Tao Okamoto

[Shunichiro]

Thanks for posting the interview video! Tao is so lovely

Only a few days left until the movie hits the big screens, the wait is almost over...

 

[Starry]

She looks sooo beautiful at the movie premiere! I just can't wait to see the movie!

 

[lanvinray]

I just saw The Wolverine and can I just say that Tao was amazing I must be a little bias since I'm a fan of her but her grace & elegance was immensely palpable throughout the film Well done Tao!

 

[lanvinray]

 

[Moofins]

[FONT=&quot]She has a feature on Refinery29.

Up Close and Personal with Wolverine's Leading Lady

Though the mercury levels are off the charts, Tao Okamoto looks unfazed as we head out into the oppressive summer heat to start her photo shoot. We can tell immediately this 28-year-old Japanese transplant knows what's she's doing, having spent half her life (literally) modeling around the world for the likes of Louis Vuitton, Alexander Wang, and Yves Saint Laurent.

But we're not here to talk about her modeling (even though it's abundantly clear from her quick-fire poses and impressive range of facial expressions that she's a pro). Instead, we're here to get the exclusive scoop on her first movie, starring opposite Hugh Jackman in Wolverine, which hits theaters today.

From combat training to kissing Hugh during auditions, Okamoto's magnetic draw isn't just an on-screen plot line, but ever present in real life, too. So, we chatted with her to get all the details on shooting a blockbuster hit. Click through for her top summer looks and the scoop you really want to know about the movies. Spoiler alert: This girl's the next big thing.

Tell us how you got into modeling.
"I started on the street. I was scouted by someone because I was a very tall Japanese girl so I decided to do modeling. That was when I was 14."

And what is the first thing an agent or maybe a modeling coach tells you when you want to get into modeling. Any tips or something you had to keep in mind starting out?
"When I started in Japan, I had to take walking lessons and stuff, but I don't think it's necessary because once you have walking lessons, you kind of lose your own style. So if I can give advice to someone who is going to become a model, I'd say, 'Don't take any lessons!'"

That's good advice. What's a tip you'd give someone starting out in terms of how to pose?
"I think I looked up a lot of magazines and picture books from the past and I studied how I should pose in a mirror. But also I study a lot on set. For example, David Sims is one of those photographers who gave us really demanding requests, but then we became able to handle that. Otherwise you'd never be able to do that."

What's the most difficult shoot you've ever done?
"Wow, there are so many. But basically, we have to shoot in summertime wearing winter clothes and the opposite in cold weather, with a lot of layers, so it's kind of hard not to sweat or not to get your ears or nose turned red in the winter. Yeah, those weather problems probably."

What was the most memorable shoot you've ever done in terms of location or clothing or photographer's set?
"There are so many, but I think maybe my first time working with Steven Meisel. I had so much imagination in myself [about] what he looked like because you can't Google his picture. He showed up very last minute to the shoot and was very detailed, very specific with what he wanted to do. It was for American Vogue so it was also a big deal for us. It was also good for all Asian girls that we are having a moment in this industry."

Do you feel like you've taken on a mentor role for Asian girls and for Asian models? And what do you think embodies that aspect of your career?
"I think once I could forget my race, being Asian, I could become someone more because before I felt like I put myself in a very limited situation. But I met this really great agent in New York and he said, 'You don't have to think about 'you're Asian or Japanese' or any other thing. You just try to become a good model.' I think that really breaks out something in my mind and I think that everybody should have that in their mind whether they're Asian girls, black girls...anyone."

