[Interview] Seo In-guk "10 Years as an Actor... The More I Do, the More Ambitious I Become"

Movie 'Wolf Hunt' Jongdu Role Seo In-guk

Seo In-guk/Photo by TCO(The Contents On Co., Ltd.)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "He is a man whose charm is overwhelming when you meet him privately." This is what director Kim Hong-seon said about actor Seo In-guk (35). I was curious. What kind of irresistible charm does he emphasize so much? The Seo In-guk I met was a charming young man who cried watching the animation 'Larva' and was so deeply immersed that he couldn't watch entertainment variety shows.

Seo In-guk, whom I recently met at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, said, "The unconventional story and characters were attractive," and added, "I enjoyed playing the ruthless villain Jong-du."

Released on the 21st, Wolf Hunt depicts a hard-boiled survival action story where criminals must be transported from the Pacific Ocean to Korea, facing extreme situations never seen before. It was directed by Kim Hong-seon, who also directed The Conspirators (2012), Fabricated City (2014), and Metamorphosis (2019).

Seo In-guk portrays the crazed criminal Jong-du, showing a fierce face. He confronts the police escorting the criminals and tries to hijack the ship to escape. He recalled, "His attitude of not seeing humans as humans was beast-like." He further compared the character to "a bear that torments its prey while hunting." He created a strong image with full-body tattoo makeup. "We discussed various designs and shaped the appearance. The uniform patterned tattoo on the neck looked like snake skin, which I liked. The makeup application took about three hours," he said.

He said, "I challenged a villain role for the first time in 10 years. I had received many offers to play villains before, but Jong-du was attractive. He didn't boil with desire; rather, he approached as innate evil itself. No further explanation was needed; he was 'evil' itself," he emphasized. "The director liked my complex of having three white eyes (sambaekan). I gained confidence and tried to express Jong-du's evilness more through my gaze. Fortunately, the response has been good, so I feel proud."

To portray the intense Jong-du, Seo In-guk also exposed his back. He said, "If it were an unnecessary device, I wouldn't have done it, but I thought it was necessary for the story. I have no prejudice. Exposure can be burdensome at times, but professionally, I am quite open to it."

Seo In-guk, who usually enjoys thrilling action movies, enjoyed the action scenes in Wolf Hunt. "I focused on concise and instinctive action," he said. He explained, "It's not gestures to hit or subdue someone, but actions instinctively aimed at destruction. The brutality is revealed." The genre he likes next to action is melodrama. "When I watch melodramas, I cry because my heart hurts. It's sad. Since conflict always exists, no matter the ending, it hurts. I watch them when I sometimes want to cry. I like movies that express absolute love."

Seo In-guk debuted as the winner of Mnet's Superstar K in 2019, and it has been 10 years since he started acting with the 2012 drama Reply 1997. He said, "The more I act, the more greedy I become. I develop my own secrets and a sense of professionalism." He added, "The roles I want to challenge keep increasing. My desire to do better grows."

"Sometimes I drink alone and reflect. If there is something good, there must be something bad. There are parts I inevitably give up to sing and act, but thinking conversely, I conclude that I am happy now. I dislike complicated things. I say, 'It's better to lose out, whatever.' I plan to hold a concert and am preparing an album. I don't usually set deadlines for work, but some songs I like are coming out little by little, so maybe I can show them soon. I expect it around early next year."