[Limelight] Fifty-Eight Choi Min-sik Pursues Dongshim

Movie 'Cheonmun: Asking the Sky' Jang Yeong-sil Role

"I have loved stargazing since I was young. As soon as I learned to walk, I worked as a servant. Being so young, working was tough, but what hurt the most was having to look down at the ground all day. If I raised my head stiffly, I would get scolded. Walking while looking at the ground, greeting while looking at the ground, working while looking at the ground... So I liked the night. No one would say anything if I stretched my chest and looked up at the sky."

"I liked looking at the sky for a different reason. After all, a king must look down all day, right? I liked that there was something above me to look up to."

"That's really true!"

"Yeongsil, you and I have something in common."

"I humbly apologize, Your Majesty! How could I possibly be like Your Majesty!"

"What does reason or status matter? The important thing is that you looked up at the sky and dreamed."

This is a conversation between Jang Yeongsil (Choi Min-sik) and King Sejong (Han Suk-kyu) in the movie Forbidden Dream. Though they come from different social statuses, they understand each other's hearts and develop an unparalleled friendship. The friendship is purely expressed through Choi Min-sik’s innocent smile. It is clear and straightforward, like a child playing on horseback. This is a new charm he has never shown on screen in 30 years.

His untainted face also suits the image of a genius scientist. Especially his eyes full of curiosity. He observes blueprints with wide eyes and hammers nails with a smile. He seems like a mischievous child who cannot suppress his desire to learn about new and fascinating things.

Choi Min-sik said, "I felt the power of an innocent face during a lecture by roboticist Dennis Hong. When he explained the robot he made on KBS's Myeonggyeonmalli, it was very impressive. His face controlling the robot looked joyful like a child. The way he was absorbed in something looked beautiful."

- You interpreted Jang Yeongsil as an innocent and naive character.

"That's right. I pictured a face happy to be engrossed in invention all day. He was a person unrelated to politics. I thought he would be deeply immersed in the joy of creating something while admiring King Sejong."

- His pure gaze appeared as the motivation that moved Sejong’s heart.

"I considered that the most important. Especially in the scene where he pierces hanji paper in the shape of constellations in Sejong’s quarters. I put a lot of effort into conveying childlike innocence. I believed that the playful mood between the two would strengthen their pure relationship. It was truly a moment when human trust was revealed. It probably was like that in reality too. There are records that they had many conversations at very close distances. They wouldn’t have only talked about work, right? (laughs)"

- Thanks to working with your close junior Han Suk-kyu (56), it seems a warm atmosphere was easily created...

"It was a great help. We usually get along well. Our interests are similar. There’s no pressure between us, so we’ve known each other for a long time. We are only two years apart in age. Although we don’t meet often, we feel like companions. We studied together at Dongguk University’s Department of Theater and Film, and whether it’s good or bad, we continue to work as actors. It’s a rare case, so it feels special. Suk-kyu was laid-back even in university. He would speak slowly and end sentences politely with '-seyo' just like now. He was so relaxed that seniors would greet him saying, 'Is the elder here?' whenever we met. I’m the complete opposite of Suk-kyu. I’m quick in speech and action. Maybe that’s why we get along well. They say if personalities are the same, people fight often. (laughs)"

- Besides Han Suk-kyu, many actors of similar age appeared...

"Kim Hong-pa and Oh Gwang-rok are the same age. Son Byung-ho, who doesn’t appear in this movie, is also the same age. I look the youngest, right? (laughs) Being with these friends creates a sense of solidarity. We feel comfortable enough to play around like children. I hope we meet often in projects."

- This movie relied heavily on the actors’ performances to portray the process of forming bonds in the king-subject relationship...

"The key was how well we expressed subtle emotional exchanges. So we put a lot of effort into scenes where empathy was a medium. Especially the scene where Sejong and Jang Yeongsil lie down together and look at the stars. The two begin to immerse themselves in each other’s world. We created settings not described in the script to expand the area of communication. We also elevated the emotional line."

- The scene where Jang Yeongsil goes mad in front of the Ming envoy must have been challenging. The usually cheerful Yeongsil suddenly shows a mad face.

"I thought it was possible because he was born a servant. He probably had freer thoughts than other officials. Do you think Sejong and Jang Yeongsil only watched stars together? I think they also enjoyed folk games and spent time like friends. So I thought a jealous expression was necessary too."

- Roles like Ma Dong-pal in Number 3, Park Moo-young in Shiri, Jang Seung-eop in Chi-hwa-seon, Oh Dae-su in Oldboy, Choi Ik-hyun in Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, Manager Kang in New World, Yi Sun-sin in The Admiral: Roaring Currents, and Cheon Man-deok in The Tiger are mostly masculine roles. Is there a reason you sought change this time?

"Before, I only appeared if I read the script and thought, 'This is it!' I also met people only if I liked them over 80%. Recently, I lowered my standards a lot. Even if something is sloppy or has flaws, I believe we can fill the gaps together. I think that’s what being a senior is about. In the early 2000s, many excellent directors like Bong Joon-ho, Hur Jin-ho, Park Chan-wook, and Im Sang-soo emerged in Chungmuro. Their individual talents were outstanding, but it was possible because great actors worked together. So I try not to choose only movies that suit my taste. If there’s potential, I’m always ready to board the same ship. With the heart of Jang Yeongsil who follows Sejong."