"The Upstairs People" made its first public appearance, and actors including Ha Jung-woo and Gong Hyo-jin mourned the death of Lee Soon-jae on that day.
On the 25th at Megabox COEX in Seoul, a press screening and press conference were held for the film "The Upstairs People" (director Ha Jung-woo, distributed/provided by By4M Studio, produced by Cyidus·Walkhouse Company). Actors Ha Jung-woo, Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Dong-wook and Lee Ha-nui attended the event.
The Upstairs People, set to open on Dec. 3, tells an unpredictable story that unfolds when the upstairs couple (Ha Jung-woo and Lee Ha-nui) and the downstairs couple (Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Dong-wook) end up having dinner together one night because of loud sexual-noise complaints from the floor above every night. It is particularly anticipated as Ha Jung-woo's fourth directorial effort.
Before the event, an announcement said, "We will hold a moment of silence and proceed with the press conference because the late Lee Soon-jae has passed away." According to the bereaved family, Lee Soon-jae died in the early hours of the 25th at the age of 91. The late Lee Soon-jae's wake is at Asan Medical Center funeral hall, room 30, and the funeral procession is at 6:20 a.m. on the 27th. The burial site is Eden Paradise in Icheon.
Accordingly, the actors who attended the event appeared wearing black clothing, and observed a heavy one-minute moment of silence. Inside the venue, a tribute read, "We pray for the repose of teacher Lee Soon-jae, who left a great legacy in the development of Korea's culture."
The most notable figure was Ha Jung-woo, who served as director and lead actor. Known for his cheerful demeanor that usually brightened the venue just by his appearance, he showed a somewhat solemn expression that day. News of Lee Soon-jae's death arrived just before the event, and the impact appeared to have affected Ha Jung-woo as well.
Ha Jung-woo's father, Kim Yong-gun, was a representative junior actor who had a long and deep relationship with Lee Soon-jae. Upon hearing the news of the death, Kim Yong-gun told OSEN, "I am devastated to suddenly hear such news." As Ha Jung-woo considered Lee Soon-jae like a "grandfather," his grief was reported to be deep as well.
Once the formal conference began, Ha Jung-woo took the lead in the atmosphere with his trademark wit. Although he played the husband of Lee Ha-nui in the film, he was the only unmarried person among the married Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Dong-wook and Lee Ha-nui. Ha Jung-woo said, "That's right. I'm the only one unmarried. So I listened to the three of them a lot, but I'm the only one unmarried. Really, everyone has such different lives," drawing laughter.
He continued, "After listening, my feeling was simply the same. It's about people living. If you've been with a girlfriend a long time, it's similar, I thought to myself. There may be responsibilities, but dating can be like that too. So I observed a lot. Since all three of them are married. I reflected in the scenario that this situation could be like that."
When asked about the difficulties of being the only unmarried person, Ha Jung-woo joked, "I guess there are some difficulties. I'm still single, so there are comfortable parts. There seem to be pros and cons in terms of privacy. What I envy is having a family. In a way, I've lived alone by my own choice. That envy is only temporary, though. That doesn't mean I'm against marriage. My words are getting weird," which drew laughter.
The warm chemistry among the actors was also evident. When asked about a scene completed with ad-libs, Kim Dong-wook explained, "There is a scene where an announcement comes on and interrupts while Gong Hyo-jin and I are arguing as a married couple, and that wasn't in the script from the start. Hyo-jin nuna rehearsed and shot that scene. While monitoring it, she seemed to suggest, 'Wouldn't it be funny if an announcement came on here? Doesn't that happen in real life?' The director readily agreed it was a good idea and it was actually applied to the scene."
Ha Jung-woo added, "Another scene where we took an idea on set: when Ha-nui was doing yoga under me and was lying down, we filmed a shot of sweat dripping. Hyo-jin said it would be fun if we shot it at high speed, so we suddenly set it up and shot it," and Lee Ha-nui complimented, "(Hyo-jin) is really an idea bank," creating a warm moment.
Meanwhile, The Upstairs People will be in theaters on Dec. 3.
[photo] OSEN DB
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