'Parasite' Return Report Press Conference "Bong Joon-ho Most Delighted at American Actors Guild Awards"
Regarding Hollywood Offer: "Of course, why not? I'm ready"
At the 92nd Academy Awards, director Bong Joon-ho, actors, and production staff of the film "Parasite," which won four awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, are posing at the official press conference held on the 19th at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] "I think the moment Director Bong Joon-ho was happiest was when the actors received awards at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. It was amazing. It was the first time I saw him so joyful."
These are the words of actor Song Kang-ho, who traveled the world for the past six months promoting the film Parasite. It shows how much Director Bong Joon-ho anticipated the actors' wins.
The Parasite cast unanimously expressed overwhelming emotion at the homecoming press conference held on the 19th at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Among them were Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Park So-dam, Lee Jung-eun, Jang Hye-jin, and Park Myung-hoon.
Song Kang-ho said, "Over the past six months, I breathed and conversed with the greatest artists. It was a process of realizing how great others are, not myself." He added, "I felt small, and through these great artists, I felt a lot."
At the Academy Awards held on the 9th (local time) in Los Angeles, when Parasite was announced as Best Picture, he hugged Director Bong Joon-ho beside him in joy. Song Kang-ho laughed, saying, "If you look closely at the footage, you can see I was holding myself back a lot."
"When Parasite was announced as the Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, I heard that I celebrated so excessively that the director got a hairline fracture in his rib. At the Academy Awards, I celebrated mostly with my face. When receiving some awards, I slapped his cheek, and for others, I grabbed his neck (laughs)."
Lee Sun-kyun also vividly remembered the overwhelming moment. He said, "After winning four categories, it felt like the Academy crossed a big line. I am grateful to the Academy members who liked and supported our film without prejudice." He added, "It motivated me to study English."
Jang Hye-jin said, "If I get an offer to appear in Hollywood, I want to say, 'Of course, why not? I'm ready~'"
Director Bong said Lee Jung-eun and Cho Yeo-jeong attracted attention in Hollywood. He recalled, "I once heard people say, 'Who is the housekeeper played by Lee Jung-eun? The moment she rings the bell late at night changes everything in the film.' At the SAG Awards, Tom Hanks and his wife warmly greeted Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, and Lee Jung-eun and asked many questions about the film." About Cho Yeo-jeong, he said, "I met Director Quentin Tarantino in Los Angeles after watching Parasite and talked for about 20 minutes. For 10 minutes, he asked about Cho Yeo-jeong. He said her acting and character were very impressive."
Actor Park So-dam is speaking at the official press conference for the film Parasite held on the 19th at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@
Lee Jung-eun credited the film's power and praised the production team. She said, "Young people in the US and Europe are also facing economic problems. Parasite expresses contemporary issues in an entertaining and profound way." She continued, "There is no clear good or evil, but someone becomes the perpetrator and causes harm to someone else, which resembles our human society, and I think that surprises people. The unpredictable story probably contributed to the strong response."
Lee Jung-eun attracted great attention by delivering her acceptance speech in English during the Oscar campaign period. She laughed, saying, "I practiced all night as if memorizing lines." When asked if she would consider entering Hollywood, she said, "In every interview, I said that actors should go to Hollywood, but now I believe that if you make good films, the world will recognize you even without going to Hollywood." However, she immediately added with a smile, "Still, if the opportunity comes..." trailing off to evoke laughter.
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