Ren Meguro has joined the cast of the global hit drama series FX’s Shogun with production set to start in January in Vancouver. Meguro is set to star as “Kazutada” in the next chapter of the Emmy® Award-winning series, which is set over a decade after the events of the first season. The second season will stream on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally and air on the FX channel.
A member of the chart-topping J-pop nonet “Snow Man,” Meguro is also active as a multiple award-winning film and television actor and currently serves as a global ambassador for fashion house FENDI. He also stars in the documentary Traveling with Snow Man, which follows the group on an epic journey across Japan and is now streaming on Disney+ globally.
“I am incredibly honored to join the cast of Shogun season two,” said Meguro. “When I streamed Shogun on Disney+ last year, I was profoundly moved by the series’ unique and grand portrayal of Japan, which felt different from past portrayals. As a Japanese person, I felt a compelling urge to be part of this groundbreaking production. I started learning more about the production team, exploring Hiroyuki Sanada’s vision and his long-standing dedication, and reading various articles about Shogun. This year, the opportunity to audition came my way. I submitted my footage and participated in auditions. Now, my dream has become a reality, and it truly feels like a dream come true. For the past year, I have constantly envisioned myself on the set of Shogun, bringing my character to life. I am committed to honoring the legacy that so many have built before me and to carefully shaping the role entrusted to me in this remarkable series. I can’t wait for everyone to see the release of Shogun season two and to share in this incredible journey with us. Thank you, and please look forward to Shogun season two.”
Meguro is the latest addition to the cast, joining the recently announced Asami Mizukawa (starring as “Aya”), Masataka Kubota (“Hyuga”), Sho Kaneta (“Hidenobu”), Takaaki Enoki (“Lord Ito”), and Jun Kunimura (“Goda”).
Emmy® Award Winner Hiroyuki Sanada (“Toranaga”) and Cosmo Jarvis (“Blackthorne”) lead the stellar cast of returning stars, including Fumi Nikaidô (“Ochiba”), Shinnosuke Abe (“Buntaro”), Hiroto Kanai (“Omi”), Yoriko Dôguchi (“Kiri”), Tommy Bastow (“Alvito”), Yuko Miyamoto (“Gin”), Eita Okuno (“Saeki”), and Yuka Kouri (“Kiku”).
In the first season, Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Sanada) fought for his survival as his enemies in the Council of Regents united against him. When a mysterious European ship was found marooned in a nearby village, its English pilot John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) shared vital strategic secrets with Toranaga that tipped the scales of power in his favor to win a century-defining civil war.
Part two of Shogun is set 10 years after the events of the first season and continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined.
Shogun, an original adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling novel, is created for television by Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks and produced by FX Productions. Marks and Kondo are Executive Producers alongside Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, and Michael De Luca, and Hiroyuki Sanada. The series is produced by FX Productions.
The first season of Shogun won 18 Emmy® Awards, setting the record for the most Emmy Awards by a series in a single season. It was FX’s first series to win Outstanding Drama Series. Hiroyuki Sanada became the first Japanese actor to win the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Anna Sawai made history as the first actress of Asian descent to win Lead Actress in the same category. A global phenomenon, the show won numerous other awards, including the Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series – Drama, AFI TV Program of the Year, and top honors from SAG, WGA, DGA, PGA, TCA, the Independent Spirit Awards, among many others.
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