Goro Inagaki had an incredible 1998. His Gorokumi in SMAPXSMAP was a big hit and he was highly praised for playing the most unusual character in the drama Sommelier. Whatever he did received great appraise. This may be the indication that Goro became a part of great trend. 1999, the end of the century is the era of Goro. Once you are trapped, you can't get out of surreal and cool Goro world. Let's find out what Goro is up to.

Joe Satake, the experience of playing the best fit character:

Q. How do you think about your success last year for drama, variety shows and commercial, all of which became very popular?
"Well, I am not sure, but I am glad to receive lots of praises."

Q. Among many things, your Gorokumi became very popularˇK
" Yeah, I never have thought Gorokumi would be a big hit. It was just a part of many comedic acts I did. You never know what will be popular."

Q. How was Gorokumi chan was created?
"Before Gorokumi, I was doing more surreal comedy such as 'Thank You Goro'. But, I thought I might do something, which is easier to understand. Then, when we set up the base story, I brought up the idea of using special make-up."

Q. Were you interested in special make-up before?
"Yes. Pierre Tsuda, who is a famous special make-up artist, did my make-up as an old guy when I did the drama Akechi Kogoro. It was quite interesting. So, I asked him to do Gorokumi make-up. It took two hours every time to put the make-up. Probably, Mr. Tsuda never have thought doing Gorokumi make-up this long."

Q. How did you think when you saw yourself in Gorokumi make-up first time?
"I thought it was cute." (laughing)

Q. Was Gorokumi-look your idea?
"Yeah, a little bit. Gorokumi used to have long hair, but I suggested to make it short."

Q. Gorokumi's act and voice were perfect. Did you research a lot for this character?
"Not at all. I didn't do any research. I just played by whatever the situation which Gorokumi was in. I just made it up each time."

Q. Really? Did you never think about how to make it funny?
"No. ( laughing) The viewers thought it was really unusual, but I was doing the same thing I have been doing for last few years. In terms of 'Changing to something totally different', I have done many characters and it was nothing special but the viewers thought it was completely different. Some people even thought I was unwillingly doing Gorokumi."

Q. Speaking of "Changing to something totally different", your commercial for Calni-Magichi is also quite a changeˇK(Translator's note: Goro is doing advertisement for a nutrition supplement snack "Calni-Magichi" wearing a huge fake nose.)
" Yeah, that was also in the field of special make-up. I don't know why I do so many special make-ups. ( laughing) That was a commercial and needed to be different. You know, I don't do any other variety show except SMAPXSMAP. Some people are not familiar about my work. So, I got to do when I was given the opportunity to do something funny. I am quite extreme. I work on the edge. Gorokumi and Sommelier were both on the edge and needed to keep the delicate balance."

Q. "Sommelier" was really fit into the line of "cool but funny". How do you think about it?
" Yeah, it was the great role. I thought everyone has one role which fit like a pair of gloves and this was the one for me."

Q. Was that easy to do?
" Yes. But it was a challenge to keep myself plain. I had to keep the character very cool since Joe Satake didn't have much of emotional ups and downs."

Q. Was there anything special you did to play Joe Satake?
Um. Covering emotion was very important playing this role;not showing passion while he was passionate, and not saying anything while he wants to say something. I kept these kind of complicated emotions inside me."

Q. You were standing at many places, such as on the ship, holding a wine glass. Was there any special place you remember ?
" On the top of the church roof. The view of the world was very beautiful from there. Even those dirty things can be seen as beautiful. Being able to see everything beautiful is one of the things I want to attain. You can be very gentle to others if you can see the beauty in everything. That is probably what Joe Satake wanted to say."

Comical act with good taste; no overkilling:

Q. You mentioned about keeping a balance in your work. Is it something you always think?
"Yes. I am always aware of the importance of keeping the balance. I am also aware of the fact that I am a member of SMAP. I think I am keeping a good balance now. If there was not SMAP or SMAPXSMAP, and I was an independent actor, I wouldn't go this far to keep my balance. I would have gone to my own world. The circumstances right now as a member of the group might have been keeping me on the balance. I have to do something as a member of SMAP, which may not be appearing to me at the beginning. But, later, it gets high praise and I realize ' Ah, it was good doing it'. I can't predict the result. Therefore, I am trying to do wide ranges of work and listen to the opinions of others."

