[Interview] "Yurimping" Yoon Kyungho: "I Gave My All in Ad-Libs, I Just Wanted to Be Funny"

"Zombie Daughter" Opens on the 30th: Neighborhood Pharmacist Dongbae
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Actor Yoon Kyungho is conducting an interview for 'Zombie Daughter' on the 28th in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. NEW

Actors often say that their first appearance in a scene is the most difficult. This is because everything depends on whether they can open the hearts of the audience. While gaining favor and making the audience feel like they are on your side is important, many agree that it is not an easy process. However, Yoon Kyungho is different. When he appears, laughter comes first. It's not because he is particularly funny. It's because people are glad to see him and look forward to his performance.

In the film "Zombie Daughter," which depicts a father's struggle to save his daughter infected by a zombie virus, actor Yoon Kyungho plays Dongbae, the neighborhood pharmacist. Meeting him on July 28 in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, he said, "I wanted to be part of creating a fairy-tale-like story with Jo Jungseok and Lee Jungeun," and added, "I expected I could play a role greater than just a supporting character."

He described his role as "like lubricant, flexibly fitting into and out of the flow." The filming set was as lively as a high school reunion, but he said he never let his guard down when acting. Recalling the first scene, he said, "It felt like the nervousness of joining a group jump rope, worried I might mess up the rhythm."

Although he had previously appeared in works alongside Jo Jungseok and Lee Jungeun, this was the first time they actually faced each other and acted together. He said, "When I actually stood face to face with them, I spoke faster and my movements became smaller," adding, "I was very nervous, but both actors responded well, which helped me quickly blend into the set."

"Director Pil Gamseong gave the direction 'Let's not do that' the most during the early days of filming. (laughs) I made the most mistakes because of that. Honestly, I had prepared unnecessary ad-libs out of a desire to be really funny. I felt very sorry to the director. But when I saw the press screening, I noticed that some of those scenes survived the editing process. The director told me, 'I should have just left those in,' and I was grateful for that."

About Choi Yuri, who played Jeonghwan's daughter Sua in the film, he said, "She was already extraordinary when I first met her as my daughter in the drama 'Itaewon Class' (2020)," and added, "The child who used to write novels about a cat protagonist had become the most mature actor on set." He was especially impressed by how she endured cold and rainy shoots and still greeted the staff by saying, "It was fun."

A scene from the movie 'Zombie Daughter' where Dongbae (Yoon Kyungho) helps Jeonghwan (Jo Jungseok) train his daughter. NEW

Yoon Kyungho made his debut in 2002 with the drama "Rustic Period" and began his film career in earnest with "Scout" (2007). Since then, he has expanded his filmography with appearances in "The Face Reader" (2013), "Kundo: Age of the Rampant" (2014), "Run-Off" (2016), "Okja" (2017), "Intimate Strangers" (2018), "Juror 8" (2019), "Honest Candidate" (2020), "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021), "Alienoid" (2022), and "Smugglers" (2023). Recently, through the drama "Severe Trauma Center," he has gained widespread popularity and affectionate nicknames such as "Hangbli" and "Yurimping."

"It's not because I'm especially good at acting, but because I've been lucky. After 'Guardian: The Lonely and Great God' (2016), I started to be seen as a touching character, and I think audiences began to look beyond my appearance and see my deeper side. However, I believe this popularity will disappear someday, so I need to brace myself for that. I always feel that I must remain solid and steadfast as an actor."

He checks comments frequently. He said he often loses track of time reading comments on the YouTube channel "Pinggyego," where he recently appeared. Yoon Kyungho laughed, saying, "There are so many witty comments that I never get bored." At the same time, he said he does not want to become intoxicated by popularity. He said, "Sometimes I get excited and talk a lot, but I don't want to become soft because of love," adding, "It's because I'm easily scared."

"Whether it's a minor role or a lead, I want to go wherever I fit. Even if the environment is not comfortable or abundant, as long as I can keep acting, that's the most ideal image of an actor. Even if I'm not especially in the spotlight, I want to remain a long-lasting actor who keeps the balance in a work."