Photo: Sylvain Lefevre/Getty
Based on the popular Japanese manga series of the same name, the series, which premiered on April 21, follows a young woman (Fleur Geffrier) who is forced to compete with a young wine expert (Yamashita) for her inheritance after her father dies.
The original manga series ran from 2004 to 2014 and received critical acclaim for its characters, storylines and accurate portrayal of the wine world. In addition to being featured on theNew York TimesBest Selling list of manga, it has largely been attributed tothe rise in wine sales during its runas people tried to procure the obscure wines featured in the series.
While this certainly isn’t Yamashita’s first starring role, having been in the industry for over 25 years with roles ranging fromCode BluetoAlice in Borderland, the Japanese actor, 38, tells PEOPLE it’s a “dream come true” to star on a show with the global impact ofDrops of God.
“I’ve been dreaming to take part in something big like this,” he says of his role in the series. “It’s very exciting. It’s an honor to work on this project.”
From how he prepared forDrops of Godto his biggest acting inspirations, learn more about Yamashita ahead.
“When I got offered from the production, I was really honored and excited to hear that good news,” he says. “I immediately decided to take this role.”
He studied wine extensively to prepare for the role
Since the series heavily revolves around wine, Yamashita adds that he did some extensive research on the topic to prepare for his role. “I took 40 hours [of] lessons in Japan before I [left] Japan [to film],” he reveals. “Then after I landed in France, I tried to go to a lot of restaurants. We shot [the] series in the middle of a vineyard, so I met the owner of the winery. I’ve learned so many things.”
He really bonded with his costars while filming
While the multilingual series features a talented cast from many different backgrounds, Yamashita notes that the cast really bonded during filming as they shared a passion for making “quality content.”
“The cast and crew were amazing,” he adds. “We have these small differences, cultural differences, but [they] have nothing to do with acting and the process of making the show. More importantly, I felt like everyone shared the same passion to make quality content. [That made] me even more excited to be part of something big like this.”
In addition to acting, he’s an accomplished musician
Sinceparting ways with Johnny & Associates in 2020, Yamashita has put his focus on his acting career. “It’s like a sun and moon,” he says of what he loves most about acting and singing.
He looks up to Tom Cruise
When it comes to acting, Yamashita listsTom Cruise, Ken Watanabe and Sean Penn as some of his biggest inspirations. “I really respectTom Cruise,” he says. “He’s been on the top since the beginning. And then he’s still challenging so many things.”
Like the Top Gun: Maverickactor, Yamashita adds he would love to do more action films in the future. “Japan doesn’t have a lot of huge action movies, so I want to try to do that,” he adds. “I want to do so many things even out outside of entertainment or acting. I just don’t want to miss any opportunity.”
His biggest motivation is his fans
Having been in the industry for over two decades, Yamashita notes that he has developed a big fanbase in Asia that has given him “unconditional love” throughout his career. “I just want to return something to them,” he says. “That’s my biggest motivation to keep working in this industry.”
source: people.com