Let's talk a little bit about the movie for a second. This is your first one, and it's a huge one. How did Wolverine come about and were you looking for acting roles?
"Well, I never really wanted to act before, but my Japanese agent called me and said, 'Tao we've got this audition we have to do.' And I said, 'I'm not interested.' But she said, 'Are you crazy?! You're gonna be a girlfriend of Hugh Jackman in a movie!' and I said, 'Alright! That's something different.' I was a huge fan of Hugh Jackman so I decided to do it. Fox studio was looking for a Japanese girl for this role for maybe like two years or something, but they couldn't find it so maybe they opened up their gate a little wider and they found me from the modeling world. I really appreciate that they had to find a girl from Japan because this movie takes place in Japan. They could have easily found some other Asian girls from another country, China, Korea, or wherever. So I auditioned three times and I met James Mangold, the director, in L.A., and he made me feel like I really wanted to do this. I had a reading with Hugh in New York for the last audition and it was improvisation. I didn't even know what improvisation was, but, um, I did it!"

[/FONT]

 

[Moofins]

continued:

[FONT=&quot]So what was the first day like on set?[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
"I was freaking out! I was running away almost. But James, the director, was really sweet. He was like, 'We understand that this is your first and there's nothing to be afraid of.' And it was a lot of cast members combination scenes, so after a few takes, I just could forget that we were making a big deal here. I just tried to enjoy my first time doing this."

And what was it like working with Hugh Jackman. What was it like to kiss him? Answer that first and then I have many follow-up questions!
"Okay! Somehow, we ended up kissing each other at the audition as improvisation and that time I was like, 'Did I just kiss Hugh Jackman??'"

Did you freak out?! He's a married man!
"I know! We were really in character at the time, and after the director said 'Cut', I was like, 'Oh my god!' I literally collapsed from the chair I was sitting down on. So for the real love scenes, I didn't have to be nervous so much because I had kissed him already. But he was a really generous person, so he understands how difficult it was for me to do that kind of thing for my first time. He gave me every little trick or tips for acting and also doing love scenes. He controls the atmosphere, so he was always kidding around so I didn't have to be super uptight. I really appreciated that he was making a great atmosphere."

What were the tips he gave you?
"I didn't even know what 'standing on camera' and 'off camera' meant. I didn't even imagine where the camera was so he told me, "You have to stand as close as you can next to the camera to give your eye line to me," and I was like, 'I don't understand.' He explained to me really carefully and I understood. Also when we were doing dinner scenes, he gave me this: "We should not eat too much because after many takes we're gonna be full." So we have to sneak eating something very small, like soup or water. Those kinds of [things] I would never think of myself." [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]You have to maintain your body as a model. Now, you have to maintain your body as an actress. Do you have any diet tips? Are there any foods you love to splurge on that are surprising?[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
"I cannot gain weight easily, like I lose weight very easily when I don't eat much. So, being a model, I had to eat a lot to maintain my size.

But there are two types of models. One, you have to diet all the time, you know, eat very healthy food. And then there's me — you have to eat to keep the size, otherwise you're just gonna be really twiggy."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
So what do you eat?
"I eat anything! I eat meat. I eat noodles, rice, everything. Maybe I just have a smaller stomach, I don't know. I eat very healthy...I just realized when I got to Sydney for the movie, there was a stunt team and they gave us a food package every morning. It was white fish, chicken, vegetables, a lot of like different things. I never knew I would get that much [weight] gain in my life."

Did they make you train and do martial arts? What was that routine like?
"I did karate forms, throwing knives."

So you're like a self-defense guru!
"Yeah, basically self-defense, but it was really fun and I didn't know I could do that kind of stuff. But that stunt team was the greatest team. I really enjoyed doing that."

A lot of actors and actresses say that the cast and crew become like your family and when you leave, it's kind of sad. You're like, "What do I do now?" Tell us a little bit about how the ending works. Do you still talk to Hugh?
"We were totally tearing up by the end of the day, hugging each other. We were really sad parting from each other. For me, of course, since it was my first time, but for everybody else who have had this kind of experience a million times, they even said, 'This was the best crew ever.' So we just loved each other like a family and that was something I was kind of missing from modeling life because models don't really have to speak up or give ideas. I mean we naturally give ideas by posing, but we don't have to attend meetings or talk about the layout in the magazine pages or whatever. I always wanted to feel more a part of the creation. Girls just show up in the morning and leave the studio in the evening, so you don't really get to get along with others. But this time we were together for five months, sharing good days and bad days. It's really nice to share everything and understand each other and appreciate that situation."

