Edited by qis13 at 30-8-2016 05:05 PM
Kim Rae Won, SBS Interview Part 1 [Translation] Q: Your previous drama ‘Punch’ was quite different, it’s been a really long time since you’ve come back with a romantic comedy. KRW: I wasn’t trying to stay away from the romantic comedy genre. I did receive offers for romantic-comedy movies and dramas, but I didn’t really feel the charm in those roles (that I was offered). Since I only do genres that greatly interests me, my filmography just seems to accumulate that way. Q: Was there a reason you chose ‘Doctors’? KRW: The medical genre is a job I hadn’t tried yet, so I thought it would be interesting. Shin Hye was cast earlier and I heard that Shin Hye said, “It would be interesting to work with Rae Won-sunbae.” At the time, I was filming my movie, so when I joined ‘Doctors’, they had already filmed for 1 month and a half. Once I finished filming my movie, 2 weeks before the 1st broadcast I had to film right away, and that caused a lot of worries. Q: But the outcome of that turned out well. KRW: The filming went as successfully as I imagined it would. It’s been a long time since I’ve done the romantic comedy genre, but I wasn’t worried at all. If the production is good, then I’ll join it, but I think I currently don’t have any plans to join any other productions. Since I have 2 movie premieres coming up. (laughs) Q: Truthfully, for Kim Rae Won the actor, isn’t it a mix of even if you try to be separate from the romantic comedy genre, you can’t truly be separated from that genre? KRW: It’s exactly like that. A lot of people have come to know me through my works related to the romantic comedy genre, and I think I personally have the most confidence in that. It’s not arrogance, but I thought it was a genre that only I could do. It’s something that I personally realized. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that I just want to make use of only that. As I grew into an adult, I had to do more important things. However, looking at the good response to ‘Doctors’ recently, I’m happy. If I did the same things as before, then I wouldn’t have said such things before, but I had the desire to do romantic comedies again. I’m really happy. Q: Your ‘Doctors’ character Hong Ji Hong had the characteristic of saying things shamelessly. The secret to creating that character? KRW: I wasn’t thinking of anything. (laughs) The lines itself had many difficult parts, but there were really a lot of lines that gives goosebumps. There were lines that really gave me goosebumps, so I was worried and thought if I said it this way, how would it be, and tried using such expressions. Later on, the director requested that I use such expressions, so at the time I was okay with it. The viewers like it, so I didn’t want to use those expressions all the time. Q: As an actor, having physical strength seems to be a big issue. Did you not have any regrettable moments while filming? KRW: Following the middle part, there was an experience that I didn’t make good use of. No matter what production I’m a part of, it’s unavoidable that there isn’t enough time, but I was really regretful of that. Even though I always look at the script a lot, I look at it not only from my standpoint, but from the director’s standpoint as well. Secondly, I had to be worried about whether I understood the intention, or what was it that we were conveying to the viewers, but there wasn’t enough time to do that efficiently. Therefore, in the later half, there were parts where my acting wasn’t as much as I wanted. I’m disappointed that (the viewers) can’t see the real story. Q: What parts were you anxious about? KRW: Looking at it carefully, from a certain episode, I began to be a little slow/heavy. I look at the drama as a really long movie. If the episodes in a drama changed, and the atmosphere jumped a bit, more than comparing it to a movie, the viewers see it in a carefree manner, so they can’t be aware of it, but I didn’t think of such things. Things like that were not really necessary, but in the parts where there’s conversations with Hye Jung, her circumstances were heavy, I carried it out in a very heavy atmosphere. In actuality, that wasn’t really needed, but the good scenes were where I’m gazing at and laughing with Hye Jung was. Looking back at the script, I understood everything that had to be explained. Therefore, if I did previous parts in a more cheerful way, it should have been more interesting, but there were parts I was unsatisfied with. Q: Then, what parts did you think went well? KRW: When (Ji Hong’s) father died, when Ji Hong was sobbing and the difficult time passed by for him. The next one was when arranging everything for my (Ji Hong’s) father, after spending 3 weeks in America and returning to Korea, that time passed like a sandglass. That used up a lot of sadness. I think that sequence was made use of really well. In the later part of the drama, when we see Ji Hong in his 20’s as an intern, we only saw for a little bit, but I was pleased with that. Q: What the viewers seem to have been the most crazy about is Ji Hong’s lines. “Are you married? Do you have a