Anna Sawai who portrayed Mariko in Shōgun found it difficult to break her character off-set thus affecting her personal life.

Anna Sawai has been garnering attention ever since her time as a member of the J-Pop group FAKY. But her transition into acting has been nothing but remarkable as she recently garnered acclaim for her role as Mariko in Shōgun.

Sawai in a still from the series. | Credit: FX.

She even ended up earning an Emmy nod for her leading role in the drama series, which perfectly showcases the talent she’s capable of. However, her role also came with unique challenges as the actress revealed that playing Mariko also ended up impacting her personal life.

Anna Sawai Found It Hard to Switch Off Her Character in Shōgun

Based on James Clavell’s famous 1975 novel, the Shōgun series is set in early 17th-century feudal Japan. It follows John Blackthorne, an English navigator who ends up on the coast of Japan and finds himself getting involved in the complex power struggles between warlords.

In the show, the Emmy-nominated actress plays the role of Lady Mariko, a central character who is a noblewoman of high status.

While deeply rooted in the traditions and honor of feudal Japan, she serves as both a translator and cultural guide for Blackthorne to understand the complexities of Japanese society.

Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai in Shōgun. Credits: FX

While navigating the intense political dynamics with her character, Anna Sawai perfectly nailed showcasing Mariko’s inner conflicts, making her one of the most intriguing characters to watch on the show.

However, the actress herself added that embodying Mariko meant presenting new layers of difficulty. In The Standard interview, she shared that the character was difficult to switch off even when the cameras stopped rolling, thus affecting her personal life.

On Shōgun I don’t want to say it wasn’t fun, because that sounds depressing, but I wasn’t laughing from my heart, which is quite sad because you want to have fun with the cast and crew – but I couldn’t do that because I couldn’t just switch Mariko on and off.

The role required her to stay in character even off-set, thus, affecting her time to relax with her cast members. Unfortunately, Mariko’s reserved demeanor started affecting Sawai’s personal life, making it challenging.

Anna Sawai Got Candid About Her Challenges in Shōgun

Anna Sawai in Shōgun | Credits: FX

This hasn’t been the first time when she expressed the challenges and rewards of portraying Lady Mariko in the FX series. In a W Magazine interview, she got candid about how her role demanded both emotional and physical dedication.

In the interview, she reflected on the complexity of the character and how she often doubted herself throughout the filming process.

During shooting, I remember feeling unsure about myself, wondering whether I had given enough to the character because she was so beautifully written. Even after we wrapped, I wasn’t sure if I had done enough.

Even though she delivered a strong performance, she admitted that there were moments when she felt she could have done more but was unsure exactly how to do so.

A little later in the interview, she also noted that her costumes also had a physical turmoil on the actress. Given that her wardrobe was heavy, she admitted that she had to keep wearing it even when the cameras were not rolling as it would take 40 minutes to put on everything back again.

She continued,

Wearing the costumes five days a week, nine hours a day, for 10 months was physically tough, but it really allowed me to live in the character’s shoes. The clothes made me feel like, okay, today’s the day that I feel weak, or today’s the day that I feel like I have a voice.

This only reflects on how she holds high standards for putting in her best efforts for her role. Despite the challenges, her performance was widely acclaimed. Not just that, the show garnered widespread attention as it got renewed for a second and third season.

Shōgun is available on Hulu.