[trans] Onew, Grazia (April 2016)
You pose well. I didn’t appreciate your true value during last photoshoot as it was mainly group cuts. You should be familiar with cameras by now right?
O: Really? I actually have a hard time when taking pictures. Out of the things I have to do, it’s on the difficult side.
Then is taking videos more comfortable than pictures?
O: Ah. That’s more difficult. It makes things worse. Haha.
We received some questions on our Instagram. There was a suspicion that you don’t own any filter apps on your phone…
O: No. I don’t have any. I don’t take selfies that often and well, I can just live as how I appear to be. Haha. Even if the picture came out better what would I do with it.
So that difference doesn’t really matter that much to you.
O: No. Selfies are just for my own enjoyment. Although there are some people who take them to show it to other people, but for me that’s often not the case. Even my phone screen is very simple. Here, look.
Wait, you haven’t even filled up your home screen?
O: Oh yeah, three spaces are left. Haha.
Have you been watching the live airing of lately?
O: Yes. I have been going home every week to watch it with my mum. Rather than being anxious on my own I think it’s better to watch it with someone who can comfort me.
So what are your thoughts on it?
O: It is really interesting so I’ve been watching anticipating for next week’s episode like other viewers. But it felt strange at the same time. It felt good in one moment and a little sad in another moment and it also reminded me of the time back then. Also thought ‘Ah. That part came out like that’. I have never seen the edited version of it before. Even after shooting my parts, I didn’t monitor it so I’m watching it for the first time during the live broadcast.
During the scene when you wept in the previous 6th episode, that scene was the highest rated moment of that episode.
O: I was very surprised when hearing that news too.
I think you must have had a hard time when shooting that scene. It was a scene of such a high explosion of emotion.
O: I think I had to take that scene for two or three hours due to the (camera) angles, I really did cry a lot. I cried not only during the times when they were taking shots of upper half of my body but also when other actors’ upper half of body shots were being taken too and also during the scenes when I was in the background. I thought I needed to carry that same emotion all throughout the scenes so after taking that scene I drooped like seaweed because I cried continuously. All my energy was drained out and I had a dull headache. I actually don’t cry often and I don’t get startled by something easily either. But that character gets surprised by little things and cries often so I made a great effort trying to be immersed into the character. During those times I read the script after taking one scene and read the script again after taking another scene, I really did only that.
You didn’t do only acting work when shooting the drama, how did the ‘on-off’ switch of an actor mode go?
O: I still don’t think it’s working well. To be honest, I am going back and forth (in emotions) these days. When I watch the broadcast, the times back then pop up so I feel empathy too… So my emotions go back and forth several times within a day.
Even though it’s a fictional character, what are the similarities and differences of the character Lee Chi Hoon and the real Onew?
O: Um. I am pretty wealthy in there also a dad. It’s very different.
What are the similarities?
O: I actually have no idea. But I think perhaps his qualities are one of the things that exist within me too. No matter how rare it is for me to cry but having to act such thing I might be a person who carries that side too.
When starting the shooting, did the director or the drama writer ask you to pay attention to a certain thing?
O: They rarely gave directions. On a very rare occasion they said ‘How about doing this in this way’ but for most of the time it was like ‘Do what you want. Come up with your own flow of walk too’.
That must have been more difficult.
O: When I practice on my own while imagining the scene in my head and go to shoot, there were times when it was completely different so I had a mental breakdown during the early stages of shooting. Later on, I practiced concentrating mainly on how to receive and give lines comfortably. You can adjust the flow of walk on site anyway. I think I practiced thinking a best way that could work well in the given situation.
Do you find out about the reaction of the viewers?
O: I always remained aloof from such things but since this work is something I bet my life and death on it for the past half year so I did want to find out during this time. Of course, I haven’t shown everything yet.
I think there were a lot more compliments. Of course, it takes only one bad comment to feel distressed.
