Hideo Kojima shared the story of how he sometimes alters a character (including in Death Stranding 2) to match the personality of the actor portraying them.
He cited Fragile, portrayed by Léa Seydoux in Death Stranding, as an example. Fragile doesn’t smoke in the first game, but after seeing Seydoux in another film, Kojima felt she looked particularly compelling while smoking.
He mentioned narrative reasons for the change but still asked Seydoux if Fragile could become a smoker in Death Stranding 2. Though she had quit smoking, Kojima later spotted her smoking after a filming session at a restaurant – surprising him, as he assumed she’d resumed specifically for the role.
Kojima also explained (via VGC) why few Japanese actors appear in his games, noting challenges in authentically capturing Asian features:
“It’s hard to make Asians look like their real-life counterparts. Women and young people especially have beautiful, soft skin. Asians in general are known for this complexion, which often ends up resembling computer graphics.”
“Conversely, detailing older individuals or those with heavy freckling is easier. I’ve tried using Japanese actors before, but achieving lifelike results was difficult. This time, new technology delivered satisfying outcomes – though I aim to improve further next time,” he concluded.
Finally, a BAFTA-released video offers a humorous insight: Norman Reedus (protagonist Sam) describes Kojima’s motion-capture direction. After joking about being ill-suited for the process, Reedus recounts Kojima instructing him to “pick up the baby and cry” – leaving him bewildered yet compliant.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is available for PS5.
