(Continuing from interview ④) Actor Kim Woo-bin looked back on his 13-year association with writer Kim Eun-sook.
Kim Woo-bin conducted an interview on the morning of the 13th at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul. At the event he talked about the Netflix series Genie, Make A Wish and his recent status.
Genie, Make A Wish is a stress-free fantasy romantic comedy drama in which Genie (played by Kim Woo-bin), a career-interrupted lamp spirit who wakes after about a thousand years, meets the emotionally deficient human Ga-young (played by Suzy) and the two face three wishes. Kim Woo-bin gave a passionate performance in the title role and as the male lead, "Genie."
In particular, Genie, Make A Wish is the third work in which Kim Woo-bin has worked with writer Kim Eun-sook. The two first met as supporting and minor roles in the 2012 drama "A Gentleman's Dignity," reunited as leads in the drama "The Heirs," and met again in the title role for Genie, Make A Wish.
On the YouTube variety show "Fairy Jaehyung," Kim Woo-bin confessed that he once declined Kim Eun-sook's offer before Genie, Make A Wish. Kim Woo-bin kept quiet, saying "it was already a work other actors had done," but he made clear that the reason was not the script, noting that he turned it down at the time because of his schedule.
Keeping the connection alive, Genie, Make A Wish even includes moments that pay homage to Choi Young-do (played by Kim Woo-bin) from The Heirs. In fact, Kim Woo-bin was still so attached that he kept Choi Young-do's school uniform. He said, "When I played Choi Young-do many people liked him, and there are still people who remember him, so it was nice to meet him again. No matter how much the costume team looked for The Heirs uniform, they couldn't find it. But I had kept it. When I looked in the pocket there was even a script annotation from that time. I'm bigger now so I couldn't wear the uniform. I removed the name tag and buttons and remade it. I was glad to see Young-do too, but I was embarrassed to show old times in front of the staff. I actually brought the uniform back."
So how was writer Kim Eun-sook when they reunited? Kim Woo-bin said, "The script I read when I decided to return after 12 years was really, really good. I mentioned briefly at the press conference that I loved the script so much it felt like a shame. We shot each scene carefully, like cherishing them. The writer has watched me for a long time and seemed to imagine how I would act while writing. So it felt comfortable and enjoyable, like receiving a tailored script."
Regarding the script point he was most satisfied with in the work, he explained, "I like Kim Eun-sook's humor. Her works also carry a message. I haven't thought about things many times or deeply, but the work made me think about thoughts close to us. It was good that there was a way to communicate with viewers."
He went on to say, laughing, about the biggest change from his supporting role in A Gentleman's Dignity to the title role in Genie, Make A Wish, "There are so many juniors now." He added, "On set, except for the directors in each department, everyone is younger than me. I feel I should set an example. Oddly, when I was the youngest I felt more at ease. As for me, nothing has changed about working hard at my job. I plan to do my best at the given work and get along well with the staff by communicating."
Finally he added, "I hope Genie, Make A Wish is a work that brings joy to many people. I hope later when people look back they can say, 'That was fun,' or 'The message it gave was really good,' and share that. I don't know what kind of actor I will be. I always want to be a good actor, but since there is no standard, I want to do my best. I want to convey as well as possible to viewers and audiences the emotions and messages I felt when reading the script."
[Photo] Provided by Netflix.
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