create the world view of this drama.
Yamamoto: Honestly, the first time I read the script, I thought, "I can't do this role". But rather than that, "Is there any actor out there who can actually play this role?". I was scared.
--But Yamamoto-kun have also acted in "ROOKIES" and "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e ~Ikemen Paradise~", manga-adapted dramas, before. You're still having a hard time even with the experiences?
Yamamoto: I mean, I can't even comprehend the script. (laugh) Perhaps because it's really a unique-girls-manga world. So I'm playing the role while changing my switch between the "cool Tamaki" and the "idiotic Tamaki" for each take, in my own way.
--Seem like this role needs the perfect timing too. I guess you have to have the ability of switching back and forth.
Yamamoto: There was once a day when things just wouldn't go well. I whined in front of the other host club members, "I can't do this...". But then I went home and watched the finished video of Episode3, and I thought "I'm not doing this alone... I shouldn't have acted like that...". Then I immediately texted everyone "Sorry". They replied me with words that made me feel like crying. Starting the next day, I come to be able to face it with a fresh feeling.
--That's so youthful just like the real manga.
Yamamoto: We tap each other's shoulders when we feel like we did a good job. I feel saved by them.
--So although this is a school drama, Yamamoto-kun have some wire action for the CG effects, lots of scenes which doesn't look elegant at all, ne.
Yamamoto: Yup. Actually only me get the hard parts. The next day after I did the wire action filming, I felt so beat, like I just got whipped. (laugh) Must because I used muscles which I never used in normal filmings. The filming set's temperature is like a steam bath room too. It really feels like I'm doing sport here. My weight isn't changing but my body fat have becoming about 5% now.
--That sounds like an athlete's daily life.
Yamamoto: Yeah. Feel like I'm all dried up. (laugh) But since everything is completed after I go through such hard times, and then added by CG effects which takes alot of time, I always look forward to the completed version.
--It's a 30-min drama, but it's taking alot of time for filming, ne.
Yamamoto: That's right. Sometimes 1 episode takes more than a week for filming. But since we're filming with all our might, and in terms of the extraordinary directing, I think this is the No.1 Summer Drama.
He will also be starring "Nankyoku Tairiku" (TBS), a drama lead by Kimura Takuya, starting October.
This interview is published in the currently on-sale ORI-STA (オリ★スタ) magazine, Sep 5 issue (released Aug 26).
source: http://zasshi.news.yahoo.co.jp/article?a=20110826-00000316-orista-ent
But I'm glad the host members have each other. 
