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SPOILER ALERT: The following interview accommodates spoilers from “Chapter Fourteen,” this week’s episode of “Pachinko,’ now streaming on AppleTV+.

“It’s been a superb week,” says a smiling Anna Sawai on the Thursday after her history-making Emmys victory. Having gained an Emmy for lead actress in a drama — for her place as Toda Mariko in FX’s “Shōgun” — she grew to change into the first actor of Asian descent ever to win inside the class, thought of one among a record-breaking 18 full trophies for the drama’s first season.

Nonetheless the New Zealand-born Sawai had solely quite a bit time to benefit from that Emmys extreme: She wanted to report once more to work in Australia, the place she speaks with Choice over Zoom whereas capturing Season 2 of the Apple TV+ assortment “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.” throughout which she stars (alongside Godzilla, in reality) inside the lead place of Cate Randa.

Nonetheless, it’s her completely different assortment that we’re talking about right now, since Sawai can be a cast member in creator Soo Hugh’s interval drama “Pachinko,” which is at current airing its sophomore season on Apple TV+. Inside the assortment’ Nineteen Eighties timeline, Sawai performs daring businesswoman Naomi Ichizaki, who’s at current in a relationship with colleague Solomon Baek (Jin Ha) — nevertheless we see their romance hit a critical snag on this week’s episode.

Proper right here, Sawai talks about her Emmys win, and gives notion into this week’s “Pachinko” episode — and discusses how collaborating in Naomi has confirmed her what her private mother endured inside the enterprise world plenty of a very long time previously.

I should ask you some Emmys questions as a result of it’s clearly very up to date. How are you feeling now, plenty of days later?

It feels surreal. I don’t suppose I’ll ever get better from the reality that our current made historic previous. I do know that it’s occurred, but it surely certainly’s such an unlimited issue. As soon as we went into capturing it, I didn’t rely on for this to happen. And when people started talking and me being nominated, I was like, “There’s no signifies that’s gonna happen!” Life is so uncommon.

There was quite a few talk about you crying quite a bit, even sooner than your determine was known as. Is that merely who you’re, or may you merely not maintain it in?

I actually really feel like everyone who’s conscious of me in my personal life has seen me cry. I get very emotional, nevertheless I wasn’t crying because of I felt desire it was going to happen or one thing like that — I was crying from sooner than the day even occurred. As soon as I met Kathy Bates, I was bawling my eyes out because of she gave me a reward. I moreover suppose it was merely being nervous, and it was my first nomination. I was merely being overwhelmed, I suppose.

After the current, there are all the occasions, nevertheless did you carry the statue your entire time? I do understand it’s fairly heavy, and it’s huge!

For every event that I went to, I was holding it. I don’t know why I did that, nevertheless my workforce was like, “No, merely stroll in with it. People are going to be glad to see you holding it.’ And so I did. Now I actually really feel like my correct arm is manner bigger than my left, because of I was holding it your entire night time time.

Which occasions did you hit?

The one which I stayed longest was the FX one. So we had all the FX people, and all the people from the current. It was good to easily have a very good time everyone’s work collectively.

Inform me about your entire awards advertising and marketing marketing campaign, which is quite a few work. Did you end up bonding with any of your fellow actors by the use of all that?

Yeah, Nava Mau from “Youngster Reindeer,” we met a pair cases. It was merely good to see any person who was experiencing it for the first time as successfully. After which I moreover met Ayo Edebiri, and I consider that she went by the use of one factor associated and is at a novel stage now. She’s presumably a pair years ahead of what I’m experiencing, and gave me advice. She knew exactly what I was feeling and the best way uncommon, however moreover very good that’s and what I could be cautious for. Merely very actual, and I made an excellent connection alongside together with her.

Between “Shōgun,” “Pachinko” and “Monarch,” these are all very huge displays with huge concepts. Is that by design, or is it really merely the best way wherein points have fallen?

Maybe my workforce was being a bit bit additional tactful, nevertheless I not at all went into it contemplating, “Oh, that’s good attributable to this and that.” It was merely learning the scripts, talking to the showrunners and feeling whether or not or not I linked with the character or not. What I like is that they’re all so completely completely different, however moreover they’re so essential to me because of they enable the viewers to see Asian people in a novel gentle. For “Monarch,” which I’m doing correct now, I’m collaborating in a Japanese American particular person, which I’ve not at all carried out sooner than.

“Shōgun” is what it’s, and with “Pachinko,” for the first time, I was ready to really discover out about my mom’s period and the best way she was dealt with in enterprise. Having Soo embrace a persona like Naomi [who is Japanese] when it’s a narrative a few Korean immigrant family, that meant relatively quite a bit to me. And she or he was so supportive in telling that female wrestle that everybody is aware of. I’m merely appreciative that I’ve had the prospect to tell our story in plenty of other ways.

And your character in “Pachinko” isn’t in Min Jin Lee’s novel, correct? She was created for the gathering?

Certain, Soo made a persona, because of she found the importance in talking about Japanese ladies all through that time.

How crucial is the Naomi and Solomon relationship to her, given that her occupation can be a priority for her — nevertheless we see they’re butting heads on this week’s episode?

