Magazine M, Nov ‘18: Kyungsoo interview + 171110 mentions
Your hair got shorter. Looks like it was for shooting Swing Kids (2018, Kang Hyungcheol)?
That’s right. We’re on our sixth round right now. I’ve been learning how to tap dance for my role as a North Korean soldier who falls for tap dancing, and it’s really fun. It’s not like learning choreography for the stage. It feels like learning a new instrument, like playing the drums with your feet.
Let’s talk about Room No. 7. It’s a black comedy that involves drugs. An idol like you appearing in it was unexpected.
President Shim Jaemyung of Myung Films said as much. It was suggested to me by the studio and I read the proposed script in one sitting. I wanted to try it because while I liked black comedies, I’d yet to be in one. Taejeong’s character was distinct and charming because of that. He’s a nice kid but quick to notice things, and a little cold. Seeing him struggle with the tough place his real problems put him in went straight to my heart.
Have you ever had difficult experiences like Taejeong’s?
Nothing heavy like his, but I do know how stifling it feels to have started working earlier than your peers. In the movie, Taejeong says “does this have to be so hard?” and I put a lot of emotion into that line because it’s an important one that says a lot about him. We are very similar in aspects of our personality. When I’m left in a bad situation, I tend to bottle it up like him. And we’re the type of person to watch carefully from the back rather than draw attention to ourselves.
The tattoo on the back of his neck also left an impression. It suit Taejeong’s personality too.
That’s why we had it (laughs). I consulted the director about getting a tattoo for him and what it should be of, and he suggested lettering. I looked through a bunch of phrases and ‘there is no use in trying to please everyone’ struck me. We decided on that one because it felt right for Taejeong.
What are your thoughts on working with your senior, Shin Hakyun?
I grew up watching his movies, so it was amazing and fun to act together with him. I thought he would be scary at first, but he’s actually very attentive. He’s quiet and calm, but as soon as we enter filming he becomes another person (laughs). He prepares thoroughly too. We clicked together even without a long rehearsal, and that amazed us both.
Room No. 7′s hidden charm is it’s critical view of South Korea’s society.
I really liked the message in its social satire. Room No. 7 was the opening film for BiFan back in July, and that’s when I watched it. My acting is always lacking but on the whole, the film was fun. It was packed tight. I’d watched director Lee Yongseung’s movie 10 Minutes (2014) while looking for indie movies ages ago. The characters were so believable that I wanted to act as a precarious worker in the public sector. I learned that 10 Minutes was director Lee Yongseung’s work after being cast for Room No. 7. How glad was I?
How was working with the director?
He’s someone who shares his opinions with an always-open mind. He doesn’t stubbornly insist on his thoughts. The director told us a lot of stories on set to make us more believable. The truth is, Taejeong was initially quieter and less defiant. When I said to the director it might feel more fitting if Taejeong were a little more confrontational, the director had him change. He even had Taejeong fight back.
You’ve been acting without rest since Cart (2014, Bu Jiyoung). It seems like you have an uncommon love for it.
I have a lot of desires with acting (laughs). Because through it, I found fun in life. It surprises me to feel how much it’s changed my emotional perception and made me grow. I feel everything that the characters I play feel. When I acted as Taejeong, imagining and realizing how hard his past must have been helped me understand him more. I look forward to being able to express subtle shifts in emotion one day, as I gather more of these experiences.