Key Points:
-
Rental Family (2025) follows an American actor navigating Tokyo’s rental-family industry, forming unexpected emotional bonds.
-
The film features a powerhouse ensemble led by Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, and rising talent Shannon Mahina Gorman.
-
Below is a full, descriptive cast and character breakdown based on confirmed roles and production insights.
Rental Family blends comedy, drama, and cultural reflection into a story that feels both intimate and quietly universal. Directed by Hikari and released on November 21, 2025, the film follows a struggling American actor in Tokyo who takes an unusual job at a rental-family agency. What begins as work soon becomes a series of emotional encounters that reshape his understanding of connection, identity, and belonging.
Who Are the Main Cast Members in Rental Family and What Are Their Roles?
One of the biggest draws of Rental Family is its cast an eclectic mix of Hollywood familiarity and well-respected Japanese performers. Brendan Fraser anchors the film with a soulful performance, but the surrounding ensemble is just as essential. Hikari builds the narrative like a mosaic, allowing each character to illuminate a different facet of Tokyo’s rental-family subculture.
Below is a clear breakdown of the confirmed cast and their characters.
| Actor/Actress | Character Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brendan Fraser | Phillip Vandarploeug | A struggling American actor in Tokyo searching for purpose. He joins the rental-family agency and becomes entangled in clients’ emotional lives while confronting his own loneliness. |
| Takehiro Hira | Shinji Tada (Shinji) | The calm, sharp-minded owner of the rental agency. He introduces Phillip to the world of staged relationships and becomes his guide within the industry’s rules and ethics. |
| Mari Yamamoto | Aiko Nakajima | A central figure at the agency who coordinates the emotional “performances.” Her grounded presence helps shape Phillip’s understanding of the job and its cultural nuances. |
| Shannon Mahina Gorman | Mia Kawasaki | A young client whose storyline becomes a turning point for Phillip. Their rental father-daughter dynamic adds warmth and vulnerability to the film. |
| Akira Emoto | (Unnamed elderly client) | A veteran actor portraying an older man who hires the agency for companionship. His scenes add reflection, humanity, and depth on aging and loneliness. |
| Paolo Andrea Di Pietro, Shinji Ozeki, Takao Kin | Supporting roles | They enrich the film’s episodic structure, portraying clients and agency performers who represent Tokyo’s diverse rental-family ecosystem. |
The supporting cast doesn’t steal focus but adds texture through brief but meaningful encounters that show how varied and sometimes surprising the needs of clients can be.
READ MORE: Inside the True Inspiration for Rental Family
How Does Rental Family Explore Its Characters Through Tokyo’s Rental-Family Industry?
At the heart of Rental Family is a simple question: what does it mean to be needed by someone you barely know?
The film doesn’t sensationalize the rental-family system. Instead, it treats the concept with nuance and respect. Each character serves as a window into why people turn to surrogate relationships sometimes out of grief, sometimes due to isolation, sometimes just to maintain social harmony.
Phillip’s role allows the audience to learn alongside him. Fraser plays him with a mix of bewilderment, empathy, and quiet vulnerability. As he performs one role after another grieving friend, supportive colleague, stand-in father he gradually finds pieces of himself reflected in the people he’s hired to comfort.
Shinji, played by Takehiro Hira, becomes Phillip’s compass. He’s not cold or distant; he simply understands the boundaries required in an industry built on emotional performances. Through him, we see how rental-family agencies operate not as spectacles but as carefully managed systems shaped by Japanese cultural norms.
Aiko, portrayed by Mari Yamamoto, adds another layer. She’s practical but empathetic, a reminder that the agency’s work isn’t just transactional. Her interactions often reveal the emotional labor behind every staged scene.
And then there’s Mia perhaps the film’s emotional centerpiece. Her storyline underscores the fine line between performance and genuine connection. Phillip is hired to play her father, but the relationship quickly becomes more meaningful than either expected. Young Shannon Mahina Gorman brings sincerity to every moment, making their dynamic one of the film’s most memorable threads.
Akira Emoto’s character offers the quieter, more reflective side of rental companionship. Through him, the story considers how aging intersects with loneliness, and how even brief human contact can make an enormous difference.
READ MORE: The Last Samurai Standing Season 1 Ending Twist Finally Explained
When and Where Can You Watch Rental Family?
Rental Family released on November 21, 2025, through Searchlight Pictures. While theatrical rollout details vary by region, Searchlight titles typically follow a staggered release model, arriving on major streaming platforms a few months after their theatrical run. Viewers should expect its digital release after the standard post-theatrical window used by the studio.
Stay updated with the Latest News and Stories, follow us on our social media platforms.
You can follow us on:
Nerdveda is Popculturexp on X
Stay Connected!! Join our Whatsapp Channel