boyfriend? That’s good, then.” Did you expect those lines to be such a big hit? KRW: Actually, there’s a secret about those lines. I changed the order sequence of those lines, and changed the way I processed those lines. So, it became an issue, but the writer’s original intention wasn’t like that. You know, generally, in dramas, even though a character like Ji Hong is one that understands and protects, looking at that scene, he is an extreme ‘manly-type of man’. Actually, in the script, Ji Hong was supposed to say his lines in a very nervous and anxious way, but I wanted to do those lines in a manly type of way. I think I successfully changed it. (laughs) Do I seem too prideful? I shouldn’t say such things, but... (everyone laughs) Q: As you’re acting, your character becomes your own creation. Do you have any other anecdotes? KRW: During the fishing parts, the writer wondered whether Ji Hong should be good at fishing or not. However, I said showing how Ji Hong didn’t like fishing would be interesting. Q: You have presence, so there seems to be possibility. Do you think there’s a difference between acting in romantic comedies in the past versus doing so now? KRW: At the time, for the sake of making it interesting, for the sake of being seen, I put in a lot of effort. Therefore, not being aware of what my individual skills were, I did it without knowing the situation. It’s already been 13 years. I thought that if it’s ‘Doctors’, then it would be a risk. When Ji Hong’s father passed away, even though he should have protected Hye Jung, if I laughed too much, the character would have the problem of seeming double-layered. Therefore, I talked it over with the director. I wanted to have the freedom with the Hong Ji Hong character, but if I was too excessive, I wanted the director to tell me. In the end, we were able to finish it well. Ah, I put a lot of effort in appearing younger. I changed my hairstyle, I managed my complexion without fail. (laughs)
Kim Rae Won, SBS Interview Part 2 [Translation] Q: On that subject, the age difference between you and your acting partner Park Shin Hye is quite large. KRW: I’m not sure. I didn’t pay much attention to that. Hm... are we 8 years apart?
Q: Aren’t you 9 years apart? KRW: Ah, I tried to decrease it by 1 year. (laughs) But I really wasn’t aware of the age difference at all. The other actors also became close to me in the same way. I was like an older brother to them, so isn’t that the right way to be? So, the writer’s lines also held a lot of power. Our chemistry grew over time through our exchanges, and the synergy between all the actors/actresses turned out really well. The director was also able to create a really successful atmosphere.
Q: The age difference is quite large not only in reality, but in the drama as well. Furthermore, there was a teacher-student connection. While acting, did you think you became aware of that? KRW: I thought it would be better to not be aware of the teacher-student connection. Since everything was concealed within the script. However, after becoming a couple, I was careful with the scenes that involved skinship. During the kissing scenes, if I did it assertively, wouldn’t be a bit strange? Since it started off as a teacher-student connection. My shy/embarrassed appearance was actually not in the script either, but I thought of doing so in a way that was natural and not troubling. Q: While acting as a couple, you effortlessly did a dance scene. As there was a good response to the dance in the rain, there were also reactions that it was cheesy (goosebumps-inducing). KRW: Even if there wasn’t (a good response), at the wrap-up party the director said, “I’ll never do a dance scene again.” Even as I think of that scene, it was a mistake. (laughs) From the start, acting out that scene was difficult. It became a burden, and it was strange... so, I asked the director to cover it during editing, but the director said he was worried. But during the editing, it was hard to make use of it properly. I think that the scene didn’t turn out well since prior to that, we acted it out with just emotion without practicing the dancing. I think the song that played during the kiss was off as well. There wasn’t much time to film the scene... Well, the director himself said it was a mistake. (laughs)
Q: When kissing in front of the phone booth, did you talk about the body posture during the scene? KRW: Was it that strange? As I look at it, I felt that the scene was strange and that my body posture was strange. (laughs) Since I left the situation like that. Meeting as a teacher and student after a dozen years, if we did a deep kiss naturally, I think it would’ve been really risky. Q: Thinking back on it, you and Park Shin Hye had a lot of skinship scenes. Did you put a lot of effort to immerse yourself in that? KRW: We really put in a lot of effort unconsciously. More than just asking, “How should we do this (scene)?”, when taking responsibility in acting out couple scenes, there were many times where it was as if I was hypnotized. While I was thinking, “This woman is so beautiful, I must protect her”, I actually blushed.
