2019.09.19 | Interview
We heard you talk about the laundry in the video interview after the photoshoot. It didn't seem like you only did it once or twice.
I have been living alone for about 6 years, there is no one else to fix this for me if I don't, so naturally I have no choice but to move my body. I don't like living in a dirty house, so I have to clean it two or three times a week.
This sounds pretty fun somehow. We probably assumed that concerns like laundry wouldn't apply to a person like Lee Dong Wook.
There are many things in my daily life that I have to take care of (laughs). During filming, I'll get a good rest for about one day a week, so I end up doing housework naturally. I will wash the clothes that have been piled up, I will clean the house, and one day goes by very quickly like this. So sometimes I even wonder if this is considered taking a break (laughs). But isn't it the same for all workers who live alone? Although I have a slightly more special job compared to other people, I live my daily life like everyone else.
You debuted in 1999, so this year is your 20th anniversary. This can be considered a number with a special meaning.
Hmm, is it okay if I speak honestly? It has no meaning. The time that I lived after debuting acting all I can and living what I can, is not more than 20 years and me getting old. Frankly, I have never felt the satisfaction of having done well during those 20 years, so I think I have never felt comfortable working. So until the moment I quit this job, I think I just need to look ahead and move on.
You seem like a person who doesn't really have drastic emotional changes. Or maybe you want to appear as such a person?
I try very hard to be like that. I do my best not to seem obvious. This is also something I learned over the years, that it doesn't make much sense to talk to someone showing my feelings to the outside. Because the answers that eventually come to me are still the same kind of conversation. It's not exactly a comforting thing too. Since my personality is not the type to only care about things, then why should I ... well, we just have to live and manage each of our lives on our own?
“Strangers From Hell” that is currently airing is pre-produced and we have heard that filming has already been completed. Since the original work is a famous Webtoon, there is a high possibility of comparisons between the two, do you have any concerns about it?
While there are definitely a lot of fans who have read the original, there are also a lot who haven't seen it yet, so I'm not that worried. But depending on the personality of each one, I think there will be people who will not want to watch because they find it cruel, repulsive or it puts them in a bad mood. From my point of view, I think this will be an interesting job because it has a unique story and characters that convey unknown feelings. I also clearly felt the message that the show could convey.
"Strangers From Hell" is a work labeled "dramatic cinema." The show is also broadcast in the CinemaScope 2.35: 1 format, and the traces of the effort put into creating a distinction from mainstream dramas are evident. Was the atmosphere on the film set also different from conventional dramas?
It was a mixture of both. First of all, the show is run by a film director, and most of the staff are from the film industry, so the feeling was a bit different. All the important scenes were produced following a storyboard. A lot of attention was paid to the art direction and the set, so it felt more realistic from my perspective as an actor, which was great. But the conditions on the drama set have also improved a lot these days. The types of cameras used to shoot dramas and movies are quite similar. But would the biggest difference probably be having a bit more freedom on set compared to conventional dramas? Because dramas usually have 16 or 24 episodes, but this drama will only have 10 episodes.
The process of a pre-produced drama seems to be a bit more relaxed. Isn't this a good thing from an actor's point of view?
There are pros and cons. From the perspective of someone who has been working since the days when cameras were running on tape, the advantage of having to film for 10-day periods without sleep is that there is no time for you to get out of character. So that I can be immersed in his role until the end. But the downside is also clear. Because it's hell not being able to sleep. On the contrary, when things are more relaxed and you return to the film set after a long break, it feels a bit unfamiliar. This is why it is necessary to have enough conversations with the other actors or the director, and also to have time to intentionally wander around the set and warm up your body.
It's your first time playing a villain, especially a psycho serial killer. Wouldn't playing such a character affect you in some way?
