これまで何度も作品を共にし、プライベートの仲よしぶりも有名な新田真剣佑と北村匠海が、映画『サヨナラまでの30分』(1月24日公開)で“2人で1つの体を共有する”という特別な役どころで4度目の共演を果たした。インタビューを試みると「共演すると聞いて、『またか！』と思った」と2人で笑いながらも、「匠海と一緒だと安心感がすごい」(新田)、「この作品はまっけんとじゃなければ成立しなかった」(北村)とお互いへの愛と並々ならぬ信頼感があふれだす。歌声も披露した本作での撮影を振り返ってもらうとともに、仲よくなったきっかけを語り合ってもらった。

本作は、人づきあいが苦手な颯太(北村)が、1年前に亡くなったバンドのボーカルのアキ(新田)が遺したカセットテープを偶然に拾ったことから始まる青春音楽ラブストーリー。アキのカセットテープを颯太が再生する30分だけ2人が入れ替わり、1つの体を共有していくことになる。“入れ替わり”という不思議な現象を軸に、いまを生きる尊さや、仲間や恋人を想う気持ちが浮き彫りとなる。

「匠海は本当にいい表情をする」(新田)

これまでドラマ「仰げば尊し」、映画『OVER DRIVE』(18)、『十二人の死にたい子どもたち』(19)と3作品で共演し、今回4度目のタッグにしてダブル主演を果たした新田と北村。

「最多共演！」と明かした北村は、「初共演の『仰げば尊し』ではクラスメイト、『OVER DRIVE』ではライバル同士でしたが、どちらもまっけんの役どころから突き動かされるような関係性で。僕はまっけんの背中を見ているのがすごく気持ちいいんです」とニッコリ。「本作での颯太も、アキから前に進む力をもらう。まっけんの背中をまた見られると思うと、すごくうれしかった」と新田への特別な感情を吐露。

新田は「本作のポスターの表情もそうだけれど、匠海はどんな場面でもすごくいい表情をする。『OVER DRIVE』もすごかったなあ。匠海がいると、とにかく安心感がすごいんです」と信頼感を語る。すると北村は「ありがたい」と頬を緩めながら、「それはお互いにそうなんです。きっと周囲の方々も僕たちのそういった雰囲気を感じ取ってくださっているからこそ、共演が多いのかなと思います」と分析。新田は「2人とも『OVER DRIVE』の時とは、キャラクターもまったく違うからおもしろいよね」、北村が「まっけんは特に違うよね！あの時はお互いに鍛えていたから、体も倍以上に大きいし」と続くなど、気の置けない間柄ならではのトークを展開する。

「まっけんのレコーディング姿を見て“職人肌”だなと感じた」(北村)

本作で大きな見どころとなるのが、アキと颯太の歌唱シーンだ。歌声からもキャラクターの個性や心情が伝わるなど、新田と北村の豊かな表現力を堪能できる。

北村は新田の歌声を聴き、「抜群にうまい」と惚れ惚れ。「まっけんの歌声ではなく、確実にアキの歌声になっていました。過去の人間であることや、10代であることが、しっかりと歌声に込められていた。レコーディングをしていても、まっけんは『ここはもう一度やりたい』とお願いしていたり、とことん突き詰める職人肌を感じました」。

新田は「アキはまだデビュー前でプロではないという状態なので、ものすごくうまいというわけじゃない。そういったキャラクターの個性を考えていったんですが、まだ本編の撮影に入る前にレコーディングをしたので、アキを作り上げていくのがすごく難しくて。いろいろと考えていました」と述懐。北村の歌声については「匠海の歌声って、スパーン！と飛ぶんだよね。すごいなと思った」と明かし、「歌声を聴いてもいいなと思うし、(北村のことが)日に日に好きになっています(笑)」と愛情を傾けていた。

「僕らは、似たもの同士だから」(新田)

