[Interview] 'Seungriho' Kim Tae-ri "Captain Jang Beyond Stereotypes, Importance Is Director's Choice" (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actress Kim Tae-ri said she was attracted to the unconventional charm of Captain Jang.

On the 15th, Kim Tae-ri shared various stories about the Netflix film Space Sweepers (director Cho Sung-hee) during an online video interview.

Space Sweepers is set in 2092 and tells the story of the crew of the space debris collector ship Space Sweepers who discover a humanoid robot named Dorothy, known as a weapon of mass destruction, and get involved in a dangerous deal. Directed by Cho Sung-hee, who previously directed Wolf Boy, Detective Hong Gil-dong: The Missing Village, The Beast, and the short film House of Hummingbird, this is a space sci-fi blockbuster.

Released on the OTT platform Netflix on the 5th, Space Sweepers ranked first in 28 countries overseas within two days and entered the top 10 in over 80 countries. It received enthusiastic responses from English-speaking countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, as well as from Denmark, Finland, Egypt, Nigeria, and others.

On this day, Kim Tae-ri said, “A friend living abroad contacted me after watching the movie, which was amazing,” adding, “In the case of The Handmaiden, it was released overseas one or two years after its domestic release, so the reaction came later. But Space Sweepers was released simultaneously worldwide, so I could immediately feel the response, which was very appealing.”

Kim Tae-ri plays Captain Jang, the leader of the space debris collector ship Space Sweepers. She recalled, “After reading the script, the first thing I asked the director was, ‘Why did you think of me for Captain Jang?’”

“When I read the script, at first it didn’t feel like it was written for me. In most roles I’ve played, when I read the lines, I naturally imagined myself in the role, but Captain Jang was different. The director replied that he didn’t want the character to be portrayed in a typical way. He said that when a delicate person sits quietly in the cockpit, the power they emit is great, and I was convinced by that.”

Captain Jang sports slicked-back short hair, wears sunglasses, and impressively wields a laser gun. Kim Tae-ri said, “It took some time to get used to Captain Jang’s outfit. The director insisted that I must wear sunglasses. It was my first time wearing that kind of sunglasses, so it took some time to adapt,” she laughed.

The Space Sweepers led by a female captain. The image of a new kind of family led by the young and strong Kim Tae-ri as Captain Jang is impressive. However, some viewers expressed regret that Captain Jang’s role was not very prominent.

She said, “I think it’s a matter of choice. It might be director Cho Sung-hee’s style. The children appear, and highlighting certain parts is the director’s responsibility, but it is a bit disappointing. There are many battles and interesting stories to tell. But I think it was a choice made considering the overall flow and completeness of the story, as well as the director’s style,” she honestly shared her thoughts.

When asked if she felt burdened by starring in Korea’s first sci-fi film, Kim Tae-ri shook her head and said, “I was excited.” She added, “It was a burden, but I was thrilled and curious about Korean actors performing a space action film that I had only seen in Hollywood. Moreover, I was very excited to see how it would look with my face in it.”

The spaceship was decorated with distinctly Korean elements. Kim Tae-ri said, “There were refrigerators and sofas used on Earth placed in Space Sweepers, which helped create a sense of everyday life.”

She added, “At first, the spacesuit was unfamiliar because it was not what I had imagined before, but after reading the story, each character’s unique color was attractive. After watching the film, I felt a bit regretful thinking that it would have been better if I had imagined the completed scenes during filming because there were many impressive scenes,” expressing her satisfaction.

Her first collaboration with director Cho Sung-hee. Kim Tae-ri described him as “a shy, stubborn genius” and shared her experience working with him. She continued, “At our first meeting, he brought a notebook and sketched Captain Jang. It seems that original scenes come from imagining through drawings. He is shy but stubborn. Having prepared the story for over 10 years, the picture he drew was solid and rational.”

Kim Tae-ri showed special affection for the crew of the Space Sweepers: Tae-ho, Captain Jang, Tiger Park, and Up-dong. About Jin Seon-kyu, who played Tiger Park, she said, “I first met him when I went to see a play. I can’t forget the kind feeling I got at that moment. I really wanted to act with him. On set, he constantly doubted his acting. He asked if he was following well and if the emotions matched. I doubt myself sometimes, but he doubted even more,” she laughed.

Regarding Song Joong-ki, who played Tae-ho, she said, “Although there isn’t much age difference, I was impressed by how well he took care of everyone. There are parts I didn’t notice during The Handmaiden that have become clear with each project. Song Joong-ki was the center of Space Sweepers, comforting and taking care of everyone.”

Recently, Kim Tae-ri opened an SNS account and started communicating with fans. She laughed, “It wasn’t my decision.” She explained, “My agency had been suggesting it for a long time. But we agreed to choose the photos together before posting. These days, I’m selecting various photos and posting them one by one.”

Photo = Netflix