"Beetlejuice" Star Kim Junsu Shatters 16 Years of Prejudice with Comedy

First Comedy Challenge Since Musical Debut with "Beetlejuice"
"A Different Kind of Work... I Feel Great When the Audience Laughs"

When a singer moves into acting, worries and prejudices about their acting skills usually follow. Kim Junsu dispelled such concerns right away by winning a rookie award as soon as he debuted as a musical actor in 2010. Since then, he has gone on to receive multiple Best Actor awards and has risen to the top tier of the field. However, a new kind of prejudice also emerged. The roles that cemented his presence as a musical actor - Death in his debut musical Elisabeth, Dracula in Dracula, and L in Death Note - were all dark characters that invariably evoked death. Kim said, "I thought I was choosing roles that didn't really suit me and taking on a challenge, but when the show ended, I would hear comments like 'He cleverly picks roles he knows he can do well' or 'His acting spectrum is not that wide,' and that upset me."

To break this prejudice, Kim chose to take on a new challenge. For the first time in the 16 years since his debut as a musical actor, he is starring in a comedy musical, Beetlejuice.

Kim Junsu [CJ Entertainment & Merchandising]

Meeting Kim Junsu at a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul on the 23rd, he said, "Beetlejuice is very different in tone from the roles I have played so far."

As Beetlejuice, Kim shows a kind of sly playfulness that would have been unimaginable in his previous works. He plays mischievous pranks and fires off sharp-tongued curses. He jokes not only with his fellow actors on stage but also with the audience. Laughter erupts from the seats, as if the audience is delighted by this change in Kim Junsu. The fresh audience reaction is enjoyable for Kim as well. "I really love hearing the audience laugh," he said. "As an actor, it makes me feel proud, and it puts me in a great mood."

Taking on a role with a different tone has also changed what he worries about. "In my previous works, my concern was that I had to sing the numbers (musical songs) with a beautiful sound that could move people, but in Beetlejuice, the numbers themselves are not what I worry about. What I worry about is how to portray the character of Beetlejuice in a way that the audience finds more entertaining and convincing."

Kim drew particular attention in the past for his role as Death in the musical Elisabeth. He was praised for creating a new, young and sexy version of Death by taking on a role that had been played overseas by men in their 40s and 50s, even though he was only in his mid-20s at the time.

Kim has also altered the personality of Beetlejuice. "I thought that if I portrayed him as someone who does get angry like a 'problem child,' but also has a slightly cute side and an almost pitiful side, it would bring out more flavor in the character. Fortunately, the director accepted my suggestion. If they had insisted that I must not stray from the Beetlejuice in the Broadway production or the original film, I probably could not have even started. I'm proud because I think I've created a character you can't really hate."

Performance scene from the musical 'Beetlejuice' [CJ ENM]

Kim said that while doing Beetlejuice, he has also sensed a change in the audience.

"In Korea, shows with a clear beginning, development, turn, and conclusion, combined with somewhat dark and lyrical music, tend to be loved, whereas on Broadway, show musicals are mainstream. I think show musicals have not really worked well in Korea so far. Kinky Boots was the beginning (of show musicals here), but it was not hugely loved in its first run. Now, I think audiences are ready to embrace works like Kinky Boots or Aladdin. I think Beetlejuice, too, can now become a comedy musical that people really love."

That said, Kim stressed that Beetlejuice is not a show that simply makes you laugh and then ends. "It is a show that contains the strong, close-knit love of family, and although it talks about death casually and repeatedly, it also carries the message that we should cherish life while we are alive. It has laughter, and it carries many good meanings as well. I think it is truly a great production."