Q. So, you don't say "No" to any kind of workˇK
"I don't say 'I can't do this.' so often. Of course, I have to preserve myself. I do work on a very fine line to keep my balance."

Q. Your act is always with the class even when you are playing some very comical roleˇK
"Yes. I always try to keep the good taste in my act. Basically, I don't like to be tacky. Having a good taste, or having a class is important. I want to be aware of its importance. We are not like 'O.K. we do anything to make people laugh'. We don't go for the extreme. Even for something hip, it should not be overkilled. Having a good taste or doing something with a class is more like not overkill."

Q. Do you want to be hip even when you are doing something comical?
"Yes. Especially, it's better that way for SMAP. We want be smart and hip. Of course being hip is not the purpose of what we do, but I want to leave something to myself and people who watch us."

I like to work on the edge:

Q: Were you strongly interested in comical act?
"No, not really. I don't watch any comic shows. Then, what am I doing? ( laughing) I prefer to find something funny in our every-day life, such as a cat jumping weird on the street or blinking lights on a mobile phone, rather than looking for some obvious big laugh. I don't like a movie advertised as "Create a big laugh all over the world". I would prefer to see a movie which is serious but has some comical parts."

Q. What is comic for you?
" One of expressions. But, I don't like to categorize it as "comical". I don't understand why everything has to be fit into some category. It may sounds complicated but whether the thing is wonderful or not is more important. In that sense, I didn't think 'Sommelier' was either comedy or serious drama from the beginning."

Q. It was a good script without categorizing itˇK
"Yes, yes. It had both laughter and tears. These are the both sides of one sward. When you laugh too much, you will cry. I like something with a fine edge. I don't like something which is plainly as it is."

Q. Then, you are not a person as we seeˇK
"Well, it is up to your imagination. (laughing) The first impression is often the only impression if you are in the entertainment business. The personality of my role in some drama is often mistaken as my own personality."

Q. We heard you are more active person than people thinkˇK
" Yes. I don't mind going to some crowded places. I go out often. I don't like staying in my room alone. Occasionally, I meditate in my room. But, that is the meditation on purpose. I don't like to hang around my place doing nothing. I can't imagine spending New Year just sleeping and do nothing."

Q. How did you spend your New Year this year?
" I took my family to Ubudo in Bali, Indonesia. We go to Asia quite often. I like the heat in Asia. Usually, I decide where to go. My parents want to go to Hawaii." (laughing)

I want to age well just like a nice Persian carpet:

Q. You visit many places and widen your view and capacityˇK
" Yes. It is important not to be too stable. It is easy to loose excitement. Even if we are in the very exciting environment, we can get used to. It is important to sharpen my perception by searching some excitement all the time."

Q. After recharging yourself, what is the next move?
"Movie. It is the suspense, 'Hypnosis'. I play a counselor who is confused by hypnosis. He is hurt by his hypnosis. Hurting ownself is something quite interesting. Playing this kind of role is fun for me."

Q. Will SMAPXSMAP have some new characters?
"May be something like Gorokumi will have additional family members. ( laughing) It may be the time to have some guests such as some male characters. But, Gorokumi may not be around for a long time."

Q. Oh, really?
"Our business needs to be ahead of everybody. We have to be the icon of the generation. We don't try to figure out what is the trend. We create something which will be the trend. That's is the ideal of SMAP."

Q. Then, everything you did went really well last year. Did you feel like "My era has come"?
"No, no. I don't think so. (laughing) It was not like I figured some strategy and carried it out. This business doesn't work according to our calculation The same thing can be said to all SMAP members. We just keep going forward."

Q. Will this year be more active than last year?
"Well, so so. I might do the special make-up again. (laughing) By the way, I bought a 80 years old Persian carpet recently. It is aged very well. It is my favorite thing now. I look at it every day saying ' Ah, aging makes this carpet great.' I want to age slowly and nicely like this carpet."

Goro is like a philosopher who keeps himself quiet but thoughtful. He is very soft spoken with some humor here and there. We can see his sense of beauty and strong personality in his words. He was very modest to say "This year, too, I will just keep my pace", but we all know that he will surprise us with some unpredictable and unusual ideas. "The era of Goro Inagaki" will continue in 1999.