インタビュー中も笑顔が絶えず、一緒にいるのが楽しくて仕方がないといった様子だが、「仲よくなれると思ったきっかけ」を聞いてみると、2人ともが、互いの芝居を見た時と回答した。

北村は「『仰げば尊し』2話での僕の演技を、まっけんがすごく褒めてくれて。さらに3話ではまっけんの芝居に驚いたんです。芝居になった瞬間にバン！と熱いものが出てくるようで、段取りから本番までずっと、まっけんからものすごいエネルギーを感じた。“芝居がすばらしい”という信頼感から、友情が始まったような気がしています」と振り返り、「いまでは、話さなくても一緒にいられる感じ」とプライベートでも落ち着ける存在だという。

新田が「仲よくなれないと思うところがない」と微笑み、「僕と匠海は似た者同士だからね」と話すと、北村も「そうなんだよね。11月生まれのB型！」と呼応し、新田が「変人しかいない！」と2人で大笑い。

さらに新田は、こう続ける。「人として尊敬できるのはもちろんだけれど、役者として尊敬できるということが一番大きいです。匠海は、僕には絶対にできないような芝居をやる。スクリーンを見ていて、『やっぱりすごいなあ』と思わされることがたくさんある人。それが北村匠海！大好きです。僕、匠海のファンと語り合えると思うよ。一人でも匠海の作品を観に行くし」と熱弁して、北村も思わず照れ笑い。「ファンの子から、イベントでまっけんが僕のことを話していたとコメントをもらうこともあって。どこでも話しているんだな！」と突っ込むと、新田は「そうなんです！どこでも匠海の話をしちゃう」とニコニコ笑顔が止まらない。

今回は言わば、“一体化する役どころ”で共演したわけだが、新たに発見したことはあるだろうか？すると新田は「ないです！匠海のことは全部知り尽くしています。ホクロの位置も全部知っているからね」と自信満々の表情を浮かべ、北村は「キラーワードがどんどん出てくるな」とタジタジになりながら、「今回、ついに裸の付き合いをしましたからね。これはトップシークレットですけれど(笑)」と撮影秘話を教えてくれた。

「17歳での武道館ライブと『仰げば尊し』での経験は忘れたくない」(北村)

“大切な記憶”がひとつのテーマとなる本作。2人にとっての、「いまでも力になっている」「これは消したくない」と思うような“大切な記憶”は？

新田は「『仰げば尊し』での経験はすごく大きい」と告白する。「匠海とはもちろん、親友と思える人とたくさん出会えた。そして寺尾聰さんというすばらしい役者さんとも出会えた。(村上)虹郎や(伊藤)健太郎もいたし、とにかくみんな仲がよくて、現場にいるのがものすごく楽しかった。ものづくりって楽しいなと感じることができました」。北村も「『仰げば尊し』から、またこうやって一緒に作品ができるということがすごくうれしいよね。あの作品で共演した仲間は、『お互いの芝居が好きだ』と言い合える関係になれた。同世代にこういう仲間がいることは、ものすごく力になること」と共感。新田も「僕、役者がほかの人の芝居を見て『すばらしかった』と声をかける姿って、すごく好きで。そうやって言える先輩を見ていても、かっこいいなと思うんです」と熱っぽく語る。

北村は「『仰げば尊し』での経験はもちろん大きい」とうなずきつつ、「(ダンスロックバンドDISH//のメンバーとして)17歳で初めて武道館ライブをしたこと」も大切な記憶だと明かす。「武道館という夢が叶ってから、その後の1年がすごく苦しかったんです。ある意味、夢を失って露頭に迷ってしまった感じ。後輩もどんどん出てくるし、『これからどうしたらいいんだろう』と右往左往していたと思います。でもそこで迷ったからこそ、バンドとしてまた前に進むことができた。改めて足元を見つめることができたんです」。

