Nana Komatsu On Being in the Spotlight and Staying True to Herself

Nana Komatsu is a Japanese actress known for many movies such as The World of Kanako, Drowning Love, After the Rain, and Farewell Song. At only 23 years old, Nana has an impressive resume from starring in movies to modeling for Chanel. Out of her many endeavors, she tells us that the favorite project she has worked on has been Farewell Song which a pivotal project for her as she explains that through this film “things changed for me as an actress, the way I express things—just something shifted in me.” Scrolling through her Instagram filled with pictures of nature—from plants to even a salamander, it is clear that Nana has a unique artistic vision and expression that goes beyond her profession.

Although Nana has only starred in Japanese movies, she has certainly established herself internationally. Recently, she was in NYC for New York Asian Film Festival, where she won the Screen International Rising Star Asia Award. Nana describes her reaction as being very happy, especially because the award was presented at an Asian film festival and that the festival is located in New York City. Being Nana’s first time in New York City, winning the award there feels like a dream, as she says, “I’ve seen New York in a lot of movies I watch, but to get to see it in person is amazing and to be recognized coming here as an individual in this way feels really important to me.”

As a woman in the spotlight, Nana feels that being scrutinized has been inevitable, especially with social media’s increased presence in our lives. She says not with defeat but with a sense of realism, “Of course, I know the job I have is a job that’s in the spotlight so the attention that I get is to be expected and I accept that to a certain extent. If I worry about everything, it’s endless.” Knowing how she is portrayed and talked about is out of her control, Nana simply stays true to herself in everything she does. Nana says, “There’s lots of different people and lots of different opinions, [so] with that, I think what’s really important is to know what’s important for myself.”