Q: In ‘Doctors’, there really were many special appearances (cameos). Was there anyone in particular that stuck in your memory? KRW: Everyone did really well, there’s a lot that stuck in my mind. There was even a role that I really want to try. The role that Jo Dal Hwan acted out, the role of the psychopath-obsessed man is something I really want to try. As an actor, I have the desire to try that. I even told the writer at the beginning, “Later on, I really want to try such a role. If you’ll write a script like that later, I’ll do it.” (laughs) Jo Dal Hwan acted out that role really well, he really helped out that drama. I also thanked Jo Dal Hwan in-person. Q: Thinking back to your character Park Jung Hwan in your previous drama “Punch”, and looking at your character Hong Ji Hong, (Ji Hong) is a bright character. “Doctors” is a drama that deals with meeting others by chance, and how we change as we deal with others. Do you think that you felt that something change (during this drama)? KRW: I’ve been an actor for a long time. When I work, I think I simply take charge of my role’s strong point. I think Park Shin Hye, who’s also been acting for a long time, is the same. When I’m acting out a dark/gloomy character, I really become gloomy, so when I’m a bright character, I’m the same way. I’ve had a lot of hardships, but now I think I have a better understanding, so it’s become easier. When talking about karma/retribution during the narration, I thought that we shouldn’t just say the lines, but we should put a bit more effort (into the narration). I felt that we should give the viewers that important message. I also talked with the director as to whether or not we were able to influence the younger viewers in their teens.
Q: When doing interviews, there’s a certain feeling. As an actor, you have to have enthusiasm for the job, right? I think if my passion as an actor died out, it would be the end. Truthfully, I had a slump in my later 20’s. I had thoughts such as “What am I doing right now?”, but there was a director that told me, “If an actor is skilled, it would be great and wonderful; if they were not skilled as an actor, it would be a shallow occupation.” At the time, I was was worried about the meaning behind the support from my fans. People around me may have saw that as prideful, but it was a time where I worried a lot, and it seems like it was a necessary process for me to be where I am now. Acting is becoming more interesting for me. I think there are a lot of things I want to do and become better at.
Q: Your greed is that from now on, which ever method you use, you’re anxious about how it will unfold. KRW: Just like Tom Hanks in the movie ’Cast Away’ and the movie ‘Tunnel’, I want to try (a role) where I’m in a symbolic room where there’s only me and to have such dialogue/conversations. Conversations that are realistic, and when people see it, they’ll cry and laugh. Actually, other than considering focusing on movies, I plan on doing more dramas, since it’s interesting. At the wrap-up party, I talked of that as well. I asked how it would be to try to do 4-part or 8-part like dramas. I sometimes intend on doing strong roles similar to my role in the movie ‘Gangnam 1970’. Since I want to unravel characters that are genuine and human-like. However, I think I want to try doing psychopath-like characters sometimes.
Q: We’ve heard of your hope to do psychopath-like characters. If that’s the case, what remains with you as an actor after acting in ‘Doctors’? KRW: That the presentation (of the drama) is important. I really learned a lot of things through Hong Ji Hong. Therefore, I’ve been really happy recently. I’ve done a lot of advertisements. (laughs) Today, the 'Doctors' team left on a trip. Shin Hye sent me pictures of them playing in the water to my phone. I wasn’t able to go on the trip, but I’m very happy at the response to the drama. (laughs)
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Post time 29-8-2016 08:59 AM
Post time 4-9-2016 08:32 PM
