Were you a “Westworld” fan before landing the role of Musashi?

 

Oh, yes. I watched all of Season 1, and in real time when it aired. So when I saw they were working with the samurai warriors at the end of last season, I saw possibility. A samurai and a Shogun World?! I was so curious. So I just kind of crossed my fingers. When I received the offer for this role, I was so excited. They have great ideas, crew, cast, talent and they use all the [latest] technology. Everything is so high-grade.

Jeffrey Wright in " Westworld." John P. Johnson / HBO

How would you describe your character?

 

His name, Musashi, is also the name of a real, legendary Japanese sword master, and he has a great skill for fighting. He always tries to fix the story by his sword. He’s a host [robot] who fights to save himself and others. And regular “Westworld” characters are crossing over into Shogun World so we have an interesting relationship that connects us.

It’s probably safe to assume you’ve filmed more martial arts fight scenes than anyone who was on the “Westworld” set.

 

I don’t know [laughs]. But I've done so many samurai movies and the fighting scenes before, so they respected me as a sword master on set. I suggested some things and had some ideas for the fighting scenes and worked with the choreographer and coordinator to make it the authentic samurai way. We’ve worked to create the best balance between authenticity and entertainment.

And do you still do all your own fight scenes?

 

I like creating scenes with stunt guys and a choreographer, but I did all the fighting by myself. No stunt double at all. Sometimes all-day fighting, including my birthday. From the beginning to the end, all day, fighting, fighting, fighting.

You had to slay the enemy on your birthday? That seems unfair.

 

[Laughs] But at lunchtime they brought a big birthday cake on set in the Japanese village and then all the cast and crew sung happy birthday. It's one of my favorite birthdays ever. It also gave me energy again for the second half of the day -- to fight until sunset.

What inspired you to start acting at such a young age?

 

I watched a lot of American and European movies. The great leading actors doing their own stunts. I wanted to act and do everything by myself -- that was my thought. I started martial arts training when I was 13, also traditional dance and singing. And I was already thinking about working in the world market.

Later, when you would see martial arts scenes in American films, what did you think. Like, “Oh no, this is really bad”?

 

I was training and could see that some movies coming from America misunderstood our culture. I was so frustrated. I decided then that I wanted to correct these mistakes about our culture. But I was working just in Japan until I was 40.

What was your breakthrough in terms of crossing over to an international audience?

 

When I got the chance to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company [in 1999]. It was my first experience speaking English in front of an audience. I was playing the fool in “King Lear” with Nigel Hawthorne. It was like mixing cultures and making something new no one had ever seen. I wanted that kind of international project to be my life's work.

And it opened up doors for you?

 

It did. Right after that I got the audition for “The Last Samurai.” It was my first American Hollywood movie. I thought “OK, there’s no more wall between East and West.”

I’ve since worked to make a bridge for the next generation. That's been one of my missions. When I moved to L.A. in 2005 I continued getting roles involving the Japanese culture. It’s been good because I get a chance to discuss [the authenticity of] the costumes, set and props, and the Japanese cultural references. And I try to spot the [mistakes]. That was my old experience in the U.S. but this time luckily the HBO crew researched a lot before I joined “Westworld.”

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