"Tazza 4" Swings revealed his feelings ahead of his acting debut and the efforts he made.
On the morning of the 18th at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul, a production briefing for the film Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub (Tazza 4) took place. Attending were lead actors Byun Yo-Han, Roh Jae Won, Kim Min-ho, Lim Se-mi, Moon ji-hoon (Swings), director Choi Guk-hee and others. Initially, Japanese actress Miyoshi Ayaka, making her first appearance in a Korean film, had planned to attend, but due to health reasons she did not.
MC Park Kyung-rim said, Miyoshi Ayaka was unable to attend the production briefing due to unavoidable health reasons. She said Ayaka felt very regretful and asked me to convey her apologies to the Korean reporters. She asked for understanding.
Based on the original manhwa by Heo Yeong, the final installment of the Tazza series, Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub (director Choi Guk-hee, distributor and provider CJ ENM, producer Sidus), is a crime story about Jang Tae-young (played by Byun Yo-Han), who thought he had the world with his online casino business, and his longtime friend with the same name, Park Tae-young (played by Roh Jae Won), who took everything from him. They meet again on a global gambling stage and engage in a revenge showdown.
Tazza began with the 2006 release starring Cho Seung-woo and Kim Hye-soo, and continued with Tazza: Hand of God (2014) and Tazza: One Eyed Jack (2019), receiving much love. The new Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub, coming out after seven years, has an original world and distinct identity that has drawn increased interest.
While the three previously released films over the past 20 years shared the same universe, the final installment, Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub, is a completely independent work with its own universe. It spectacularly depicts a global gambling scene spanning Korea, Japan and Vietnam, and in addition to gambling, the glamorous world of hold'em sports is also anticipated.
Moon ji-hoon takes on the role of the ruthless outlaw Abraham, who shows no fear, and challenged himself with his first acting role. Abraham, who carries out orders without judgment or emotion, is frightening because he does not think for himself and more brutal because he does not stop.
When the global hit Netflix series Squid Game Season 2 was released in December 2024, director Hwang Dong-hyuk said in an interview that he had considered Swings for the rapper Thanos role, drawing great attention. At that time Swings had no acting experience, and in the end T.O.P, formerly of Big Bang, took the role. Coincidentally, Swings began studying acting in earnest around that time, and he was cast in Tazza, raising interest in what he will show in this film.
Swings said this was all new because it was his first time in a film. It was new when we shot in Korea, and it was also new when we shot in Vietnam. It was summer then, and the change in environment changed my mood and it was so much fun. I felt very grateful, he said, adding that at first information leaked and an article ran saying I would play the hippo role played by Kim Min-ho. It must have been confusing, but in fact I was Abraham.
Asked about the unique charm of Tazza 4, he said, Humans have emotions that should be restrained, but they burst out without filtering. The dopamine really explodes, and that point is good.
Swings, who transformed from rapper to actor, said, I did music for 20 years and have always loved film. After I decided to start acting, I was cast in six months. I thought it would take five years, so I was grateful that it happened so quickly. I felt I had been fortunate, so I decided I should be humble because of the weight of it. Actually getting here has made me even more humble out of gratitude. I was chosen partly because of what I did, but the blessings I received were greater, so I am very thankful.
His visual change was also noticeable. I tanned a lot for several months, and my hairstyle changed. If I don't use products, acquaintances tease me that I look stupid. But I couldn't publicly say it was for the film, so I lived getting teased, he said, adding, I gained weight to 105kg and then lost it to about 92–93kg for filming, but I gained weight again during shooting. (laughs) Maybe it's because I didn't sign a contract, he confessed frankly, drawing laughter.
Director Choi Guk-hee said the reason he cast Swings was, Although Abraham appears briefly, I wanted a very powerful and new face. I saw many auditions, but they were all a bit disappointing. While pondering, I was having a meal with Byun Yo-Han and showed him Moon ji-hoon's acting video. It felt so new then. So we had a meeting and cast him.
Meanwhile, the finale of the Tazza series, Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub, opens on Sept. 23 during the Chuseok season.
[Photo] Min Kyung-hoon reporter
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