[Interview] "Trapped by a Good Image"... Park Yong-woo, Growth of a 26-Year Veteran

Interview with Park Yong-woo from the movie 'Yuche Italja'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "Why do I look so gentle? I've even worried about that. There was a time I wanted to give up acting, but the pain and suffering helped me grow into a better actor."

Actor Park Yong-woo said he discovered another side of himself through 'Body Swap.' With just a chilling smile spreading across his face, he instantly changed the atmosphere and nodded, saying he finally found the charm of being a villain. Then, after 26 years as an actor, he smiled and said, "Acting is enjoyable."

On the morning of the 19th, during a virtual interview for the film 'Body Swap' (directed by Yoon Jae-geun), Park Yong-woo said, "I am happy when I act," and added, "I want to live as an actor for my entire life."

'Body Swap' tells the story of a man who wakes up in a different person's body every 12 hours, having lost his memory, and fights desperately to find his true self, who has become everyone's target. It is a new work from the production team behind the 2017 hit film 'The Outlaws,' which attracted 6.88 million viewers.

On this day, Park Yong-woo recalled, "When I first received the 'Body Swap' script, it was difficult," and said, "I had many questions, so I met with the director and asked a lot. Through our conversations, I gained confidence and started thinking positively," explaining his reason for joining the cast.

Park Yong-woo plays National Intelligence Service agent Director Park, who relentlessly pursues Kang Ian (played by Yoon Kye-sang), revealing a strong and intense presence. Having exchanged challenging action scenes with Yoon Kye-sang, who played seven roles, he said, "In a previous interview, Yoon Kye-sang said it wasn't an acting created alone, and that was truly the case. Within the seven roles, Yoon Kye-sang was very important. Thanks to detailed analysis and planning of movements during the readings, the performance shone."

Regarding Director Park's action scenes, he said, "Many flashy actions were cut, which is a bit regrettable, but I think it was a choice that could better reveal Director Park's emotions and feelings."

He added, "I focused on emotions. Director Park sometimes smiles while doing action and asks questions through lines. I tried to perform actions that help express emotions, not actions for the sake of action. I wanted to express action with a rise and fall of various emotions," emphasizing his focus.

How did he complete the 'mirror acting' where Director Park, whose soul is awakened by Kang Ian, mirrors him? Park Yong-woo said, "I thought it didn't need to be 100% identical." He recalled, "There is a scene where Kang Ian and Director Park look into a mirror, which is an important and impactful scene that hints at the good and evil dichotomy. I followed Ian's actions but gave different emotions through the eyes and facial expressions."

Earlier, Yoon Kye-sang revealed, "Watching Park Yong-woo act on set gave me goosebumps." Regarding this, Park Yong-woo said, "On the contrary, I learned a lot by watching Yoon Kye-sang."

"There is a saying that you shouldn't worry about celebrities, but that's not entirely true. (laughs) Living as an actor is not easy. Sometimes I regret and feel unfair about doing this work. But sometimes I am moved and happy. I was moved watching Yoon Kye-sang. I found the image of an actor I had imagined. I thought, 'I'm glad I didn't give up and kept acting.' I'm thankful that he awakened such feelings in me."

Park Yong-woo supports the story with an impactful villain role that pierces the core with a fragile yet evil nature. He said, "I wanted to hear that I fit well with Director Park." He added firmly, "I wanted to receive praise that I fit well rather than being called a bad person who acted badly."

"The emotion forming the backbone of Director Park is a sense of victimization. He tries hard to hide it, but at some point, the emotions burst out like a flood. Details such as lines and actions were created a lot on set."

Park Yong-woo said he paid homage to Choi Min-sik's line from the film 'I Saw the Devil' (2010), "Why only me?" He viewed it as, "Everyone feels like a victim and thinks they alone suffer unfairly, but if you look closely, everyone struggles with their own stories."

"If pain and conflict eventually feel like misunderstandings, those emotions will be resolved, leading to growth and happiness. If one reflects and truly realizes this, it is a gift in itself. I am grateful that humans are beings who reflect, question, and grow."

Having discovered the charm of a villain through Director Park, Park Yong-woo said, "Villains inevitably express darker emotions rather than brightness. If brightness is love and darkness is fear, then everyone lives with ambivalent emotions," emphasizing, "Everyone loves and grows as a human being. Fear coexists within love. The emotion that comes with love is fear."

"In the film 'The Dark Knight' (2008), the Joker says to Batman in the final scene, 'You and I are one. We cannot be separated,' and I strongly agreed. In that sense, villains are characters specialized in expressing human frailty and fear. They are very attractive because they touch on fundamental human emotions."

Park Yong-woo debuted as an MBC 24th class public talent in 1995 and has appeared in films such as 'Ditto' (2000), 'Too Beautiful to Lie' (2006), 'Are You in Love Now?' (2007), 'Papa' (2012), 'Hwayi: A Monster Boy' (2013), 'Pure Love' (2016), and 'Carcenta' (2019). After three years, he returned with 'Body Swap.'

"There was a time I wondered, 'Why do I look so soft and kind?' I am grateful for the love for 'Too Beautiful to Lie,' but after that, I received many similar roles. I had to take on various roles, but it felt like I was given only one image, which was difficult. But at some point, I realized I was sinking into the thought that 'I am good and kind.' I think everyone has both good and evil. The difference lies in how an actor's values express them."

Recently, Park Yong-woo was cast in director Park Chan-wook's new film 'Decision to Leave' and has completed filming. He is currently shooting the new original drama 'Tracer' for the OTT platform wavve.

Park Yong-woo said, "I want to enjoy acting. I feel excited when I act and happy when I am on set. Over 26 years of acting, there were times I confined myself and was misunderstood. There were times I wanted to give up. Now, I really want to act. I grew as an actor through pain and suffering, and now I think I am enjoying it. As long as I am happy and excited when acting, I plan to act for my entire life."

Photo = ABO Entertainment