"Boss" director Ra Hee-chan and Jo Woo-jin promised humor that "catches you off guard."
On the 2nd broadcast of SBS PowerFM's Park Ha-sun's Cinetown in the Cinetownguest corner, lead actor Jo Woo-jin and director Ra Hee-chan of the film "Boss" appeared as guests.
"Boss" is a comic action film that depicts organization members' desperate showdown as they fiercely "cede" the boss position to one another for their own dreams ahead of the selection of the next boss, on which the organization's future depends.
On the day, Jo Woo-jin spoke of the introverted director Ra Hee-chan, saying "He really delivers humor that catches you off guard. He gives direction on set in almost this tone, and there are jokes he blurts out in conversation. Actress Hwang Woo-seul-hye likes those things. Our actors were captivated too," conveying his director's unexpected charm, and he added, "Our film resembles the director's sensibility a lot. There are humor codes that catch you off guard and humor codes you wouldn't anticipate hidden in the film, so I hope people come to discover them."
In the film Jo Woo-jin plays Sun-tae, the organization's second-in-command and a Chinese restaurant chef. Director Ra Hee-chan introduced the character, saying "Sun-tae is part of the organization but works as a Chinese chef. He is not trying to be the boss but, as a Chinese chef, dreams of another business; he is a character trying to leave the (organization)."
Jo Woo-jin also described other characters, saying "If I am praised as the top candidate for next boss, the character played by Jung Kyung-ho is the legitimate heir. This friend becomes obsessed with tango in prison. He thoroughly yields to realize his dream as the best tango performer. Meanwhile, there is another less-capable character who, compared with the two, does not receive support from the elders; it will be fun to see. There is a passionate man overflowing with loyalty and affection for the organization, and Pan-ho, played by Park Ji-hwan, desperately wants to be the boss. I think you can expect a comic code where two people who don't want to do it and one desperate person continuously create ironic situations."
He added, "To take down this organization, an undercover officer infiltrates from the police. That role is Lee Kyu-hyung. Also, Hwang Woo-seul-hye participates as my wife, a comedic fairy. Just watching the acting will be fun, and combined with additional episodes it feels like receiving a comprehensive gift set. Many welcome actors appear. I think it will be a work greeted with joy."
Director Ra Hee-chan, who conceived the work from 2019, had Jo Woo-jin in mind from the planning stage. He said, "Strangely, Woo-jin's acting and works caught my eye. Although Woo-jin hadn't seriously done comedy work, I saw comedic elements in works like "Alien+In" and "Inside Men." I thought Sun-tae would be more interesting the more he struggled, the more he tried to escape the ironic dilemma, rather than attacking comedy head-on, so I worked with Woo-jin from the start."
Jo Woo-jin, who said he was mentally exhausted after filming "Haerbin," said, "Because 'Haerbin' was such a deep, heavy, dark work and role dealing with that era, I isolated myself a lot and, while not adopting method acting, I tried as much as possible to approach the era's character. As I worked hard, I lost a lot of weight and felt emotionally impoverished. At that time the director appeared like sunshine. He came with the 'Boss' script and said a word. He said, 'You seem tired, dark and heavy, but if you work on our film and hold happiness and laugh while enjoying it, wouldn't that be healing?' For me it felt like getting a prescription without going to the hospital. I was moved and the script was fun. I felt there was an unexpectedness in the humor code and comedy arising from situations even without trying to be funny, so I thought I could take it on with a sense of challenge while working hard as an actor."
Because he plays a Chinese chef, he learned cooking from chefs Yeo Kyung-rae and Park Eun-young. Jo Woo-jin said, "At first I went to the restaurant not knowing who I would learn from. I was surprised to find Chef Yeo Kyung-rae there. It felt like going to learn basketball for a basketball movie and finding Michael Jordan. You can't expect to be good at noodle cutting from the start. I kept messing up, wearing a mask, sweating and someone was there to revive me. I kept apologizing and practicing. When I watched Culinary Class Wars, that person was Chef Park Eun-young. They handle heavy woks as if water flows, but despite the weight they manage them with wrist snaps. I was tensed and using strength, but they used no force and handled it with a snap. I tried hard to learn that part."
Jung Kyung-ho also devoted himself to tango practice for four months. Director Ra Hee-chan said, "I wanted each character to feel different, so I gave many gaps like cooking and dancing. I thought it wouldn't work over four months, but it did. Woo-jin was very bad at first. He had no interest in cooking at all. But he committed to Sun-tae and went all the way. On set he continued carrying a knife and practiced fiercely. Kyung-ho practiced tango and had stories of toenails coming off. I'm grateful," he said.
Jo Woo-jin said performing comic acting reminded him again of his mindset from his theater days. He said, "I realized you mustn't try to be funny. When I did theater I approached it with confidence that I could be funny and paid dearly. Only through sincere breathing can you persuade and convey comic elements. When I first met the director and talked about the script and character, he said he found that breathing even in entertaining works like "Alien+In" and "Inside Men." That brought back my theater experience. I tried to recall and rehearse that experience."
About the set he said, "It was always congenial, and when worries about a scene overflowed we stopped filming and resolved everything before continuing. I liked that breathing so much, and as a result I found myself increasingly immersed in the work, the people, the staff, the actors and colleagues. Somehow sharing delicious food with colleagues brought greater happiness. We ate often and had team dinners and so on."
Notably, Jo Woo-jin released a special track "Boss" in collaboration with Dynamic Duo as TEAM Boss (Jo Woo-jin, Jung Kyung-ho, Park Ji-hwan, Lee Kyu-hyung). Asked whether he usually raps well, he confessed, "I thought I did. But when I went to record I was doing it old-school. My part was taken. Park Ji-hwan did that part." He continued, "That motivated me; the part was difficult and had to be done quickly, and there was a long lyrical section. That part resembled my role Na Sun-tae so much. I said I'd try, and thanks to Dynamic Duo's excellent direction I endured and did it, and the result doesn't seem so bad," expressing satisfaction.
Finally Jo Woo-jin said, "The film is full of humor codes that catch you off guard. You can laugh and enjoy it comfortably without any worries. It is a film that families can enjoy together, so with the Chuseok holiday approaching I sincerely hope you have a healthy and bountiful holiday and that that abundance will be added to by being with Boss."
Director Ra Hee-chan also added, "It feels like an unusually long holiday in a while. Memories of going to the theater together to watch films seem faint. 'Boss' may have shortcomings, but I pride myself on it being a film families can enjoy together. I hope people have that experience."
Meanwhile, the film "Boss" opens in theaters on the 3rd.
[Photo] SBS PowerFM
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