O: I think I was like that since I was young. When I took tests during school days, we all try to guess our scores by marking answers on our own before receiving back the test. For the ones that I wasn’t sure about whether I got it right or wrong, I always marked wrong at first. That way, when you receive the result later on it feels like your average score has increased by few points. I think my mind was at ease by that way.
I think you are strict on yourself.
O: I think I tend to be like that for things I really want to do. For example, I don’t really like practicing singing in front of many people.
Because it’s not yet completed?
O: Yes, that’s right. But there are times when I have to do so even though it’s not up to my satisfaction. After making a debut, those kinds of moments seemed most regrettable. I thought about what if I practiced a little more. So for this time I tried my best taking the time out of my busy schedule. Even when I had a free time of one or two days by chance, I always read the script in my room. I got anxious when the script was out of my hands.
Your thoughts when starting the drama versus now when you’ve finished shooting and watching it live must be different right?
O: First of all, the script was so interesting it gave me goosebumps. Even as someone who acted that script, I anticipate the next broadcast and wonder how someone could write this well. Thinking back, I think I was full of confidence when starting the shoot. After starting, as I was a rookie actor I acted like the youngest and everyone liked it so it got a little comfortable shooting. There were scenes with Hyegyo noona a lot especially, she was considerate of me as we got close.
Ah, that ‘Woojoo Minam’ (T/N: Cosmic handsome man; the most handsome man in the universe) that was used as a call sign in the screen was actually your nickname.
O: Yes. The drama writer wrote it in the script. I don’t know how she knew because I didn’t ask.
What is your mother’s reaction as two of you watch the live broadcast together
O: She likes it. She cries together during the scenes I weep. She’s a person who doesn’t watch TV often and reads books everyday but she been keeping the TV on these days so I asked why. She said she’s trying to watch again since the re-runs are aired often too. My dad told me to do a drama (again) if the opportunity comes. Haha.
Did you find the fun in acting by now?
O: I think it gets more difficult as you keep doing it. But since it’s coming out as how I intended it to be, it’s been really interesting. It’s attractive that it’s not strictly structured and you can express differently depending on how you interpret the script.
I think you should have something you want to try acting after finishing one work.
O: During the very first episode, my scenes were edited and didn’t get aired. Joongki hyung sent me a text comforting me ‘Onew-yah, you must be disappointed. Hyung was like that too in the beginning. But let’s be at ease and enjoy’ which helped me a lot. After that and having conversations with Joongki hyung, I naturally thought it would be an interesting experience to meet again in another work in another role. Anyway, I want to do anything since I’ve only just started.
Were there any moments that you feel that you’ve grown into an adult or have matured?
O: No. I don’t grow up. I think it’s good.
I feel a sense of maturity since you’re the oldest in SHINee…
O: Um, I’m not like that at all… Maybe it’s because you haven’t seen me enough yet? Haha. I play jokes to our members a lot and I bother other people.
Do you listen well to other people’s opinions too?
O: I listen if it sounds correct. Words that are said because they truly care about me and them. If it’s not, I draw a line.
You’ve been working for a quiet some time, do you think you can now differentiate such things?
O: It’s still not yet easy. Everyone’ characteristics are different and their way of expression is different too. There may be parts of someone that I may never learn to like. But I acknowledge rather than trying to understand. I think it became like that at some point. I have turned 28 this year. But if a 14 year old prodigy who’s very good in singing and acting suddenly appears, I might not be able to win that kid. I live in part of that world. So rather than focusing on what position I have reached so far, I think about things that I can do and want to do in the moment. I really like simple things too. I took subways for three to four years before and the habit of going somewhere to eat alone grew back then. It still applies now too. If I have free time at one day I will go on a subway, if I feel like I’m in a hurry I can run, if I can go by car I’ll go by car.
O: I’m only acting as if I’m flexible.
Are there any things that you can never compromise on?
O: Yes. People who makes an objection thoughtlessly as soon as I say something. A situation that completely blocks me from trying to say my thoughts.
