Yoo Hai Jin answered about the resemblance to director Jang Hang-jun.
On the 21st at Megabox COEX in Seoul, a press screening and discussion were held for the film 'The Man Who Lives with the King' (director Jang Hang-jun, distributor and provider SHOWBOX, production Onda Works·BA Entertainment). Actors Yoo Hai Jin, Park Jihoon, Yoo Ji-tae, Jeon Mido, KIM MIN, and director Jang Hang-jun attended the event.
The film 'The Man Who Lives with the King' depicts the story set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, about a village head who volunteered for exile for the village's revival and a young former king who was driven from the throne and exiled.
Director Jang Hang-jun, who has delivered diverse cinematic pleasures across genres from comedy to thriller and moving true stories with films such as 'Light the Lighter', 'Forgotten Night', 'Rebound', and 'The Killers', challenged himself with a historical drama and for the first time in Korean cinema unfolded the hidden story of Danjong on screen.
On the day, director Jang Hang-jun, asked whether the character Um Heung-do played by Yoo Hai Jin is similar to the director, recalled, "Yoo Hai Jin and I seem to have similarly high tones in some respects. Actually, while writing and adjusting the script, I unconsciously thought of Mr. Yoo Hai Jin and wrote it."
He continued, "As I wrote, I wanted to emphasize to some extent the human side, the affectionate rural aspect of the person I imagine Um Heung-do to be. More than I thought, far more than the script, Mr. Yoo infused it with vitality, and I am grateful. When he accepted the casting, he also said thank you and that he trusted me, and I was thankful."
He also expressed gratitude, "I wanted to definitely give the script to Mr. Yoo when it was ready. I handed it to him with a pounding heart, and Mr. Yoo said he wanted to do it. Inside, I rejoiced."
Then Yoo Hai Jin jokingly said, "Was I similar to the director? Was I that lighthearted?" which drew laughter. He added, "I wasn't thinking of the director when I acted. I also have that lighthearted side."
Yoo Hai Jin said, "In fact, I didn't think about where to focus. The vague feelings of affection I imagined from reading the words. The warmth of people gradually infused the set. As you will see in the film, the way Danjong plays with water by the riverside—what I felt then was, could this be how a parent feels toward a young child? I think I tried hard to understand Danjong."
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]