Actor Um Tae-goo of the film Wild Sing shared his thoughts on taking on a character who raises the tension as the entertainment industry's representative "introvert."
Um Tae-goo conducted an interview on the afternoon of the 28th at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul. At the meeting, he spoke with domestic reporters about the new film Wild Sing.
Wild Sing, which opens on June 3, is a comedy about a once chart-dominating three-member mixed dance group called "Triangle" that disbanded overnight after being caught up in an unexpected incident and makes a reckless attempt to seize a comeback opportunity 20 years later. It is being anticipated as a new work from the production company behind Extreme Job, the 2019 comedy that thrilled about 16.26 million viewers and ranked number one in comedy audiences.
In particular, Wild Sing has raised expectations as actors Gang Dong-won, Park Ji-hyun and Um Tae-goo each play Triangle members Hyun Woo, Domi and Sang-gu, preparing by practicing actual dance and singing. Ahead of the release, information about Triangle and Choi Seong-gon on SNS and portal sites, as well as the music video and stage footage of Triangle's hit song "Love is" and Choi Seong-gon's perennial No. 2 hit "I Like You," which was overshadowed by it, were released and drew intense interest.
Among them, Um Tae-goo drew even more attention for the surprising casting because he is known as the entertainment industry's representative introvert. Um Tae-goo, who received praise last year in 2024 for the romantic comedy with Han Sun-hwa in the drama Woman Who Plays, had been noted in many works for his strong, bold characters and image, so his role as Guseong-gu (played by Um Tae-goo) in Wild Sing had to be a greater contrast.
Um Tae-goo laughed and said, "I worried a lot, but after the preview many people said it was fun, so my expectations match my worries." He added, "I hesitated a lot. It was hard even while doing the work. So from then I started sprinting. From the filming, it was hard. Raising my tension was hard, and I knew intellectually that making someone laugh in a comedy is truly a great thing and very difficult, but since this was the first time I physically tried this genre, I felt it with my whole body."
Regarding reports that it took time to decide on the project, Um Tae-goo laughed, "At first I wasn't confident I could do it well. If it had been ballads rather than dancing, I might have been okay." Still, on the biggest reason he decided to appear, he said, "The moment I take on this character I thought the genre, the dance, the rap, the character—everything could feel new. After much deliberation I wanted to try it."
Beyond rap and choreography, for the character "Sang-gu" he said, "I wanted him to not come off as unlikeable. I wanted him to appear pure but full of passion," and he built up the details.
Relatedly, he said, "I received a lot of help from the makeup team and the wardrobe team. Making Sang-gu cute as the team's youngest was decided after trying on wigs and clothes. While playing Sang-gu, I'm very thankful to the makeup team and wardrobe team. Rather than me proposing something, the makeup team prepared many wigs. Among them we combined choices and decided, saying 'this is good.' When I wore a wig, when I had long hair, when I had a perm, I felt like I gained a really big weapon. So I was truly thankful. I received so much help," he expressed his gratitude.
What made it hardest for Um Tae-goo among those things? Um Tae-goo said, "Continuously raising the 'tension' was very difficult. It was very hard to raise it. And the choreography was extremely difficult. Maybe because I was learning it for the first time. Fortunately I'm a rapper so I didn't have to dance exceptionally well, which was a relief, but I gave my best at both. I think I tried to do more than was set," and confessed, "I really sprinted a lot each time."
How did people close to the transformed Um Tae-goo react? Um Tae-goo said, "I invited family members and they all seemed to enjoy it. I felt somewhat relieved," and about the reaction of his older brother, director Um Tae-hwa, he laughed, "He said, 'It's fun? I think it will do well,' and he really enjoyed it. He didn't have any separate comments."
Um Tae-goo joked, "I feel like I've shed being an introvert myself. Watching myself these days, I feel that way more than because of the film. On set I talk a lot and joke a lot, and I don't think I'm as introverted as before. That's not to say I'm extroverted, but I don't think I'm an introvert either."
Has he changed overall after the drama Woman Who Plays, hosting the web entertainment show Workman, and now Wild Sing? Um Tae-goo laughed, "I've heard that I seem brighter on set. They say I talk more than before. I really talk a lot these days." Even so, Um Tae-goo amused the room with a pure display of shyness, rubbing his knees with his hands until they wore out and seeming at a loss.
However, Um Tae-goo quipped, "Maybe I was so labeled as an 'introvert.' I have introverted sides, but I can be outgoing with close friends. I think that image solidified from Badaljip. At that time I had taken about eight months off and suddenly went on variety shows, so that happened, but recently I've been on many variety shows so I feel more comfortable. Actually that's a joke," he said jokingly.
He continued, "I didn't seriously think I needed to be brighter. But for example when working on Woman Who Plays, on set with staff, or in the car, if I didn't speak it affected everyone working. So I started joking and making small talk and changed little by little. I used to enjoy joking internally, when I'm with friends. I often play around in my imagination too," he said.
He added, "There's fun in discovering a side of myself that's different from my usual self. Specifically, when I play another character without awkwardness, the process is hard but it's fun to present it when it turns out well; inviting family to a VIP preview and showing it to the audience together; and watching it together with the staff who worked hard with me. Even looking at it in fragments it's like that. Thinking deeply there would be more. There are many hardships but it seems like a more enjoyable profession."
(Continued in interview ②)<
[Photo] Provided by Lotte Entertainment.
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