I get a little more sensitive. I also have many more useless thoughts. For example, there is a scene where I extract teeth without even using anesthesia, and I have those thoughts before filming. What can I do to make it seem more painful? Actually, it is not necessary, since it is not possible to represent the magnitude of the pain in the visual image itself, but I was thinking about it. Although there are times when it feels tired because I am immersed in a character, but I think to myself that I cannot allow myself to be immersed in this character, and I don't even know if I am doing a good job protecting myself. . That is why I spoke with the director a lot.
Is there a character or work that you have referenced?
No. I didn't do that on purpose. Because I'll probably end up copying it. I have not always been the type to look for something anyway. I read the original Webtoon exactly once. “So this is the type of content, this is how the psychological descriptions of the characters are made, and this is how the conflicts between the characters are,” I only became familiar with these to this extent and focused on the script. I wanted to immerse myself in the film set.
So what did you feel was important when you were acting as the villain Seo Moon Jo?
As he is not a character with a lot of exaggerated gestures or small movements, I think he will also move in the simplest possible way to fix things even when he commits cruel acts. Because he is more than a character who simply enjoys murder, he is a character who wants to bring out the devil within from within and descend into hell. What is evident is that Seo Moon Jo does not feel an iota of sympathy, and wanted to be seen as a character without any justification for him. Not only for Seo Moon Jo, but also for all the residents of Eden Studio. I think bad guys should end up bad and shouldn't be excused just because they have some history in the past. Because we shouldn't be glorifying villains.
The expression you had in the final scene of episode 4 surprised us because it is not a face that we expected from actor Lee Dong Wook. Thanks to that, our anticipation for episode 5 increased. Is that expression perhaps the result of practicing in front of the mirror?
I didn't do any kind of practice in particular. Actually, I only found out that my expression was like this after watching the broadcast. Usually, I don't supervise my performance on the film set, since the director said "okay", I think it must have gone well, so I don't watch. I thought a lot about how I should smile. Because it was obvious that I can't smile like I normally do. I tried to focus on the perspective of Seo Moon Jo, who felt joy after finding out that her target, Yoon Jong Woo (Im Siwan), is wavering according to plan. Of course, the audience may feel that it is just a smile that is unpleasant to them.
If the audience feels unpleasant, it means that your performance was successful. Didn't it satisfy you personally?
Although it's the kind of question that I can't really answer with my own mouth (laughs), this is what I thought. If we were to film this again, would he make the same expression again? In any case, I think there was a feeling of excitement at first, so it would probably give that kind of expression. But it's hard to be 100% satisfied all the time. And from the moment I started on "Strangers From Hell," I had no intention of building anything. I just prepared myself by memorizing my lines, I rehearsed according to how I had been doing it all along and I wanted to work things out according to how I feel on the film set with as realistic a feeling as possible.
It seems like he used to prepare a lot in the past before this.
Yes
As much as you've had a new sense of excitement, you've probably had a lot of restlessness too.
I think that's why I became more sensitive. I also had many more thoughts. Actually my method of handling my lines is slightly different. The other actors speak as they normally do, so some lines are ignored and they can also speak repeating the same words. But Seo Moon Jo uses a refined way of speaking. He doesn't say anything redundant. Because she is different from the other characters in that regard, he was a bit concerned if she stood out too much. Because it may seem like I'm acting alone. So I had a lot of discussions with the director and we came to the conclusion that it could be one of the devices used to build Seo Moon Jo's character. Thanks to that, we managed to make a character like the one we have now.
It seems that you also paid attention to your appearance to give a slightly sinister feel to your appearance.
I barely wore makeup on purpose. The lighting intensity is also low compared to other productions. Of course, this is not something I heard directly from the lighting team. Maybe it was not the intention of the lighting team to do that, so you may feel sad if I say so. It's just my personal guess (laughs).
A lot of effort went into making the adaptation, so there may be minor differences from the original work, but that's probably why the actors have a chance to break the shackles of the characters in the original Webtoon. Although the characters in the original play have an aura, you don't need to drag them into it. Thanks to the adaptation, the actors seem to have more freedom compared to having to analyze their characters.
