Interview with Youki Kudoh at the Hollywood Premiere of "Memoirs of a Geisha"

Youki Kudoh Describes Her Attraction to "Memoirs of a Geisha:" Kudoh says that as soon as she read the novel, she knew she wanted to play the role of Pumpkin. "Oh yes, I really felt like I have some kind of attachment with the Pumpkin character just because so many people around the world, including myself, had to go through the difficulty… I used to dream about something, I lost the dream, I had to be strong, and this character carried that through. She had a dream and she got a broken heart and she found a way to live so strong. I felt so close to this character instantly."

Youki Kudoh on the Set and Costumes of "Memoirs of a Geisha:" Kudoh recalls that walking on the set immediately transported her into another world. "It’s so funny when you’re working on a film set, you really don’t know you’re in show business because it’s almost like a craftsmanship. It’s almost like a carpenter’s job. You have to work hard to make the scene more realistic so that until you’re going to be on the spotlight like this, you really don’t realize that, ‘Oh, you’re in show business.’ So now I’m still confused (laughing), you know? Where am I? It’s totally different."

Youki Kudoh Talks About Acting in Platform Shoes: "Well actually I was fortunate enough to work in the shoes when I was younger so it was not too hard. But you know until you get really used to it, you can fall. And you can fall really bad!"

Youki Kudoh on Working with Director Rob Marshall: "Rob was so talented he created even something you can never expect when you read the book or know the Japanese culture. He has originality and he’s got a talent to make the thing happen. If it was not Rob Marshall I don’t think we can ever make the movie, so I’m so happy that Rob did the directing. We all united under Rob’s arms. It was wonderful."

Ziyi Zhang, Michelle Yeoh, and Youki Kudoh Interview Video from the Hollywood Premiere of "Memoirs of a Geisha" - Play the Video