Anna Sawai Instagram – It is a revelation to watch @annasawai peel back layers of #Shōgun’s Mariko, a dutiful samurai woman in the hit FX miniseries. Considering Hollywood’s notorious history of diminishing female characters, Sawai flexes her acting chops through the complex and powerful role. “To be able to give voice to the Japanese women was a huge thing for me,” Sawai tells Marie Claire. “Oftentimes, it’s just like, ‘Japanese people are very cute and submissive and maybe nerdy,’ but it’s so one dimensional.” But Sawai, who cut her teeth with roles in #F9, #Pachinko and #MonarchLegacyofMonsters, knows the significance of playing a character who isn’t reduced to a trope. Read the full interview at the link in bio. Photographer: @andiejjane Writer: @quinciwho