Everything is thanks to the abilities of the writer and the director. Especially the director did a lot for the actors. I think the actors did not waver because the director did not waver in his firm belief. Actually, the original Webtoon itself is like a spoiler for the drama, the character known as Wang Noon (literally "Big Eyes" in English) in the original has been split into two roles in the drama as a kind of fake. Fans of the original Webtoon may have a different opinion, but I think it might be a bit of a shame from the point of view of fans of actor Lee Hyun Wook, who played the role of Yoo Gi Hyuk.
It also seems like a bit of a challenge from actor Lee Dong Wook's perspective. This seems to be the first time he's taken on a villain role and a thriller genre.
In fact, in the last 20 years, I have never chosen a role or gender that is similar to my previous job. Although I seem to have done a lot of rom-coms, I've only done four of them in those 20 years. There is such an impression only because those shows were so much more popular compared to my other works. Actually, I get a lot of similar offers if a program works well. I really got a lot of offers for fantasy genres after “Goblin”. But I did not accept any of those offers. I selected things that I had not done before. "Strangers From Hell" was also an obvious choice that I made based on those kinds of criteria, but my transformation range feels higher here compared to my previous works, so it may seem like that. Also, my part in this drama isn't really that much. It's just that the scenes I appear in are intense so the character stands out. I chose this project knowing full well that I am not the main character in the first place. The real leader of this show is Siwan.
At the press conference, you said that you wanted to help Im Siwan return after his military enlistment. Were you originally friends with him?
We first met through this drama. When filming started, I had to go abroad due to my personal schedule, so I only joined the set much later, and all the actors and staff were already on good terms with each other. So, in addition to my character being like that, I was also worried about what would happen if I was the only one to become unknown, but Siwan approached me first and took care of me, so I quickly became more comfortable thanks to that. Although Siwan is younger in terms of experience and age, he did a good job as a leader that brought everything together on set as one. He was really grateful for that, and wanted to be of help to his return. He is a great friend.
All the actors are very capable and are playing characters with their own unique and strong personalities, so it must be quite nice to exchange reactions with them. It must have been very helpful to immerse yourself in your own performance as well.
There was trust. Mutual trust for each other. Trust that if I do so much, the other person will accept it and return it coinciding with this as well. So I think everyone acted comfortably. And while it's ironic, they're actually all very kind and gentle people, so there were no emotionally draining issues between the actors. I felt comfortable filming every day.
Park Jong Hwan is a very gentle and calm person, so it was very surprising to see how he managed to achieve a character like Byeon Deuk Jong. He even played two different characters just at the same time.
Jong Hwan really worked really hard. Since he was playing two characters, he needed more energy than any of the other actors, his character spoke with a stutter and had also exaggerated laughter, so he was even more exhausting. Laughing in such an exaggerated way takes a lot of energy, but he needs to do it continuously without many takes, so it must have been really tiring for him. Siwan also has a lot of scenes, so I often felt sorry for him. But they all worked hard and they were all good actors in the first place, so I think they will get good reviews.
"Strangers From Hell" seems to be a show that talks about hell in the form of relationships. Being an actor, there are times when you have to meet a lot of people, how do you respond when you meet someone who gives you stress?
I think most people will react the same way, I'm the type that just doesn't do anything. If you can't eliminate the cause of stress, then it won't become a fundamental solution to the problem anyway, and saying it out loud will only lead to more stress, so I'll just let it be.
Are you usually good at containing your anger?
No, I'm not good at putting up with myself. I've been like this since I was young. But I know very well that this is no longer a world in which I can live and do whatever I want, so I try to contain myself. Nor does it make sense to lose my temper every time I get angry. I work hard to stay on the line based on common sense. They all do the same.
The Eden Studio that serves as the main setting for "Strangers From Hell" plays an important role until you almost feel like one of the characters. From an actor's perspective, the spatial environment and reactions can give you the right frame of mind to act, so the contribution of the creative team is significant.
