Hiroyuki Sanada guest stars in 'Lost' 6th season

He didnt read the script before signing up? There must have been a lot of zeros on the contract offer. He is such a cool dude you dont even need him to say anything on camera. Just have him glare at something.

I saw the Episode but I won't post any spoilers.

Same as that other Japanese woman staring in 'Bones', I'm guessing it's some kind of deal to boost DVD sales in Japan.

He doesn't need to read the script before starting up... he just needs to go to any rental shop to see it at the top of the TV Drama rental lists, or look it up on any website to find the MASSIVE amounts of fans. He's a good actor who has appeared in a number of non-Japanese movies (mostly Chinese, but some Hollywood as well, such as The Last Samurai and Rush Hour 2), and I'm glad we'll see him on lost.

There are an increasing number of Japanese making cameos or longer appearances in Western shows because it's proven to boost sales/viewership here in Japan. Just take into account that an article exists talking about a single person's appearance in a Western TV show! Japanese are appearing in Bones, Flash Forward, Heroes (though really they're not Japanese in most cases), etc. Every time they do, it makes waves here, and sells more. Same with movies. That's a good thing.

What is Ai Sugiyama doing in this picture, does she get a spot too?

I like Hioryuki as an actor. I am glad about him and maybe I will watch Lost beacuse of him.

I don't care much for Lost.

Talk about j-women being well preserved? This guy is looking fine for 49.

They just using him to get Japanese people interested in the show. Maria Sharapova teamed up with a Jpanese player for a Tennis Doubles match so she could be the spokesperson in Japan for a camera company. After she got the contract she never work with her ever again. I believe the same will ring true for these one time guests.

I believe the same will ring true for these one time guests.

Sanada is a step above most Japanese actors in that he can act. He will probably be able to work in Hollywood and on TV for sometime to come.

Sanada is a step above most Japanese actors in that he can act.

Compared to most Japanese actors that isn't saying much.

He will probably be able to work in Hollywood and on TV for sometime to come.

Only if Hollywood is interested in getting Japanese people to rent or buy their DVDs.

Sanada is a step above most Japanese actors in that he can act. Compared to most Japanese actors that isn't saying much.

This comment was very predictable. However this actor is serious.

"Sanada Hiroyuki has earned one of the greatest compliments an actor in Japan can receive, “engi-ha,” translated to mean “an actor who can really act.” Not only has he demonstrated his talents on the screens of Japan, but he has also displayed his swift martial arts abilities in America and around the world, in Warner Bros’ film The Last Samurai. In addition to film, Sanada has a rich history of theater acting performing in productions including Romeo and Juliet, Little Shop of Horrors, and Hamlet. He was the first Japanese actor to become a part of the Royal Shakespeare Company and starred in King Lear as the Fool. Sanada has won five Japanese Academy awards for Best Actor, including one for his lead role in Tasogare Seibei (The Twilight Samurai) which nabbed an American Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film."

http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=10823

let's hope it gets better. the first 2 episodes of season 6 haven't resolved much after the jumbles the plot was left in at the end of season 5, and most of it is due to this guy wondering around jabbering in japanese. his character is a bit of a joke and it looks like most cynical types are right in speculating that the producers inserted his character to boost profits from the japanese market. he should stick to doing what japanese entertainers do best; advertising

Somewhat of a spoiler I guess; I saw the episode. He spoke mostly Japanese with a translator. He looked good though.

Lost this season has a better feel than "others"(no pun intended); I meant the other Lost seasons. Has more of supernatural take. Hopefully, it will have a better ending than other series where every season is good till the end; usually the writers mess it up.

Wow ! Hiroyuki Sanada San in Lost, what a great day for Western TV, he is such a superb actor and it is so good at last to see him breaking into more Western stuff. I hope that this will be a good omen for us to be able to see more of his skills brought to Western TV and film. We dont get much chance in the West to see such elite Japanese actors like Hiro San at work, this is really great. Also, 49yrs, Wow! he is looking so good, even better than in his younger day, very sexy guy, with so much screen presence. More, More , More !!!! Sally G.

Hes kool, when asked by Hurley why he understands English but always speaks Japanese through a translator, he says,

I don't like how it tastes on my tongue.

icefilms.info

Thanks ossan america!

As a fan of lost....He did kind of ruin it for me. Hopefully he gets a feel for acting during the show. It always makes me really upset when I see bad acting from my countrymen. Yuko Takeuchi is doing well so far on Flash Forward. They should have gave the Dogen role to Takeshi. But for the time being I'm going to hope he watches all the previous episodes and realizes what he has done. You can't suddenly drop quality like that.....

Ossan america's little info on Sanada upsets me even more. 5 Academy awards for Tasogare Seibei? I remember fast forwarding through that movie feeling seriously robbed.

[the first 2 episodes of season 6 haven't resolved much after the jumbles the plot was left in at the end of season 5, and most of it is due to this guy wondering around jabbering in japanese.]

Well GAYMAN do you think you could give it a few more episodes to see if some things will be resolved. What do you expect? Them to resolve everything in the 1st 2 episodes? Get real.

I think he does a great job on Lost and is a good actor. His English is great, when he is allowed to speak it. I have seen all three episodes so far, and enjoying it. Since this is the last season, I am looking for a lot of answers too.

I'm not J, but I agree with all the positive comments re Hioryuki and Lost. I don't like the negative comments about Japanese actors and Hollywood. I admit to never having seen any houga (except some of the classics like Rashomon subtitled). But I can guarantee the producers of Lost didn't create a Japanese character just to sell DVDs. The concept of Lost has involved many cultures from the very beginning. Personally, I think the brought in a Japanese character because Lost is primarily about history, and NOT just "Western" history. Japanese history is a rich motherlode for the Lost writers. Remember, there is an important reason for the Egyptian statue on the island, too. And a Korean couple have been major characters from the very beginning.