(Following Interview ②) 'My Daughter is a Zombie' director Pil Gam-seong shared the behind-the-scenes story of casting the main actor 'Aeyongi'.
On the 29th, at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, an interview with director Pil Gam-seong of the movie 'My Daughter is a Zombie' took place.
The film 'My Daughter is a Zombie' (director Pil Gam-seong, distributed by NEW, produced by Studio N) is a comedic drama about a doting father who embarks on covert training to protect his daughter, who has become the last remaining zombie in the world.
In the original webtoon, 'Aeyongi', who is regarded as a mascot, is the pet cat of 'Jeong-hwan' (Jo Jung-seok) and 'Sua' (Choi Yu-ri), known for its nonchalant yet chic expression, making it the trademark of the character. In the film, 'Geumdong' was cast in the role of 'Aeyongi'.
In this regard, director Pil noted, "Aeyongi was an actor that was formally auditioned for." He added with a laugh, "I actually thought Aeyongi represented the identity and soul of 'My Daughter is a Zombie.' I thought we couldn't do without Aeyongi. However, there were many concerns about casting a cat because they can't be trained for such things."
He continued, "But I am a cat owner. I had this stubbornness to want to do well as an owner. My home has a cat that behaves like a dog, so I had this confidence that it might not be unlike my own cat. I thought if I could cast a cat like that, it would make those around me anxious."
Regarding the casting behind the scenes, he said, "We recruited cheese tabby cats with filming experience from across the country, and four finalists were chosen. Originally, there were about ten or so cats. Even if they weren't cheese tabbies, we considered those that showed even a little yellowish tinge."
He added, "The audition was nothing more than having them all gather to see their adaptability. The moment we let them go, the cats would run away or hide, but this one laid right in front of the table. Lying down, it was looking at me as if to say, 'What are you going to do?' and I thought, 'It's you!' Even when I held it, it just stayed still. It had such a handsome face, looking almost like a cartoon. But even during filming, it performed exceptionally well."
Director Pil remarked, "Actually, filming was just about waiting. We had to finish quickly. It adapted really well and quickly provided the desired scenes. I always thought it was a cat's grace. Since I also own cats, I wondered if it was giving back to me." He laughed and said, "The cat was extremely important to the work. It was almost one of the main actors. We had to treat it accordingly."
[Photo] Provided by NEW
[OSEN]