(following interview ①) actor Yoo Hai Jin spoke about his chemistry with the cast of "Assassin(s)".
On the morning of the 11th, at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, an interview was held with lead actor Yoo Hai Jin for the film "Assassin(s)".
The film "Assassin(s)" (director Heo Jin-ho, produced by Hive media corp, distributed by Hive media corp) is a story tracking the suspicions and backers of the first lady shooting incident that shocked Korea on Aug. 15, 1974. It is a work that adds some imagination to the facts surrounding the shooting of the late Mrs. Yuk Young-soo. In the film, Yoo Hai Jin plays Cheol-gu, a middle police station chief who directly witnessed the first lady shooting scene, portraying the detective's obsession with the truth and his weighty convictions with density.
When asked about the on-screen narrative with Park Hae-il, who plays Jaehwan, director general of the newspaper's social affairs department, Yoo Hai Jin said, "We didn't exchange detailed stories. As you know, Park Hae-il is earnest. To put it simply, if you ask 'Do you want jjajang or jjamppong?' he would answer like, 'Well, it's a bit hot today...' Haeil is always serious. He approaches projects seriously, so he asked me in very detailed terms, 'How did we know each other and to what extent?' and I said, 'Just say we've known each other for a long time. It's out there. I brought in exclusives and he was indebted to me. Isn't our relationship like a crocodile and the crocodile bird? Let's not go further,'" he said, sharing their contrasting tendencies and drawing laughter.
He said, "I've seen that demeanor since 'Iggi,' so it has always been a bit frustrating. I always wanted to bluntly ask, 'So do you want jjamppong or jjajang?' but if described positively, it's seriousness. He's always serious. I take that as a compliment. You can see how seriously he approaches a film. In the past it was frustrating, but watching him during promotions now is funny. When he's on YouTube and given a light question, watching him ponder it makes you think, 'Why is he so solemn about this question?' Now that feels like familiarity. You could call it cute or feel a sense of closeness. Promoting together is fun," he laughed.
He continued, "So for the character's narrative we said, 'Let's set it at that level and go. There's this much to resolve; why go further?'" He added, "He studied me immensely on set. He tried to dig up my trade secrets. He watched me a lot on set. Passing by casually, he'd say, 'So this is how hyung does it?' I remember that a lot. It didn't feel like casual talk. He tried not to miss anything," he admired.
At an earlier production briefing, Yoo Hai Jin, who praised Park Hae-il's gaze, said, "I felt that since 'Iggi.' It's something I don't have, and among the things I envy in people like Lee Byung-hun and Park Hae-il is their gaze. I really can't do that well." He said, "Watching the film I thought of a spinning top. When a top gains force it stands upright. When that top hits a wall it bounces and spins. That uprightness and energy felt a bit like a top. I was curious how Park Hae-il's and Lee Minho's parts were filmed because I didn't know, but after watching the film I felt that Hae-il's energy was really great."
About Lee Minho, who plays rookie reporter Yeong-il, Yoo Hai Jin confessed, "I just thought he was a star." He said, "We hadn't worked together until now. We hadn't met much because I'm not part of F4. I haven't done that kind of project where we'd run into each other, so I only knew him as a star. I first saw him at a wrap party after the screening of The King's Warden; I was sitting and someone called 'senior,' and it was Lee Minho. He was very friendly. Usually it's just 'hello, senior,' but that warmth was nice. I thought he was just a star, but he approached me more like a person. Since we were doing 'Assassin(s)' together I said, 'Nice to meet you, Minho,' and he was even better on set," he recalled.
He added, "Of course the result is very good, but on set I kept feeling his human side and that 'he's not just a star.' I felt he was a very good person and actor, with sharp eyes. He's also very smart. I felt there was a lot hidden under his appearance. We talked about some future plans and when I asked, 'What do you want to do later?' he had thoughts I hadn't expected. He seemed very grounded. I was surprised thinking, 'This person thinks that far ahead?' I came to know Lee Minho differently, and even now it's a pleasure to meet him during promotions. He feels like a very handsome younger brother. Not exactly a little brother, more like a Western younger brother. He's such a good friend that I'm always happy when he reaches out," he said candidly, drawing more laughter.
He also spoke of reuniting with Park Ji-hwan after The King's Warden. Park Ji-hwan played forensic chief Hyun-do, who first detected inconsistencies at the crime scene in "Assassin(s)." Yoo Hai Jin said, "When I first saw Park Ji-hwan's appearance, I thought, 'That's different.' The whole film is serious, but the scene with Park Ji-hwan is an important one discussing the missing bullet. While aligning it, there were parts that didn't resolve. Because it was a detailed and important part, I remember the three of us — the director, Ji-hwan and I — skipping meals and working intensely at dinner time."
He said, "We had to shoot it, but the things to resolve kept getting tangled. I thought we'd untangled them, but on set one thing started to feel off and everything became messy. The staff would take breaks but we had to get back to filming. I remember digging into details with the director and Ji-hwan. Of course actors do that job, but seeing someone who in The King's Warden was so, 'No, my lord! You can cry!' wearing those glasses and showing that side on set made me think, 'That's an actor,' which felt natural. That day was really stressful and very memorable," he recounted an episode. (continues in interview ③).
[photo] Hive media corp
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