Washington DC [US], September 8 : Actor Brendan Fraser talked about learning to speak Japanese for his starring role in 'Rental Family' at its world premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival, reported People.
Fraser shared that he's "not a very good student," adding, "but I'm an excellent mimic."
"So what you, of course, didn't see through the magic of editing, people were feeding me lines as I was making them sound as if they were my own," he shared, as quoted by People.
Fraser shared that he became "really good at it really fast," and that his Japanese castmates "took such good care of me" while they were filming in Japan.
Fraser learned that "it doesn't matter what you're saying verbally it's the intention behind it, and we should be able to communicate with one another no matter what languages we speak."
Directed by Hikari, 'Rental Family' takes place in Tokyo and "follows an American actor (Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese 'rental family' agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers," per an official synopsis, reported People.
"As he immerses himself in his clients' worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality," the synopsis continues. "Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection."
'Rental Family' also stars Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Gorman, and Akira Emoto. The film was written by director Hikari and Stephen Blahut, and produced by Hikari, Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, and Shin Yamaguchi, reported People.
Fraser said the movie made him rethink that "family is who we're with, not the one we're born into."
"This is a movie that I think is gonna satisfy everyone's need to feel like [they] belong somewhere in the world, even when they're at their lowest," he said, adding, "And I know I'm not supposed to say it's a good movie, but it really is a good movie. Because Hikari is an incredible new director on the scene, and I have bragging rights to say, 'Well, I knew her when.' Just watch, in years to come," as per the outlet.
On talking about what the audience can take away from 'Rental Family', the director shared, "I would love for people to just kind of look around and see who is surrounding you. If you feel lonely, like nobody's there for you, just look around and start from there."
"It doesn't matter if you're related to your family member or if you're not if you have a friend who's there for you, then that's what it matters, right?" Hikari said, adding, "Then if you get lost or whatever, just listen to your gut. That's what I love, and hopefully what the movie will tell," as quoted by People.
'Rental Family' is in theatres November 21. The 2025 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 4 to 14.
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