Something that looks fun even though everyone stops you from doing it or something more safe that doesn’t look interesting, which one would you pick?
O: It differs from time to time. Usually I would go for the fun ones. When I’m with my friends and someone says ‘Hey, let’s go to Jeju Island’ I would go. There are many moments like that but at the end it was all about trying to find something fun. But in terms of work, I think I would choose the second option. When I have to pick the latter one due to all kinds of situations, I think it’s up to me trying to make it more fun.
Do you think that’ll work even if you try it purposely?
O: To be honest, you’ll never know until you start. When I’m doing work I try to find the fun out of it and even if I don’t find it fun I try to make it to be. I was like that when I appeared on variety shows too. I make jokes when it just pops up into my head. Doing that makes me laugh. Then there were times when MCs asked me to do it one more time.
Your Tokyo Dome performance last year was exactly a year ago. Perhaps because it was a stage that you went on in a long time after recovering from your surgery you showed some tears on your solo stage, what were you thinking back then?
O: Regardless of the size of the stage, I was having heartache back then. To be honest, I couldn’t completely sing the first and second verse of the song before that stage. My voice was lost so I communicated by writing, I made jokes on phone so I was frustrated. The timing of my jokes weren’t in sync so members would write down the previous stories they were talking about and show it to only one person. Haha.
So your instinct of making jokes didn’t give up even back then too.
O: I mainly did a lot to Minho. Haha. Anyway, a lot of emotions were mixed during that time.
You are in the middle of Japanese tour, is there any change you feel while continuing with the tour?
O: As I gain experience I have a lot of know-hows on how I should do on certain points. It became more comfortable. What remains the same is that I try to make it fun. If I don’t get excited myself, I think the audience feels it too. I’m a person who considers self-satisfaction importantly.
So your throat has become better now right?
O: It has but I think I need to take care of it more systematically. So I’m looking for my own workroom too these days. I need a little space of my own to practice singing or listening to music loud or practice lines. I told that I don’t really like to show myself to others. That crying scene that was aired recently, I would close my script when someone came in while I was practicing. So I thought I really needed to search for my own space. I also have a small wish that I want to try singing a song with old friends who I can really share my heart with regardless of whether they can sing well or not. Playing piano as I like and recording together too.
Ah. I also received many reports that you like giraffes and chicken. Is there anything to add onto this list?
O: I eat chicken very well, I like giraffes because they are cool. They are so strong. Um, it’s a too broad question so I don’t have anything that pops up in my head. But there are times that I fall into something once in a while. It’s to the extent that few years ago I suddenly bought a book on human anatomy and read it. When I was in high school, I was into lucid dreaming. During that time, I always thought I didn’t have enough time but lucid dreaming, theoretically, was about flying or studying in a dream or something like that. In the end, I never succeeded. Haha.
I know there aren’t any specific plans on your solo album yet but have you ever thought about what to do?
O: No. I have never thought about it at all. I think I will think about it when it comes out because I don’t know whether I will still like the songs I like now even then. I think it’s better to do music that I find good during when the album comes out.
What is a song that you like and listen to the most now?
O: These days, I’m not listening to songs that much to the point that I only sometimes find and listen to classics. There is a classic that my mum used to play at home on cassette tapes when I was young. That song comes across in my mind. Ah, I don’t cry often but I sometimes cry when watching music films. I can feel so much in my heart. I also like going to shows too because of that feeling of being touched… I think perhaps that’s why I want to have my own workroom.
You’ve experienced so many areas from MC of a variety show, musical, sitcom and acting, is there anything you’d like to focus more out of these?
O: If there is a time that I can organize my thoughts and prepare on my own, I would want to do anything. Ah, but I really did a lot of things. But there were cases that ended early… but this time for since it was all pre-produced before broadcast I felt relieved when starting. Haha. If I could do what I wanted, I want to release the last 16th episode a month after the 15th episode gets aired but that would cause an uproar right?