When I hop on the phone with Anna Sawai, it’s 8:30 a.m. in Los Angeles, and the actress tells me she’s just woke up, after what was a very late bedtime following the 2025 Golden Globes.
“It was a good night,” she says blearily, but happily, as we begin to talk about her whirlwind evening. Despite the lack of sleep, Sawai looks radiant, likely still buzzing from her win for Best Actress in Television Series Drama, for her performance in Shōgun. The New Zealand-born star has an undeniable magnetism to her that underlines why she’s so electric on screen and the red carpet.
For the 2025 Golden Globes, the actor teamed up with Dior to construct an elegant all-white ensemble, which took 450 hours to make. “I am a simple girl,” Sawai tells me when I ask her what she gravitates to style-wise. “I like to tell the story of the character, and less about me.” At the Globes, her look certainly told a story, one which Sawai describes as “sweet and spicy.”
The actor’s dress consisted of a belted bustier top and a matching satin-leather wraparound skirt, and the classic, clean shape we’ve come expect from the house. Sawai topped off with a makeup look from Dior Beauty. When talking about the top, Sawai notes its “masculine energy” and strength, which she says reminded her of the “warrior side” of her Shōgun character. The tightness of the piece also reminded her of a kimono, which she felt was another nod to her part as Toda Mariko on the hit series.
Even the color had meaning for Sawai, who says, “[Toda’s] covered in snow in the beginning, so I felt like it really resembled her in the most different way… I thought it was perfect.”
As for why she’s drawn to Dior, Sawai notes that the French fashion house makes the perfect dresses for petite women like her. “I’m short and so it’s really hard to dress me if it feels too heavy,” she notes. “I know for sure that Dior is going to give me a dress that I look good in and I feel comfortable in. I never want to wear something where everyone’s like, ‘Oh my God, it looks amazing,’ but I feel like it’s drowning me.”
After she mentions her height a couple of times, I point out that she reminds me of Sabrina Carpenter and her lyrics about being so tiny. At this, Sawai jokes, “I feel like [she and I] need to sit down and have this short ‘n’ sweet conversation.”
The talented star’s lighthearted side is fun to see, given that it’s her dramatic chops which has garnered her praise. Since Shōgun’s premiere back in February 2024, the show has been met with critical acclaim, with Sawai winning numerous awards for her performance, including an Emmy, an Astra TV Award, a Television Critics Association Award, and now a Golden Globe.
When asked how she feels in this moment, Sawai says, “It’s just amazing to see how much love we’ve received and the importance of doing something that feels really authentic and doing something that has meaning to you.” With regards to her win, she adds, “It really does feel like a dream because I feel like yesterday I wasn’t expecting anything.”
As for whether she might return for season two, Sawai says she’s been in talks with the team, but right now, it seems that her character won’t return for the next installment. “If they wanted me to come back, I would absolutely do it in a second. But, I’m excited for them to start season two.”
Even if she doesn’t return to Shōgun, it’s clear Sawai’s got a bright future ahead of her. With leading roles in other series like Pachinko and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the actor is keeping busy, and despite her already impressive filmography, she remains humble.
During her acceptance at the Globes, she gave a shoutout to industry legend and fellow nominee Kathy Bates, while also described her starstruck meeting with Emma Stone and Andrew Scott. But, it’s easy to imagine Sawai becoming a legend herself.
“I seriously can’t believe my life,” she tells me, reflecting on her celebrity ascent. If there’s one thing I believe, it’s that we’ll be seeing much more of her at award ceremonies to come.
