Podcast Summary: Brendan Fraser Stars in 'Rental Family'

All Of It with Alison Stewart — WNYC
Airdate: November 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Alison Stewart hosts actor Brendan Fraser and director Hikari to discuss their new film, "Rental Family." The movie, debuting November 21st, explores the concept of agencies in Japan that hire actors to fill social roles in people's lives—such as friends, family, or significant others. The conversation touches on cultural loneliness, the tension between acting and authenticity, the unique creative process behind the film, and how both the movie and reality confront themes of connection and belonging.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Realities of "Rental Family" in Japan

• Origins and Research
  • Hikari first learned of Japanese rental family agencies around 2018-2019 while researching unusual jobs available for foreigners in Japan (02:16).
  • The discovery, amid the pandemic's isolation, inspired the film as "a beautiful story that we could potentially create" (02:42).
  • Such agencies grew from loneliness in Japanese society and the stigma around mental health, prompting people to seek companionship through actors instead of therapists.

    "Mental health issues are stigmatized in this country so people have to turn to other things like us."
    — Philip (played by Brendan Fraser), quoting the film (01:41)

2. Brendan Fraser's Character: Philip

• A Struggling Actor’s Journey
  • Philip is depicted as a washed-up actor in Japan, famous only for a toothpaste commercial years earlier (04:10).
  • His desperate circumstances are shown through details like hasty job acceptance and a cluttered, lonely apartment.

    "It shows that he is desperate for anything. He will say yes to anything..."
    — Hikari (05:40)

  • Fraser notes Philip is not a particularly good actor (joking he played a tree ‘quite woodenly’) but begins to find authentic human connections through his work for the agency (03:55).
  • Set design underscored Philip’s isolation:

    "It's a rather lonesome environment... neighbors who he kind of pretends to know... checking in with them unbeknownst to them..."
    — Fraser (06:30)

3. Thin Line Between Acting and Lying

• Ethical & Emotional Crossroads
  • The hosts probe the difference between acting for work and the lies characters tell to fulfill emotional needs.

    "There's always a little kernel of truth somewhere in there. And when Philip stops the acting... and invests in the relationships... that's when he starts to grow as a human being."
    — Fraser (08:18)

4. Cross-cultural and "Outsider" Themes

• Notions of Belonging
  • Philip is referred to as "gaijin" (foreigner/outsider), a label that stings but also motivates him to seek authentic understanding of Japanese culture.

    "For him taking that word in... there's a perseverance. He wants to understand; he wants to be part of this culture."
    — Hikari (10:30)

  • Fraser adds:

    "Sometimes you need to hear the truth about it. And... you reckon there's a journey you need to go on."
    — Fraser (11:45)

5. Surrogate Roles and Real Connections

• Transformative Relationships
  • Philip is hired to play a surrogate husband at a wedding and a father for a young girl, Mia, and to aid a fading writer, Kikuo, serving as a pseudo-son—roles that become emotionally significant for all parties (14:28 onward).
  • Fraser lauds the cast, especially Shannon Gorman (Mia), whose real-life background matches the role’s requirements of cultural duality (15:13).
  • The film treads carefully on the morality of deception in these relationships, prioritizing love and care over strict ideals of truth.

    "Is it right to lie to a little girl?... My mom lied to me all the time... But at the end, there was a humongous amount of love."
    — Hikari (17:50)

6. Directing and Collaboration

• Behind the Scenes
  • Hikari discusses difficult creative choices, especially regarding the portrayal of single-parent stigma in Japan and the consequences of parental lies (17:50 onward).
  • Fraser highlights the collaborative spirit with Hikari:

    "It was for a quick lunch which stretched into about six hours... We just learned we had an understanding to collaborate on something that's unique..."
    — Fraser (20:25)

7. Loneliness: Personal and Societal

• A Love Letter to Loneliness
  • The film has no real villains—only the threat of apathy and social disconnection (21:01).
  • Fraser and Hikari discuss how loneliness manifests, especially in bustling cities:

    "It's a love letter to loneliness. It's addressed to Tokyo, but it could be anywhere."
    — Fraser (21:01)

  • Community, "found family," and small acts of reaching out are essential to overcoming alienation.

    "We all want to belong... Sometimes you feel there's something standing in the way... But this is one way you can."
    — Fraser (25:14)

  • Hikari advocates taking the first step toward connection, even in intimidating urban settings:

    "You do have to make the first step... Even if it's just picking up the phone, or walking outside..."
    — Hikari (25:24)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the Film's Ethical Questions:

  "Are we doing something right? Are we doing something wrong? ...Approaching it with truth and honesty"
  — Fraser (16:39)

• On Casting:

  "Why did you pick Brendan for this role?... There’s something in his eyes that I just couldn’t think anybody else in that moment."
  — Hikari (22:00)

• On Family (Real and Found):

  "If you were to really rent a family member, who would it be? ...I always wanted a sister."
  — Fraser (22:51)

• On Loneliness:

  "It is possible to experience solitude in a way that's unhealthy. And you know what? He fell victim to that too."
  — Fraser (24:28)

• Actionable Hope:

  "If you make a first step of really trying to reach out or just pick up a phone call... we can actually find connection anywhere. But you do have to make the first step..."
  — Hikari (25:24)

Important Timestamps

• [00:09] Introduction to the episode and film premise
• [02:16] Hikari on discovering rental family businesses
• [04:10] Fraser describes Philip’s character origin story
• [05:40] Hikari discusses set decoration as character study
• [08:18] Fraser explores the line between acting and lying
• [10:30] Hikari unpacks the significance of “gaijin”
• [14:28] Discussion of roles that deeply affect Philip
• [17:50] Hikari on moral ambiguities as a director and single-family stigma
• [20:25] Fraser on the creative process with Hikari
• [21:01] Fraser discusses the absence of a villain—apathy as antagonist
• [22:51] Who would the guests "rent" for themselves?
• [24:28] Fraser and Hikari discuss loneliness and found family
• [25:24] Hikari on the importance of making the first move toward connection

Conclusion

This intimate and thoughtful conversation between Alison Stewart, Brendan Fraser, and Hikari opens up the world behind "Rental Family," exploring not just the film’s production and narrative choices, but broader questions of authenticity, belonging, and the many forms of family—biological, chosen, and performed. The episode ultimately offers hope and gentle advice: to overcome loneliness, sometimes, all it takes is a brave first step.