"Julie Dryfus and I were both afraid of heights and in one scene, I had to be quite high up and I was rather terrified, but Julie was very kind, encouraging me and we got through that together"
About this Quote
Fear is the least glamorous special effect, and Chiaki Kuriyama treats it like a shared production problem rather than a personal weakness. The line is disarmingly plain: two actors, one phobia, one scene that demands the body do what the mind refuses. That understatement is the point. In an industry trained to sell effortlessness, she foregrounds the messy mechanics behind a clean shot: trembling knees, forced breathing, and the quiet negotiations that happen off-camera to keep the day moving.
The named detail - Julie Dreyfus specifically, not a generic "my co-star" - signals intent. Kuriyama is giving credit, but she is also mapping a micro-ethic of work: kindness as craft, encouragement as a tool as real as a harness. It reframes the set as a temporary community where competence includes emotional logistics. The subtext pushes back against the mythology of the solitary, fearless performer. Professionalism here isn't bravado; it's the ability to stay present while scared, and to accept help without shame.
Context matters because Kuriyama's public image often leans toward cool composure - the kind of controlled intensity audiences remember. This anecdote punctures that aura in a strategic, humanizing way, without turning confessional. "We got through that together" lands like a thesis about collaboration: cinema isn't just coordinated movement; it's coordinated vulnerability.
The named detail - Julie Dreyfus specifically, not a generic "my co-star" - signals intent. Kuriyama is giving credit, but she is also mapping a micro-ethic of work: kindness as craft, encouragement as a tool as real as a harness. It reframes the set as a temporary community where competence includes emotional logistics. The subtext pushes back against the mythology of the solitary, fearless performer. Professionalism here isn't bravado; it's the ability to stay present while scared, and to accept help without shame.
Context matters because Kuriyama's public image often leans toward cool composure - the kind of controlled intensity audiences remember. This anecdote punctures that aura in a strategic, humanizing way, without turning confessional. "We got through that together" lands like a thesis about collaboration: cinema isn't just coordinated movement; it's coordinated vulnerability.
Quote Details
| Topic | Friendship |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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