たくさんの出会いを重ねながら、無限の可能性に向かって挑戦し続けている2人。新たな1年を迎え、北村は「オリンピックが開催されて、僕らのような若い世代が大活躍する1年になると思います。そういった世界と闘っている方々に負けないように、僕もいい作品を残していきたいと思っています」と決意表明。新田は「百折不撓」とのモットーを掲げ、「100回失敗しても諦めないという意味なんですが、常に諦めずに立ち向かっていきたい」と情熱を燃やしていた。

Mackenyu Arata and Takumi Kitamura, who have worked together many times and are well known for their close personal relationships, appear in the movie “ 30 Minutes to Goodbye ” (to be released on January 24th) as “two people in one body.” This is the fourth time they have co-starred in a special role called “Sharing the same.” When we attempted an interview, Nitta said, “When I heard that we would be co-starring together, I thought, ‘Here we go again!”’ and while the two of them laughed, “I feel a great sense of security when I’m with Takumi.” Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible.” (Kitamura) The love and incredible trust they have for each other is overflowing. We asked them to look back on the filming of this film, in which they also performed their singing voices, and to talk about how they became friends.

This work is a youth music love story that begins when Souta (Kitamura), who is not good at socializing, accidentally picks up a cassette tape left behind by Aki (Arata), the band’s vocalist who passed away a year ago. For the 30 minutes that Sota plays Aki’s cassette tape, the two of them switch places and end up sharing one body. Centering on the mysterious phenomenon of “replacement”, the story highlights the preciousness of living in the present and the feelings of caring for friends and lovers.

“Takumi has a really nice expression” (Nitta)

So far, they have co-starred in three works, including the drama “Uegeba Takashi”, the movie “OVER DRIVE” (18), and “Twelve Children Who Want to Die” (19), and this is their fourth collaboration and double starring role. Nitta and Kitamura.

“This is the most co-starred role!” Kitamura said, “We were classmates in our first co-star, “Ugeba Takashi,” and rivals in “OVER DRIVE,” but in both cases, we had a relationship that was driven by the roles we played. .I feel really good looking at Makken’s back,” she said with a grin. “In this work, Souta also receives the strength to move forward from Aki. I was very happy to see Makken’s back again,” expressing his special feelings towards Arata.

Nitta said, “Takumi has a great expression in any scene, as seen in the expression on the poster for this work.”OVER DRIVE” was also amazing.When Takumi is around, I just feel so safe.” Talk about trust. In response, Kitamura said, “I’m grateful,” and said, “That’s the same for both of us.I think the people around us also sense that kind of atmosphere in us, which is why we co-star so often.” Nitta said, “It’s interesting because both of their characters are completely different from when they were in OVER DRIVE,” and Kitamura said, “Makken is especially different! Back then, we were training each other, so our bodies are more than twice as big. ” and so on, and the conversation is unique to their casual relationship.

“When I saw Macken recording, I felt that he had the skin of a craftsman.” (Kitamura)

A major highlight of this work is the singing scene between Aki and Souta. You can enjoy Nitta and Kitamura’s rich expressiveness, conveying the characters’ personalities and emotions through their singing voices.

Kitamura heard Nitta’s singing voice and fell in love with her, saying that she was “extremely good.” “It was definitely Aki’s singing voice, not a real one.The fact that she was a person from the past and that she was a teenager was clearly reflected in her singing voice.Even when recording, Makken asked, “I want to do this again,” and I could sense that he was a craftsman who worked hard to get the job done.”

Nitta said, “Aki hasn’t made her debut yet and is not a professional, so it’s not like she’s extremely good.I thought about the personality of the character, but we recorded it before we started filming the main story, so I wanted to make Aki a better character.” “It was very difficult to create. I was thinking about a lot of things,” he recalls. Regarding Kitamura’s singing voice, he said, “Takumi’s singing voice jumps with a bang. I thought it was amazing.” I’m falling in love with her more and more every day (lol),” she said, expressing her love for him.

