Actor Zo In-sung revealed why he chose Hope despite poor health.
On the morning of the 9th at a cafe on Samcheong-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul, an interview was held with Zo In-sung, the lead actor of the film Hope.
Hope (written and directed by Na Hong-jin, produced by Forged Films, co-produced by Plus M Entertainment·Westworld Co., distributed by Plus M Entertainment) tells the story of Beom-seok, the head of the Hopohang Branch Office located in the demilitarized zone (played by Hwang Jung-min), who hears from local young people that a tiger has appeared, and as the whole village goes on alert, encounters an unbelievable reality that sets the story in motion.
Director Na Hong-jin, who rose to the ranks of a master with The Chaser, The Yellow Sea and The Wailing, released a new work after 10 years that was officially invited to compete at the 79th Cannes Film Festival and received much praise. As a genre film featuring creatures, it is reported to have the largest production budget in Korean film history. Reports say the minimum was 70 billion won and, including later marketing and promotion costs, it could reach as high as 100 billion won. In addition to Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung and Jung Ho-yeon, the dazzling cast includes Hollywood actors Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell and Cameron Britton, drawing attention even before release.
Zo In-sung delivered a passionate performance as Seong-gi, a village youth who passes the time by hunting and fishing. His flashy shotgun action and the horseback riding scenes he practiced for three months stand out in the latter part of the film. He has been busy this year with HyuMint in the first half, Hope at summer theaters, the upcoming Netflix film Possible Love, and Disney+'s new series Moving 2.
Earlier, Jung Ho-yeon expressed admiration for senior Zo In-sung, who performed extreme action, saying, "There were quite a few scenes where I thought, 'Can he really do that?'" she said. "When shooting another actor's solo scene, we usually say, 'Cheer up' or 'Fighting,' but on the Hope set, at some point I thought, 'What meaning would such encouragement have?' It was just, 'If you come back safely, thank you.' I didn't even think that for my scenes, but in the late part when senior Zo In-sung rides a horse and does action, I thought, 'I'm grateful he came back safely,'" she said, expressing respect.
Zo In-sung joked, "At the time I wondered, 'Can I do this?' Honestly, it's extremely dangerous. We do it safely, but the set is urgent, tense and tight. Everyone is on edge, so one wrong move and someone gets hurt and we can't shoot. We accept that 'opportunities are few' as fate. I can't express it all in words."
About the horseback action scene he said, "When I asked the experts, 'Can you do this?' they said, 'I've never done this before.' I thought, 'Then what am I supposed to do?' Even asking equestrian performers, they said they don't go this far. But since I had to do it, I tried several times. If the rhythm with the horse doesn't match, you get thrown off. Let's stop here," he finished with humor, drawing laughter.
Zo In-sung said of director Na Hong-jin, "He spares no body. The script just says 'runs.' I infer how to run. (laughs) I had surgery, so the doctor told me not to run. Light jogging and such are fine, but running and jumping would be very bad for Mr. In-sung's remaining life, the doctor said. A really famous doctor said that. (laughs) But action is of course necessary in the work. If those scenes aren't there, it's not a Na Hong-jin film," adding, "So I came out about my physical condition and thought it might be better to have a healthier actor. I didn't want the quality to drop because of me. But the director said, 'That's not true. Don't worry and do it.' As I did it, I got this far. When I went to the set, how could I not do it?" he said with a laugh.
Still, Zo In-sung said the reason he appeared in Hope was a 'challenge.' He said, "Is it complacency or not? That's the difference. After being active this much, naturally you want to try new things, and I think it's better to try new things even if you fail. With a career, it's better to take new challenges rather than safe choices. I did Moving with that feeling, and I hope my filmography someday ends that way," he said. "I asked myself if I was ready. Doing something new requires pushing yourself to the extreme. If it's a Na Hong-jin film. I thought I should take more challenges for now and welcomed it. I didn't worry much; I read it and said I'd do it right away," he said, showing trust and conviction.
Meanwhile, Hope opens on the 15th.
[Photo] Provided by Plus M Entertainment
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