Rental Family Star Brendan Fraser Has Strong Praise for His Stellar Co-Star

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Searchlight Pictures delivers a deeply moving film with Rental Family. Directed by Hikari, the movie features Brendan Fraser – soon to reprise his famous role as Rick O’Connell in Mummy 4 – as Phillip Vandarpleog, an American actor in Tokyo down on his luck. He ends up working for a unique Japanese agency that provides ‘rental families,’ run by Takehiro Hira as Shinji Tada and Mari Yamamoto as Aiko Nakajima.

Though the concept of a ‘rental family’ is new to the United States, this company offers Phillip a chance to connect with people in a meaningful way, moving beyond just acting. Through the experiences that follow, he begins to find meaning, a sense of community, and a greater appreciation for what it means to be human.

TopMob’s Russ Milheim recently interviewed Brendan Fraser and Takehiro Hira, stars of Rental Family. They discussed the film’s exploration of what it means to be human, the interesting way it was filmed, and praised their fellow actor, Shannon Gorman.

Rental Family hits theaters on Friday, November 21.

Rental Family Star Takehiro Hira on the Human Condition

“I Wouldn’t Appreciate This So Much If I Didn’t Have That Hard Time.”

  • TopMob: “The movie puts such a creative spotlight on humanity’s desire for connection and happiness, and the trappings that can come with that. Do you think those downsides are something that can be avoided, or is it simply part of the human condition?”

You know, listening to Takehiro Hira, it really hit me – life is all about balance. It’s like having two sides to everything. He was saying that experiencing the tough times actually makes you appreciate the good stuff so much more. You can’t just have happiness without understanding a little sadness, I think that’s what he meant – you need both to truly enjoy things.

I began working in the US about five years ago. Shortly after starting, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, followed by the recent strike, leaving me in a difficult financial situation. I struggled to pay rent each month, and going through those hardships makes me especially grateful for where I am now.

Brendan Fraser Praises the Unique Experience of Making Rental Family

Fraser Made Sure to Give High Praise to His Co-Star Shannon Gorman As Well.

  • TopMob: “Comparing it to everything you’ve done in your career, when you were on this movie, at any point in the process, what was the most unique experience that you guys went through?”

Brendan Fraser found making this film to be a special experience. Being in Tokyo and collaborating with Japanese filmmakers and actors – everyone involved, and all the locations – was completely new for him. He’d visited Tokyo before, but never had the chance to truly immerse himself in the culture while working on a movie. That’s what made it stand out.

Brendan Fraser, the lead actor in Rental Family, also highlighted the performance of his co-star, Shannon Gorman. Gorman plays Mia Kawasaki, the young girl whose father Fraser’s character pretends to be in the movie.

We also worked with Shannon Gorman, who was fantastic. She hadn’t acted before, which was actually great – she was so naturally captivating that we had to ask her not to practice her lines around the set, just to keep things running smoothly. We quickly realized she’s a true talent and can perform just as well as any experienced actor.

The entire interview with Takehiro Hira and Brendan Fraser can be seen here:

If you enjoyed Takehiro Hira’s performance in Shogun, you’ll be glad to know he’s likely to reprise his role as Ishido Kazunari in Season 2 on FX.

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2025-11-19 00:35