“Because we are similar” (Arata)

During the interview, they were constantly smiling and seemed like they were having fun together, but when I asked them what made them think they could become friends, they both answered that it was when they saw each other play. .

Kitamura said, “Makken really praised my acting in episode 2 of “Uegeba Takashi.” Furthermore, I was surprised by Makken’s acting in episode 3.The moment I started acting, I was so excited. From the very beginning, from the preparations to the actual performance, I felt a tremendous amount of energy.I feel like our friendship began with a sense of trust that the play was wonderful.” “It feels like we can be together without talking,” and says that he is a calming presence even in private.

Nitta smiled and said, “There’s nothing I don’t think we can’t get along with,” and said, “Me and Takumi are similar people,” to which Kitamura responded, “That’s right. I was born in November and am blood type B!” , Nitta said, “There are only weirdos!” and the two of them laughed out loud.

Nitta continues as follows. “Of course I can respect him as a person, but the biggest thing is that I can respect him as an actor. Takumi does a kind of acting that I would never be able to do. As I was looking at the screen, I thought, ‘Wow, that’s really amazing.’ A person who makes me think of many things. That’s Takumi Kitamura! I love him. I think I can talk to Takumi’s fans. I’ll go see Takumi’s works even if it’s just by myself,” Kitamura said enthusiastically. I couldn’t help but smile shyly. “Sometimes I get comments from fans that Makken was talking about me at events. He’s talking about me everywhere!” and Nitta replied, “That’s right! Takumi’s everywhere. Let’s talk.” He couldn’t stop smiling.

This time, we co-starred in a “unifying role,” so to speak, but did you discover anything new? Then, Nitta said with a confident expression, “No! I know everything about Takumi. I even know the location of all the moles,” and Kitamura said, “Killer words keep coming up.” “This time, we finally got to hang out naked. This is a top secret, though (lol),” he said with excitement as he told us the secret behind the filming.

“I don’t want to forget my experience at the Budokan concert and “Uegeba Takashi” at the age of 17.” (Kitamura)

This work’s theme is “precious memories.” What are some “precious memories” for the two of you that “still give me strength” or “don’t want to erase?”

Nitta confesses, “The experience I had with “Ueteba Takashi” was huge.” “In addition to Takumi, I met many people who I consider close friends. I also met a wonderful actor named Satoshi Terao. I also met Nijiro (Murakami) and Kentaro (Ito), and we all got along very well on set. It was a lot of fun to be there. It made me realize that making things can be fun.” Kitamura also said, “I’m really happy that we’re able to work together like this again after “Uegeba Takashi.” The friends who co-starred in that work were able to form a relationship where they can say to each other, “We like each other’s acting.” It’s extremely powerful to have friends like this in my generation.” Nitta also said, “I really like it when actors watch other people’s plays and say, “That was amazing.” I think it’s cool to see senior actors saying things like that.” he says passionately.

Kitamura nods, saying, “Obviously the experience I had with “Ugeba Takashi” was huge,” but he also reveals that “having my first Budokan live at the age of 17 (as a member of the dance rock band DISH//)” is also an important memory. “After my dream of joining the Budokan came true, the year that followed was extremely difficult. In a sense, I felt like I had lost my dream and got lost in an outcrop. More and more juniors were appearing, and I wondered, ‘What should I do from now on?’ I think we were at a loss, but because we were lost, we were able to move forward as a band again. We were able to look at where we were going again.”

The two of them continue to challenge themselves towards infinite possibilities through many encounters. As a new year approaches, Kitamura said, “With the Olympics being held, I think it will be a year in which the young generation like us will play an active role.I hope to not lose out to those who are fighting against the world, so I will also produce good works. “I want to leave behind this legacy,” he said, expressing his determination. Nitta’s motto is “never give up,” and he is passionate about it, saying, “It means never giving up even if you fail 100 times, but I want to keep going without giving up.”