He said, “Let’s take a picture together.”

Russell has a reputation for being short-tempered due to past troubles in his personal life. He now looks quite dignified, but I remember him being very charming during the interview for “A Beautiful Mind” (2001).

He had a cute, bubbly voice and laughed a lot, and was in a good mood during the interview. He had charming droopy eyes. After the interview, he asked me to take a photo with him.

I’ve met a lot of stars, but he’s the only one who asked the reporters to take a photo with him. Since then, he’s been my favorite actor (laughs).

One of my favorite movies he has starred in is L.A. Confidential (1997), a crime drama set in 1950s Los Angeles, in which Russell plays a hotheaded detective who refuses to forgive men who are violent towards women.

It was a very interesting movie with an unexpected ending. There are many detective stories, but this one is particularly well-made.

Narration by Natsuko Toda
Artwork by Yu Nagaba
Text by Matsuyama Kozue