What was the craziest thing that happened on set? Any pranks you can tell us about?
"We were shooting outside of the studio in Sydney and there were a lot of paparazzi trying to get photos of Hugh. At that time, we were doing action scenes and I was wearing this harness because Hugh had to carry me while he was running. Hugh is a very strong man and he can carry me very easily, but you know, the crew tries to make him work less, so I have to wear that. And he was joking that "it's not very good for each of us because once they see a picture of this sequence, they're gonna think, 'Oh, Hugh Jackman got really old — now he can't carry even this little girl.' Or, 'This girl can be really heavy for him to carry.' So we were always joking around like that."

How would you describe your style, and what are we going to see you wearing to movie events and premieres?
"My daily style is very random. I wear dresses, pants, sometimes very [luxe], but sometimes really grungy. It's because I'm a model, I can just [transform into] someone different everyday. But in the movie I was wearing a lot of conservative fashion which was quite unusual for me. I was wearing this big kimono and I'm not used to wearing kimonos because I'm too tall, so they had to custom make one for me."

Did you get to keep it?
"No. I mean, it was specific for funerals and I wouldn't keep it, but it was beautiful. For the premiere, I'm going to wear a Miharayasuhiro dress who is a very talented Japanese designer. But yeah, he was the greatest supporter of me always, so I want to repay him for this sort of occasion so his work can get exposure."

Do you have any big projects coming up?
"For this summer, it's pretty much about Wolverine's press." [/FONT]

Accompanying photos:

refinery29

 

[vetements]

Surprisingly she is a very good actress considering this is her first.. And very glad she has transformed herself so well too, almost it seemed it was pretty coincidental.

 

[maimon]

The Leading Lady – an interview with The Wolverine’s Tao Okamoto

As one of the most in demand beauties of the digital age, Tao Okamoto is a familiar fixture on the runways of Paris and in the pages of the world’s most exclusive magazines. Since she exploded onto the scene in 2007 Tao has managed to impress fashion luminaries like Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren with her nonchalant cool and innate elegance. The next phase of her career begins with a stint on the silver screen starring opposite Hugh Jackman in The Wolverine, the latest installment in the X-Men franchise and a bonafide blockbuster. The transition from model to actress is a jump many have attempted, but Tao succeeds with a strong performance that is already garnering critical acclaim. On the eve of the film’s premiere we caught up with Tao to discover how she felt working alongside Hollywood royalty and what it is like to headline one of the biggest movies of the summer. / View the Models.com Tao film by Miguel Reveriego in MDX

When did the acting bug hit you?

TAO: It was when I met James Mangold in Los Angeles for my second audition for “The Wolverine.” I had never had any acting experience before that, so he taught me about many of the basics I needed. I remember he said to me that I was gifted, which made me more confident. I just fell in love with his way of directing me, and I thought back then, “I wouldn’t forgive myself if I let somebody else play this role.”

Can you tell us a bit about your character?

TAO: Mariko first meets Wolverine in Tokyo. As isolated and lonely characters, they are both very different from others, so of course she didn’t open herself to him at first. But she grew up hearing about Wolverine since she was little, so she is going to be alongside him as they are running away from an enemy.

How did you prepare for the role – did you watch the previous films or read the comics?

TAO: Yes, I collected all the knowledge related to this role. But Mariko is quite different from the comic books because James Mangold rewrote her after I got the role, so I think she is stronger, tougher and more complicated in the movie and I really appreciate that he made her like that. I also had three weeks of rehearsals for martial arts training and reading with other cast members.

What was it like playing this role?

