Real Talk. Travis Japan’s Genta ”G” Matsuda is just about the most adorable thing on the planet. He’s got that thing where he’s equal parts sexy and goofball. Seriously, check out his Tarzan photoshoot, dude is ripped! Then, turn around and watch any of the group’s music or variety videos on YouTube. He’s adorkable and absolutely hysterical!
But he’s also incredibly humble and sweet. Anytime our paths have crossed, he’s present and attentive, and someone makes you feel like you’re the important one in the scenario. In the moments you’re with him, it doesn’t feel like he’s some unobtainable superstar, so far out of your league you need a telescope to see him. He feels like the guy next door. But, that’s how all the guys of Travis Japan seem to operate. They don’t put on airs. What you see in their videos is exactly who they are in real life. Genta might be known as the “sexy tiger” but the dude’s a teddy bear. A big goofy teddy bear you can’t help but fall in love with.
But, that’s a far cry from the character he plays in his newest drama The Date of Marriage, Genta plays Masaomi Yuuki, a dashing office worker who offers to marry his coworker Yoshiko Kawai (the very lucky Sakurako Ohara) if she hasn’t found herself a suitable match in one year after her entire dream life goes up in smoke when her boyfriend dumps her.
It’s an adorable drama, and while Genta might be anything but serious in real life (except about his career) he plays the character with such honesty and charm that if you didn’t know any better you’d think he spent time working in an actual office. Taking a respite from his always-on-the-go lifestyle with Travis Japan and the fact that he was just cast in another drama called “ZEICHO” under star and senpai Fuma Kikuchi of Sexy Zone, I was able to catch up and chat with him about the drama, its theme song, and some of his own personal dreams as an actor.
What is your favorite part about acting and who has been your favorite character to play so far?
Finding the humanity in a character from words on paper and using it to connect with them, even if we don’t have anything naturally in common. Like with Masaomi Yuuki; I’m not as mature as he is, in the sense that I am still not yet thinking too deeply about starting a family or any career plans beyond Travis Japan. On the other hand, much like me, he’s very honest about his emotions, especially when it comes to Yoshiko. So, I liked playing him because of that. But also, my character in So, I Couldn’t Kill was really interesting to me. His name is Yoichiro Ebara, and he is the exact opposite of Yuuki. He was never honest with his emotions at all – except when he was being explosive and psychotic. So, while I was able to connect through the humanity of Yuuki through the honesty of his emotions, I was able to connect to Ebara because of the lack of honesty in his.
What was your favorite moment in the series to film? Do you have a favorite part of the theme song 99 PERCENT?
I think my favorite scene in the series is the last one the audience sees. Masaomi and Yoshiko are at the beach and he asks her to marry him. It was the first time I’ve ever gotten down on one knee and asked someone to do that, fact or fiction. It felt very dramatic, exciting and fun. As for the song, it’s our (Travis Japan) introduction to a whole new style of dance. We’ve always been a group known for dance and so we often aim for very intricate choreography. It’s not always easy, but it’s always cool and a lot of fun. We uploaded 99 seconds of our dance video to our YouTube channel, and I can’t wait for you to see the whole thing!.
If you could play any type of character, or historical figure, what (or who) would it be?
I want to play a traditional role like a Japanese samurai in a Hollywood movie. It doesn’t matter if it’s a real historical figure or not, I just want to do it! It’s one of my goals so I can use my skills of sword fighting and horseback riding while wearing hakama or armor. It’s one of my biggest dreams now and I am going to work very hard to make sure it happens.
Thus also begins my dream of seeing him on horseback swinging a sword looking bad-ass in a hakama. I’m looking at you, Scorsese.
The Date of Marriage is currently streaming for international viewers on Rakuten Viki.
More Genta soon so…
Stay Tuned!
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