It’s extraordinarily crucial, because of he’s the one male decide to her that understands the place she’s coming from, regardless that what they want is completely completely different and the best way wherein they execute problems with their enterprise is completely completely different. They’ve a mutual respect for each other and understanding — because of they’re every misfits. Naomi is a girl in a male-dominant commerce. He’s a Korean and she or he’s Japanese in Japan, so I consider they are going to actually really feel each other’s ache. And so they additionally bond in meaning.

Nonetheless it’s laborious, because of Naomi’s family wishes one factor completely completely different for her, because of they’re from an older period. They don’t understand the bond between Koreans and Japanese. They’re on reverse sides, so she’s attempting to navigate that, and it’s laborious because of it’s her family. She wishes her family to want what she wishes, and she is going to’t merely push them away. Solomon doesn’t understand what she’s going by the use of. He expects her, I suppose, to resolve on one or the alternative. It’s very heartbreaking to see them crumble, because of I consider that how they view each other is so actual. Nonetheless the whole thing else is pulling them away from each other.

Nonetheless his timing can be not good, because of he ends points alongside together with her after which immediately asks her to do identify on this mortgage, which she’s not going to do. Do you suppose she would have had a novel response if the timing had been completely completely different?

I don’t take into account she would have had a novel response, because of he’s giving her knowledge that’s new to her and she or he’s seeing his true colors. Whether or not or not their relationship personally was good or not, she would nonetheless have been shocked to hunt out out about what he had accomplished and what he’s asking for. The timing is uncommon, nevertheless I consider that he was at that second, like, “I don’t care anymore. That’s what’s essential to me now.” I’m talking on Solomon’s behalf, and I don’t know what Jin’s going to say about it — nevertheless what’s essential to Solomon is that this enterprise. He merely didn’t care anymore.

So now I’m frightened for her. How huge is that this going to get personally and professionally?

We see how vicious the enterprise and commerce are to women. Women should be good. They should be twice the amount larger than males, to start with, to be within the equivalent place. They have to spend twice the time period to get there, and they also make one mistake and it’s over for them. Whereas if this have been a person, they could get a second probability. And so we see how unfair the society is within the path of ladies.

It was solely 40 years previously, nevertheless listening to tales from my mom and her friends, it merely appears to be like like they’ve been dealt with a method and they also have been anticipated to behave a method. It merely makes me so pissed off. Soo is doing an incredible job by really making it actually really feel precise, and attributable to these struggles, we’re proper right here now and we’re ready to battle it additional. Nonetheless these ladies wanted to endure the whole thing.

The costumes inside the current — from costume designer Kyunghwa Chae — are implausible. I do know all individuals’s talking regarding the “Shōgun” wardrobe, nevertheless can you moreover talk about your wardrobe in “Pachinko?” Naomi will get to placed on some really fashionable enterprise matches.

I suggest, she is a girl inside the ‘80s, so we wished to do the shoulder pads and the whole thing — nevertheless we didn’t want her to be the on a regular basis eye-candy decide to the lads. There was a time after we decided to convey it a bit above the knee, then pretty above the knee — nevertheless then we landed with merely above the knee because of we didn’t want her to advertise her sexuality inside the office, because of that’s not her the least bit. It was intentional to resolve on these expert outfits. I obtained to placed on some Chanel matches, which is excellent. The wardrobe can be one factor that displays her character and could also be very, very expert. Exterior of the office, we do see her sporting some cute outfits that aren’t the Naomi that everyone knows inside the office.

I’ve to say how pleasant the “Pachinko” opening credit score sequence is. I not at all skip by the use of them, by the best way wherein.

Certainly not. It’s merely pleasant because of I wasn’t part of the first season intro. I had quite a few questions, like “Am I speculated to bop as Naomi, or am I supposed to easily dance as myself?” And they also have been like, “Merely be your self, because of Naomi wouldn’t be dancing full on, huge smile and twirling spherical.” It was good to be on set and allow myself to easily have pleasant with everyone.

One last Emmys question sooner than we wrap this up. Do you’ve gotten an idea however the place the statue will go in your home?

I don’t know, because of I really don’t have an excellent spot for it. I need to buy a shelf the place I can place my completely different award, because of I was on the TCA Awards and I was awarded a sort of so I’ve in any case two to positioned on that shelf. As quickly as I get once more to Japan, I’ll most likely try to find out what I want to do.

Japan is home, correct?

Tokyo and the States. I shuttle quite a bit that I can’t say one or the alternative. Nonetheless family is in Tokyo, so I equivalent to to go there as soon as I’m not working and as quite a bit time as I can with my mom.

Moreover, I know you’ve gotten a singing background from early in your occupation. Will we see you in roles the place you’re going to get to sing? On account of it merely appears to be like like a no brainer, nevertheless —

I’m not that assured in singing, so any person should really make me actually really feel like I can do it. Nonetheless because of I do have experience being inside the music commerce, I do know that there’s a very fascinating story to tell. I do want to presumably be part of a film musical.

It appears to be like like they remake “A Star Is Born” often, so you’ll be able to do the next mannequin!

“A Star Is Born,” like, doing it after Girl Gaga? No, I couldn’t ever do that. Nonetheless, yeah, one can dream.

This interview has been edited and condensed.