[On the Record] Ahn Jae-hong "At This Moment, We Must Feel Without Regret"

Interview with Kang Young-hyun as Rebound in Movie
Gained 10kg to Portray Real Person
No Exaggeration, Empathy... Reveals Comedy Philosophy

Actor Ahn Jae-hong (36) has a remarkable ability. Like a magic eye, he has the power to make the roles he plays and himself overlap. It’s a talent that makes the character names in his works stick in memory like a perfectly fitting pair of shoes. Following memorable roles such as Man-seop in the film Jokgu King (2014), Jang-ho in Time to Hunt (2020), Jeong-bong in the drama Reply 1988 (2015?2016), and Beom-su in Be Melodramatic (2019), he has added another defining role to his career.

Ahn Jae-hong plays Kang Yang-hyun, a 25-year-old young coach of the Busan basketball team (currently a member of the 3x3 men’s national basketball team), in the upcoming film Rebound, which opens on the 5th. Recently, we met him at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, where he shared updates about Coach Kang Yang-hyun and sat down for an interview. Pride was clearly visible on Ahn’s face as he spoke like a child boasting.

"I heard the coach had his first game in Singapore yesterday and won by a large margin. Today, they have a match against the strong 3x3 team from New Zealand, and he said he really wants to win. I’m cheering for them. It’s amazing that Heo Hoon (Sangmu), who appears as a Yongsan High School player in Rebound, is currently called up to the national basketball team led by the coach."

Ahn Jae-hong [Photo by Barunson E&A]

Back to the Heated Basketball Court of 2012

Rebound originated from a plan by Jang Won-seok, CEO of the production company BA Entertainment, after watching the Busan basketball team’s national tournament game in 2012. The production was almost canceled right before investment, but about five years ago, it met Nexon and finally came to life. It was a project that saw the light of day after 11 years.

Things accelerated when Ahn Jae-hong joined. He recalled that after seeing director Jang Hang-jun mention Rebound on a variety show in 2021, he had a hunch that he would be contacted. As expected, he received a casting call and replied within three days that he would "definitely do it." Thus, he became Kang Yang-hyun, seemingly by chance but truly by fate.

"I felt happy and amazed when I received the script. I was excited by the passionate story and read it in one go. That evening, I immediately contacted them saying I wanted to do it and wanted to do it well. I had a strong desire to put my sincerity into it and felt the tremendous power of the story. I set a goal to bring the audience back to the heated basketball courts of 2012 and to preserve the cheerfulness."

Ahn Jae-hong [Photo by Barunson E&A]

Ahn Jae-hong is serious about comedy. He has a unique acting rhythm that no one else can imitate. The genuine sincerity read in the brief silence of 0.1 seconds creates empathy and naturally brings laughter. The character Kang Yang-hyun is set to surpass the presence of Jeong-bong and Beom-su, who brought great laughter to viewers.

He said, "There are many techniques in comedy acting, but this time, I thought exaggerated rhythms or attempts to be funny should not be noticeable. I wanted to convey empathy through the comedy that the situation itself provides, so the audience wouldn’t feel distant from the story."

Ahn Jae-hong previously challenged sports films nine years ago with Jokgu King. Based on that experience, he felt a responsibility to lead the rookie actors playing players well. He said, "It was the first time I worked as a senior or older brother figure to someone." He added, "I hoped that by having fun and chatting with great juniors, we would naturally become a team. I thought the relationship between player and coach would form naturally." In reality, they did become a coach-player relationship.

"I wanted to be a 'pacemaker' for the juniors. While filming basketball game scenes for two months, I gave advice related to stamina. In the round of 16, I told them to conserve some energy and then watch more during the important games later. If you get injured at a crucial moment, you can’t show proper acting. I know how upsetting that is for an actor."

