Bake Bake Child Actor Etaniel Hiiragi Did Not Realize He Was Being Filmed
The anecdote highlights how the child actor's natural performance came from a complete lack of awareness of the production process, a rare insight into child acting in a major drama.
Reporting from 1 source: Magmix.
Four-year-old Etaniel Hiiragi, who played second son Isao in the NHK morning drama 'Bake Bake,' revealed on social media that he thought he was just living as his character during filming. He had no awareness of cameras or acting, believing the Osaka set was real life. The post drew affectionate reactions from fans three months after the show ended.
Four-year-old Etaniel Hiiragi, who played Isao in the NHK morning drama 'Bake Bake,' posted on X on June 29 that he did not realize he was being filmed during the Tokyo arc shot in Osaka. In a post managed by his mother, Hiiragi said he thought he was just living as Isao and had no sense of cameras, filming, or scripts. The post, shared three months after the drama ended, drew comments from fans who noted the set must have felt like a real family. Hiiragi also shared that his son now thinks Tommy Bastow, who played his on-screen father Heaven, is his real 'Osaka daddy' and believes the character's death was real.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.