Hiroshi Kamiya

Back in 2006, dude wiped out on his motorcycle—August 7th, to be exact. Not your average fender bender either; we’re talking lights out for nearly a month. He was out cold, everyone waiting, crossing their fingers, probably thinking the worst. Can you imagine? One second, you’re flying down the street, wind in your hair, next thing you know, zip—nothing. Days blurred together, hospital machines beeping, family hanging on every twitch. When he finally woke up, it must’ve felt like coming back from another planet. A month lost, just like that. People always say life can change in an instant, but this guy? He actually lived it. Honestly, there’s no way you walk away from something like that unchanged. It sticks with you, makes you see everything a little different. You gotta respect anyone who bounces back after something like that—no joke.

From the minute I laid eyes on the audition script, I just knew there was no way I’d be satisfied with anything less than playing Izaya. It wasn’t even a question in my mind—there was this fire, you know? So when I actually walked into that audition room, I didn’t bother with fake modesty or playing it cool. I straight up told them, “I’m gonna make Izaya interesting, trust me. Give me this role.” No hesitation. I wasn’t about to let someone else scoop it up when I could bring something different to the table. I wanted to show them that I could dig deep into Izaya’s weird, slippery personality, make him pop off the screen—not just some generic antagonist. There was this stubborn determination in me, like, if they didn’t pick me, they’d be missing out. I needed them to see I wasn’t just there for a part; I was there for Izaya, specifically.