Charlotte

Visiting… Tokyo with her husband John, who’s in town doing a photo shoot for a band. Her friend tells her over the phone that she’s lucky to have so much freedom, but Charlotte hasn’t found much happiness in her life in Tokyo. Stuck alone in the comfortable yet soulless Park Hyatt Hotel, Charlotte has no job, no friends, and is surrounded by people who can’t understand a word she says.

Profession… unemployed. Charlotte is a smart cookie, but she doesn’t have a job yet. She graduated from Yale with a degree in philosophy. Her intelligence perhaps only exacerbates her existential hand-wringing. “I just don't know what I'm supposed to be,” she tells her new friend Bob.

Interests… once upon a time, photography. “I tried take pictures, but they were so mediocre,” she says. “I guess every girl goes through a photography phase. You know, horses, taking pictures of your feet.” Now Charlotte spends her time attending Buddhist ceremonies and exploring Tokyo in the vain hope that it will ease her chronic loneliness.

Relationship Status… married to John for two years. She loves him, they struggle to stay on the same wavelength. Their marriage has been further strained by John’s work schedule, which leaves him with little time to spend with Charlotte. After two years of growing distant, Charlotte is worried that she doesn’t “know who she married.” Surrounded by people who don’t speak the same language, Charlotte has begun to seek solace in the company of Bob Harris; a jaded middle-aged actor and fellow patron of the Park Hyatt. Their lives are totally different, but they bond over their shared ennui and inability to sleep.

Challenge… figuring out her path in life. With John out working, she kills time in the hotel room by listening to a self-help audiobook called “A Soul’s Search: Finding Your True Calling.” Charlotte is suffering something of a quarter-life crisis, and she bonds with Bob because he is going through a mid-life crisis of his own. Despite his years of experience, he’s no surer of how to deal with their dissatisfaction than she is.

Personality… intelligent, curious, and gifted with a dry sense of humor. Charlotte seems to have everything in the world going for her. Still, she’s crippled with uncertainty and is terrified that she will make a wrong choice and waste her life. While her continuous alienation has dulled her fun-loving side, she is still capable of occasional bouts of wild spontaneity.