That's right. It seemed that Eden Studio's own set was the number one actor. Anyone can feel the gloomy and gloomy atmosphere when entering the place. It's not just the actors, but even the staff say the same thing. The tight space also puts a lot of pressure. But according to the production team, they made the rooms slightly larger than the actual study rooms they saw when they went to investigate. Because the equipment must be brought into the room for filming, and there must be at least enough space for a camera to enter. There are many narrow spaces where even that is not possible, so the walls are always being removed and replaced. repeatedly during filming. Although the creative team worked very hard, the execution team and the camera team suffered a lot as well.
Actually, we are a bit curious as to how Seo Moon Jo always manages to keep her clean in that kind of environment.
You will notice that as the episodes go by, she only wears a few sets of clothes. Also, she doesn't seem to have much time to sleep. She leaves early to work at the dental clinic, she watches Jong Woo when he comes back, he even kills people, isn't he really busy? (Laughs) He doesn't seem to sleep much, he doesn't seem to eat a lot either, so I purposely tried to lose weight. In fact, I even said this to the director after seeing the script: "Exactly when does this guy sleep?" The director then said "Exactly" with a laugh, so ultimately, he is the type of character who will be able to withstand everything, including the inconvenience of such a tight space. Because the greatest enjoyment she can get is more important. Keeping her outward appearance clean seems like a necessary choice for her double life as a dentist.
Being a 10 episode production, is there any difference compared to conventional dramas?
The pace is fast so I like it. Because it is compact. Of course, that doesn't mean the 16-episode or 24-episode pacing is slow, but being able to dive into a story that feels complete in a comparatively shorter time makes it fun and interesting. Because from the beginning, the director said that he would take the approach of doing 10 one-hour movies instead of a 10-episode drama, so I think the actors followed the same mindset as well.
You don't seem to star in many movies compared to dramas, don't you have any interest in movies?
Of course yes. I didn't think of acting by making any particular differentiation between the type of medium, it just happens that I end up mainly choosing dramas. I think I can even do theater if the opportunity arises. But timing is important. Because I can't do all the projects that are offered to me. But I think I have become more careful when choosing movies compared to dramas. Because you can immediately judge whether a movie is successful or not, so there's a lot of pressure on that, which is probably why I end up thinking about it a lot more.
In any case, you will be more sensitive to the feeling of responsibility of being the main actor, right?
I can't help but feel regretful if the movie doesn't succeed. Of course, "That is the responsibility of the director", "It is the responsibility of the actor", or "It is the responsibility of the producer", it is not possible to differentiate clearly like that, but as the main actor, I can not help but feel sorry if the film does not work well.
Since you don't really control yourself on the film set, is it related to that sense of responsibility as well?
It's just because I don't like it (laughs) I keep seeing things that are just unsatisfactory, so it's exhausting to watch. But it is not possible that it does not follow up, so I usually look only if it is possible. However, if I miss the live stream, then I need to watch the replay or IPTV, but I keep procrastinating.
You personally said that you are not an excellent actor at acting, isn't it because you set a high standard for yourself?
I always want to do better than now. I hope to do better, and I want to work harder, and I will be able to improve because I have those kinds of thoughts. Even athletes who have set unbeatable records feel regretful when it's time to retire, because they have things they haven't accomplished yet, right? If I was satisfied with my performance, shouldn't I quit? I wonder if it would make any sense to do more if I was satisfied.
Perhaps, there is a job you regretted choosing?
It's not something I can talk about. Because he is not courteous to the actors and production staff who worked with me.
So is there a job or period of time that has given you a kind of confidence or affirmation to continue as an actor?
I think being an actor for 20 years is not because of what I chose, but because the public chose me. Because in any case, an actor is someone who has to be continually recognized and chosen. If people feel that I'm not needed, it won't make sense even if I fight alone. So I try not to be complacent. I felt happy during the time I spent doing this work, and my heart wants to do it for a long time, too. But this is not something that can be possible based solely on my own decisions. If there are ever more people who don't like to see Lee Dong Wook appear, then the meaning of my existence will disappear. I'm working hard so that doesn't happen.