TAO: It was very smooth for me to play the role of Mariko. I imagined that she was quite isolated and outcast from society as she grew up in the wealthiest family in Japan. I used my own childhood memories of being very different from other kids and didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. I always wished to be born as a much more ordinary figure (Not tall and not skinny) so I didn’t have to feel my differences in a bad way. However, I didn’t know Mariko was trained for martial arts, so stunts were definitely challenging for me.

What was the most challenging part of this particular experience?

TAO: Action stunts and memorizing lines in two languages. We hadn’t decided if it should be spoken in Japanese or English when only Japanese cast members were shooting a scene. We didn’t want to make the scenario unrealistic by only speaking English, but we also didn’t want to make it difficult for audiences to take in so much foreign language. It was double the work, and the director often asked us to use two languages mixed within the same scene, so we easily got confused.

I heard you initially weren’t going to do this role, but later accepted once you heard Hugh Jackman was involved – what was it like working with him?

TAO: I just wasn’t into acting in the beginning, but I always respected him as an amazing performer in films and also on stage, because I’m huge fan of musicals. Now I think it was meant to be, because I wouldn’t make a move to step into a new world if it wasn’t his movie. I can never thank him enough for opening this new door for me, and starting my new career with someone like him feels so fortunate. I could learn so much from him; not only acting skills but also as a human being, because he is truly the nicest man in the world, and I would think that’s how I should behave as an actress.

Even by Hollywood standards this is a huge film, with a built in fanbase & franchise – what is it like participating in such a big movie for your first role?

TAO: I tried not to realize what a big deal this was. It was also a very fast audition process so I didn’t have to think too much. Five months of shooting went so fast, and the whole crew became like a family, so again I didn’t have to feel so much pressure. But after I saw the completed film, I now wish I had more previous experience. I can see myself growing in the movie through the five months, so there are some parts from the very beginning of shooting where I think I can give better performances now, since I have learned a lot.

What kind of part would you like to play next?

TAO: I just want to act more and more! I’m open about any roles but maybe something very different from this time, like a villain. And I want to play a part in a musical one day.

What was the most enjoyable part of the experience for you?

TAO: Creating something with a same team for this length of time. Being a member of the team, knowing each other well and sharing good days and bad days. I often had frustrations when people wanted to treat me just as a puppet on modeling jobs. We are not allowed to speak up on most occasions, and showing up at a studio in the morning and leaving in the evening didn’t make me feel that I was a part of a team. I would love to participate in a much longer process. In these 5 months, I love being asked what I think about this role, giving my opinions, and putting ideas together with others. Even costume, make up and set designs departments asked me what things should be like as Japanese. Those processes made me feel like I was a part of this creation and made me happy

models.com

 

[JSYK]

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target



Lucky Magazine September 2013


zinio

 

[Sailor]

Numéro China #32 September 2013 Cover+Editorial




via ammon : weibo.com/u/1826082063

 

[maimon]

and finally…

VOGUE Japan October 2013

models.com

 

[Sailor]

Ah, I am so happy for her She looks beautiful and rocks the cover. Such elegance

 

[maimon]

 

[Nanne_pyc]

repost?
Photo: Serge Guerand

guerand.com

 

[Moofins]

Dang, she is rocking it!

 

[maimon]

TAO has instagram now

instagram.com/taookamoto

 

[maimon]

ASTIGU F/W 2013





astigu.jp

 

[Larek]

Japan premiere

Japan Today

 

[maimon]

 

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Showpackage S/S 2014 - The Society Management

In the continued spirit of collaboration and new approaches to the relationship between our industry and the talents we manage, The Society teams up with photographer Max Snow and stylist Vanessa Traina to create a distinct juxtaposition of art & fashion.

While Mr. Snow encases some of the most unique faces in his aesthetic, the purist vision and pared-down fashions of Ms. Traina lace this series with an acute awareness of detail and strength in beauty.

Embodying cinematic moments reminiscent of both film noir and contemporary advertising, Spring Summer 2014 brings along the combined vision of a photographer whose fashion is catching up with his art and a stylist whose name transcends her professional title.

thesocietymanagement.com

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