"If the World Were to End? I’d Eat Naengmyeon with Cold Jeyuk"

'Rebound' steal [Photo by Barunson E&A]

Ahn Jae-hong also studied Coach Kang Yang-hyun’s appearance. He recalled, "There was a scene in the script where the role dissolves into a real photo. To make it feel realistic and vivid, I decided I really had to become this character." Advice from Coach Kang was crucial. Ahn researched everything from the smallest details by asking many questions.

"The story was already dramatic, so I wanted to express it with a sense of unity. Looking at the photos, Coach Kang had grown his hair long at the back. When I asked why, he said he wanted to look like 'Heracles' (laughs). At that time, Coach Kang was 25 years old. When you’re 18, 25 seems like a complete adult, but actually, Coach Kang was still very young. As a young coach, he had to perform his role and also assert dominance over opposing coaches. How nervous he must have been. I heard he deliberately wore dress pants to avoid looking too young and made his voice and gestures bigger."

Ahn described Coach Kang Yang-hyun as "a cool person, a passionate person." He said, "It’s not a story about a reclusive master coach awakening the kids, but about a first-time coach who faces challenges, gets knocked down, and breaks through again. That’s what makes it attractive."

"It’s a story that resonates with many Kang Yang-hyuns of this era. It’s a film that tells the younger generation, who want to do well but struggle and fail to fully appreciate the present moment, to experience this moment without regrets."

Ahn Jae-hong [Photo by Barunson E&A]

Before the Rebound shoot, Ahn Jae-hong had just finished filming Be Melodramatic and was slim. To portray Coach Kang Yang-hyun’s physique, he needed to gain about 10kg. He recalled, "It took exactly one week to gain weight," and said, "I was happy." He laughed, saying, "I didn’t expect my weight gain to become such a hot topic."

Many actors are gourmets. Ahn Jae-hong is one of Chungmuro’s food lovers who knows how to truly enjoy food. When asked what single dish he would want to eat if the world were to end tomorrow, he suddenly turned into a fluent speaker and answered without hesitation.

"Do I have to choose only one? (laughs) Hmm, Pyongyang naengmyeon with cold jeyuk. Cold jeyuk is pork served cold at naengmyeon restaurants. It’s delicious dipped in salted fermented shrimp sauce. Once you get hooked on cold jeyuk, you can’t really eat warm jeyuk. I make it myself at home. I watch videos on YouTube and try making it. You boil the pork belly to support the stomach, then press it like this so only the fat comes out but the meat stays intact. Wrap it in plastic wrap and eat it the next day when the texture firms up. It’s really delicious."

Clapping Hands and Laughing Together... Cinema is Forever

Ahn Jae-hong shared that his short film Holding a Fluttering Heart, which he directed last year, will be broadcast on KBS’s Independent Film Theater. That project remains a precious memory and a source of nourishment for his future. He said, "In college, I shot small-scale short films every semester as workshop assignments. That time remains precious. Even while working on commercial projects, I had a strong desire to do that kind of work again."

He continued, "We filmed for ten days on Ulleungdo Island, and it was really refreshing. It felt like going back to when I first started making films. Those times accumulated and led me to Rebound now. We screened the edited film at last year’s Busan Film Festival, and it was great. It would be wonderful to have another chance to work on something like that."

Ahn Jae-hong [Photo by Barunson E&A]

Ahn Jae-hong is an actor who loves cinema. Since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the market, the status of movie theaters is not what it used to be. Rebound, opening in April, is receiving much attention and high expectations from the industry. When asked about the meaning of theatrical films, Ahn said:

"Yesterday, we had a general audience screening at COEX, and all 2,000 seats were filled?it was a huge event. When the players scored, the audience clapped together and laughed at funny scenes. Isn’t that the happiness that movies bring? There are words to describe movies: Film, Movie, Cinema. Among them, the pleasure and happiness that cinema gives can only be felt in theaters. I hope everyone enjoys watching movies together in theaters and that Korean films regain love. I want Rebound to be loved too. If that happens, I can go to the basketball court and shoot three-pointers, even buzzer-beaters. I can jump on trampolines and dunk?there’s nothing I can’t do."