人気だけで映画に出る俳優への本音｜岩永丞威が撮影現場で感じる違和感。 GOLDNRUSH PODCAST Ep.160

Episode Overview

This episode is a deep-dive interview with actor/action performer Joy / 岩永丞威 about how he went from an international dance-and-martial-arts kid to becoming Japan’s standout action star—and the uncomfortable, sometimes awkward realities of fame and production behind the scenes.

Key Backstory + Highlights

Early Start: Dance + Martial Arts

• Joy grew up in a family where everyone danced.
• His parents ran a dance studio that also included karate and other martial arts, so performance wasn’t something he chose—it felt “always there.”
• He describes his love for performing as natural, not forced.

Acting Route Without Typical Training

• He first entered performance as a teen (including an early role as an extra).
• Later—while still building his martial arts path—acting became more serious as life circumstances shifted.

Move Across Countries (Japan ↔ LA)

• Born in Oita (Japan), Joy moved to Los Angeles shortly after birth.
• He returned to Japan around age 11–12 because his parents were setting up studios.
• He jokes about identity and branding, including the idea that “OC isn’t LA,” and his pride about LA geography/culture.

The “Weird” Origin of His Idol/Entertainment Entry

• Joy describes being scouted through Japan’s entertainment network, aided by family connections to choreographers and the broader Johnny’s-style performance culture.
• At NHK Hall, he was introduced on stage as a “new member,” and he started dancing immediately because the audience was already roaring.
• He felt unable to “escape” the moment—like the show had effectively “claimed” him.
• He also recounts feeling like an outsider at times (e.g., people looking at him strangely or juniors being confused). It’s not bullying, but social friction is implied.

Martial Arts Turning Into On-Screen Action

• He took karate more seriously after losing frustrating matches, and he credits competition in Japan and the US for shaping him.
• He later auditioned for roles specifically seeking someone with martial arts + performance ability, and parts were written with that in mind.
• His breakthrough came from a film where he plays a dancer who learns karate (with an Okinawa-related storyline).
• Producers continued pulling him into subsequent opportunities—each role leading to the next.

COVID + Crowdfunding + Overseas Breakthrough

• His first overseas acting push was disrupted by COVID, killing momentum just as international exposure might have expanded.
• He launched a crowdfunding campaign, raising 5 million yen.
• He later felt able to “repay” that support once the film reached international release.
• He also discusses timing realities: overseas release was faster than Japan’s, so he jokes it “feels too slow” because the world had already moved on.

Phileas: Action-Star Pride (“Final Boss” Role)

• The conversation includes his film Phileas, where he plays the “final boss.”
• The premise involves a mute character and fights that escalate.
• Joy praises Japanese action craft, emphasizing that choreography detail and technique are what hook international audiences.
• He notes how action directors and credits connect to major Japanese action franchises—suggesting the production quality is built by specialists.

Jokes + Memorable Reactions (Personality Moments)

Joy shares humor around several themes:

• LA identity stereotypes and “real LA” vs. other areas (including Compton references).
• Being introduced publicly before he even fully understood what was happening.
• His own “broken Japanese” acting choices that he finds amusing.

Improvisation in Blue Lock

• When discussing interrogation-style scenes in Blue Lock, Joy says some of the timing for action/violence was improvised, including him getting kicked.
• He frames it as chaotic fun—also describing it as a real performance problem solved in the moment.

A Recurring Comedic Theme

• He’s confident on stage and in action, but socially he sometimes doesn’t fully know how to respond to jokes.
• He tends to “answer with jokes,” and in the end he warms up.

Industry Thoughts: The Uncomfortable “Main Theme”

The episode circles a central tension: Joy is praised as an action star, but he’s also candid about what gets “systematized” behind the scenes.

• Japan may undervalue action performers compared to earlier eras when acting + action specialists were more common.
• Big action requires rehearsal time and budget; when productions rush, injuries become more likely.
• He’s curious about how budgets, profitability, and casting decisions work—especially for adaptations and reboots—and worries business logic can override pure entertainment value.
• He contrasts “what international audiences expect” with “what Japanese productions do,” and wonders why domestic excitement doesn’t always translate to overseas response.

Current Projects + Announcements

• They discuss upcoming Blue Lock releases and Joy’s other work.
• Joy reveals he’s involved with Kamen Rider:
  • he clarifies he’s not the lead,
  • with younger leads elsewhere,
  • while his role appears in the rider lineup/arc.
• He also talks about plans for global expansion, including the kind of overseas roles he wants—beyond Hollywood, potentially including China, Korea, and UK/London productions.

Appearing Personalities

• Joy / 岩永丞威 — guest; actor/action performer
• Podcast host(s) — multiple hosts/guests are implied through dialogue, but only Joy is explicitly named.