So you are not afraid to choose a new job?
This is, unfortunately, a fundamental issue; no matter who, when you have chosen something and accept a new challenge, you will hope that it turns out well, I don't think there is anyone who thinks that it does not matter if it fails. It happens the same to me too. When I star in a new project, act like a new character or start something new, I can only do it in the hope that people will like it. It was also the same when I decided to do “Produce X 101”.
He also hosted "Produce X 101" this year, which was quite unexpected. It's not because you appeared as a variety show host that it was unexpected, but the idea that you would be the host of a show never crossed our minds. Survival Audition for Idols.
Although I never had a particular aversion to appearing on variety shows, the fact that such an offer came to me was interesting. Because I was also wondering "Why me?" (laughs). Anyway, I got together to talk to the production team and it seemed like it would be interesting, so I made the decision. After all, I didn't intend to make any kind of mark on the history of audition shows (laughs). I also thought that the process in which these children took on the challenge of making their debut was similar to that of my youth.
We feel his sincerity in the way he gave a lot of advice to the trainees as a close older brother and actively reached out to them.
The title of my position is National Producer Representative, but despite the name, the position is a mere host, right? Because he is not a true CEO. But being the representative of the viewers, he wanted to take care of the trainees. Is the person I am supporting eating well? Do you have time to rest? Are you sleeping well? Viewers will be curious about these things, so I think my role would be to feed them well when it is time to eat, let them rest well when it is time to rest, and listen to them when they have concerns. Because I can't teach them to sing or dance like other teachers. But gradually I became more attached to them. Since I was watching them closely, I know very well how hard they worked, so I think I really reached out to them because I was moved. Because I was hoping these kids could feel a little more comfortable in this brutal survival game. From my perspective, this is something I should obviously be doing, but I think the viewers gave it a little more meaning.
After debuting in a one-episode drama in 1999, she starred in the series "School" and officially began her career. Compared to now, the management system back then was not that well organized, so she must have had a lot of ups and downs.
During the time I started working, I had no manager or stylist. Back then, she would take the bus together with the staff and follow the theater costume team to Dongdaemun to get clothing sponsorships. But I don't think it is particularly necessary to talk about how I suffered. It is also not something important for other people to know. In any case, even though conditions were much poorer back then compared to now, that period of time was actually something I naturally had to go through back then. I knew everyone started their career like this, and I was a rookie who had just debuted in my junior year of high school, so I wasn't in a position to talk about unhappiness.
Do you feel a little more comfortable now compared to then?
Not quite. Is it just that having gone through the system changes together, I consider it something that seems interesting? Of course, even though it's gotten a lot more comfortable now than before, I think it's because 39 is an age when it's okay for me to be more relaxed compared to 19 (laughs).
If you are able to go back to a certain time in the past, and if you can meet your past self during that period, is there something you would like to say to yourself?
mmm, i'm not sure. I've never thought about it before, so I think I'll choose not to go back to the past (laughs).
Are you one of those who does not think about the past?
I am that kind of person. Because the things that have happened cannot be undone anyway. Of course, I regret it, and there are times when I feel like it's a shame. But I don't like to show those feelings outwardly, so I think they trained me to be that way to some extent. Because I don't think there is any good in revealing it anyway. I will build up little by little and keep moving forward.
You have done more activities this year compared to previous years, are there any new projects you are looking at?
Not at all. Since I have been working non-stop since October last year, I want to rest a bit for the moment without thinking about anything. Of course, I won't be able to take a break completely. I can do photoshoots like this, and there may also be announcements or events on my schedule, so I'm not in a situation that allows me to just go somewhere. But for projects, I think it will be better to take a short break and search for a new one slowly. Also, I think Seo Moon Jo's traces will linger on me for a little longer, so I probably need some time to let go as well.
Source: Esquire Magazine
Translation: Latin Fan Community
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