26th Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival Press Conference
Actor Special Screening 'Oasis'·'Gonggong-ui Jeok' and 7 Other Films
"My Life Work is 'Pakhwasatang'"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "I asked Director Lee Chang-dong why he cast me in 'Peppermint Candy' (2000), and he said it was because I was ordinary and easy to portray. Maybe because my face didn't have a defined character. The director said, 'Seol Kyung Gu is Seol Kyung Gu.'"(Seol Kyung Gu)
Director Lee Chang-dong's answer became a phrase that vividly symbolizes him 22 years later. Actor Seol Kyung Gu (55)'s 29-year acting career is being spotlighted in the 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) Actor Special Exhibition 'Seol Kyung Gu is Seol Kyung Gu.' At a press conference held on the afternoon of the 8th at the Grand Ballroom of the Goryeo Hotel on Gilju-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, he said, "Looking back on the ups and downs of the past, I became more thoughtful. Time passed as I solved one unsolvable task after another. It feels like reflecting on my acting life so far."
Since 2017, BIFAN has selected representative Korean actors to hold special exhibitions. Following Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Woo-sung, and Kim Hye-soo, Seol Kyung Gu is the protagonist of the special exhibition resuming after three years. 'Seol Kyung Gu is Seol Kyung Gu' (THE ACTOR, SEOL KYUNG GU) symbolizes the actor Seol Kyung Gu, who needs no modifiers.
He showed humility, saying, "Even while working as an actor, I never thought of myself as special. By nature, I feel awkward being the main figure in a special place."
Seol Kyung Gu began acting on the theater stage in 1993, passed through the Hakjeon Theater Company's musical 'Subway Line 1,' and made his film debut with 'The Flower Petal' (1996). Afterwards, he appeared in minor roles in films such as 'Love Story' (1996), 'Virgin's Dinner' (1998), and 'Phantom' (1999), gradually gaining recognition.
"It's an honorable but burdensome position, so I thought about a reasonable reason. I started acting in society since my sophomore year in college in 1993. It's been 30 years. That number means I endured well. There are seniors who have acted for over 40 or 50 years, but I thought it was okay to consider this special. From then on, I felt grateful. Today's press conference is an honor, and I thank you for preparing such a good event."
The work that made Seol Kyung Gu who he is today is Director Lee Chang-dong's 'Peppermint Candy' (2000). The film brought him 10 awards, including the Best New Actor Award at the 36th Baeksang Arts Awards, Best New Actor at the 37th Grand Bell Awards, and Best Actor at the 21st Blue Dragon Film Awards.
Afterwards, he won Best Actor awards at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, Korea Film Awards, Grand Bell Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards, Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, and Korean Film Producers Association Awards for films such as 'Public Enemy' (2002), 'Oasis' (2002), 'No Mercy for the Rude' (2010), and 'My Dictator' (2014). He solidified his status as a box office star with 'Silmido' (2003) and 'Haeundae' (2009), which attracted over 10 million viewers, and won his third Grand Bell Best Actor Award for 'The Merciless' (2017). Last year, he won Best Actor at five award ceremonies for 'The Book of Fish' (2021) and the Best Acting Award at this year's Baeksang Arts Awards for 'Kingmaker' (2022).
When asked about his life-defining work, Seol Kyung Gu unhesitatingly chose 'Peppermint Candy,' saying, "It was like that before and will be so in the future. A single work contains countless emotions, but I don't think any other work gathered my peripheral nerves as much as 'Peppermint Candy.' Moreover, I had no experience with cameras at that time, so it remains memorable."
He also mentioned 'Public Enemy' (2002) as indispensable. Seol Kyung Gu laughed, "There was a time when my name was 'Peppermint Candy.' Then, when 'Public Enemy' became a hit, that name disappeared. One dawn, I found a waiter’s business card on the street with the name Kang Cheol-jung on it. It was the film that commercially made me known."
In this special exhibition, seven films personally selected by the actor will be screened, including 'Peppermint Candy,' 'Oasis,' 'Public Enemy,' 'Silmido,' 'The Spy Gone North,' 'The Merciless,' and 'The Book of Fish.' Seol Kyung Gu said, "'Silmido' has symbolic meaning as the first 10 million viewer film, and 'The Book of Fish' was healing during the filming process. I liked it so much that I didn't want to leave the island." He added, "Looking through the booklet and recalling each work made me nostalgic. I usually don't watch my own works because it's embarrassing, but through this special exhibition, I felt that 30 years have passed."
When asked what kind of modifier he hopes to be attached to his work world after 30 years, Seol Kyung Gu said, "I'm suddenly getting emotional," and struggled to continue.
"The marketing director of my agency texted me after watching the special exhibition video at the opening ceremony, saying 'My heart was touched,' and I got angry. I said, 'Is this a retrospective? It's a special exhibition!' In 30 years, it will really be a retrospective. That came to mind right away when I heard the question, and I want it to be 'Still, Life is Beautiful.'"
Seol Kyung Gu said, "I want to be an actor who ages well." "My age has already passed the middle-aged stage. I feel that from now on, it is important. I keep thinking that I want to age well as an actor. Not just managing my body and face well, but becoming an actor who makes people feel that he is aging well in many ways."
Executive Committee Chairperson Jung Ji-young said, "I believe Seol Kyung Gu will definitely have a retrospective in 30 years. From a director's perspective, Seol Kyung Gu has a face that can be used anywhere. Most actors differ depending on their external conditions, but he seems capable of performing any role well. Even as he ages, he is an actor who will be continuously sought after, and if he doesn't give up, he will keep acting."
"When someone says they are learning acting, I ask, 'Is acting something you learn? Or something you teach? From whom do you learn?' There is no shortcut or secret to acting. It's what you feel. You have to immerse yourself constantly and feel it. I don't think there will ever be a secret to acting."(Seol Kyung Gu)
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