‘High Cut’ Interview (Jan 2016) - Part 1
Source: DC
Lee Jong Suk is lovely. Female reporters who have done interviews with him will inevitably be melted by him, calling them ‘noona’ and releasing his aegyo like a mischievous youngster. However, Lee Jong Suk of 2016 seems to have a different aura. After his work in ‘Pinocchio’ back in 2014, he has rested for quite a while,now he is no longer the 26-year-old with tons of aegyo, he is a 28-year-old with frustrations, fears and ambitions for growth. After a year of intense internal turmoil, he reaches the conclusion that it is all about acting. This is Lee Jong Suk’s talk about his current situation.
How have you been spending your time?
I’ve just been at home. (laughs) Coming to the film set today… I actually haven’t left home for a long time. I thought about a lot of stuff while I was at home – not about anything important though. Oh! I watched a lot of dramas. I really love watching dramas. I’ll also practise my acting while watching. Actually, there were times lately where I’ve become scared of acting.
You’ve never been caught in any acting controversies though, how come you would be scared?
Of course I would. That’s why I’ve been attending acting classes, going to school and acting with people in my year and some junior actors. Don’t know why, but somehow I’ve become a little fearful of acting, compared to before.
That is surprising. I had thought that Jong Suk-ssi is a person that doesn’t fear anything or envy anyone.
There’s so much to be envious about in the world. I am most envious when I watch people who are good at acting. To be truthful, my image as an actor rides very much on my appearance. That’s why I am particular envious of male actors who have a masculine face. That’s something I don’t have. Whether this is an obstacle I can never overcome, or it’s an obstacle that I can one day overcome with tons of hard work… it’s something I am always thinking about deeply. Well, even when I think much about it, there really isn’t any conclusion. I guess there is a need for masculine actors and also actors like me, right? (laughs)
A while ago, you were that without any projects, 2015 was a year that was ‘a shocking time’ to you.
I don’t like leaving the house and I never have anything I want to do in particular. But acting is something that is always captures my interest the most. So I tend to retain my memory of the past through the projects I was in – I’ve been in projects continuously since I debuted, if you think about it. These days, since I’ve spent too much time without a project, I’ve started to feel empty, which must be why I said that in an interview. I feel like time was passing way too quickly.
One can really feel that Jongsuk-ssi is a fan of television dramas. This is your answer to a fan at a China fansign – you were asked which couple you liked in ‘Reply 1988′ and replied ‘Taek-ie’. So you’ve clearly watched ‘Reply 1988′?
I felt a little weird writing a couple name. I felt that Taek’s character is extremely charismatic, which is why I like him. (laugh)
What other dramas have you watched besides ‘Reply 1988′?
’Six Flying Dragons’, ‘Oh My Venus’. I follow most varieties too. When I watch the actos of my age, I would pay special attention to their acting skills. Byun Yo Han in ‘Six Flying Dragons’ can really do romantic acting very well. His gaze is excellent and his expressions when conveying emotions are also really well-done. He really manages to convey the feelings of the character in an honest manner, I feel?
When you film ‘Jade Lover’, you’ll have to be in China for a long time. You won’t be able to keep up your dramas then; what should you do?
Which is why I a special request: There has to be Korean television channels where we live. Haha.
All the reporters who have interviewed Jong Suk-ssi would praise your socializing abilty, but you keep saying that you are introverted and hard to warm up to. What is your real personality?
It’s true though. Even if I call someone ‘noona’ the first time I meet her, I am still really awkward around strangers. I am especially shy in front of my sunbaes. I don’t really know why this is but I just somehow find it difficult. It happened again a few days ago: when I went to a film premiere and saw a lot of sunbaes, my back became wet with sweat. It’s so easy to tell when I am flustered. My face would turn completely red.
It would seem that your personality is not suited to be an entertainer then?
Is that so? Actually I do feel that, as time goes on. Haha.
What did you do during the new year?
I went to my grandmother’s house. Rather than having a heart-stirring time, it made me make some decisions about life. I decided to do a lot of projects this year. You usually would do interviews around the new year, so I would always talk about how many projects I want to do the following year. But I didn’t do it for 2015. So this year, I made the decision to be in at least three projects.
Three in a year? If they are all dramas, you would almost die from filming. You probably won’t have any time to sleep.
It probably will be tough. Though it’s very tough, I will endure it. Because I’m always so happy when I see it broadcasted.
‘High Cut’ Interview (Jan 2016) - Part 2
Source: DC
Translation note: 2000 words *__*
When you monitor your own work, do you get hung up on your own appearance? Why did you call yourself a ‘cotton bud stick’ before? (laughs)
Huhu. Yes, I said that. There was a time when I really looked like a cotton bud stick. Today, when I was monitoring my work, I feel that I’ve grown rounder around the chin. I have to deal with that but dieting is getting so tiresome for me.
I had thought that Jong Suk-ssi is the kind of person that is ‘skinny since birth’. This is such a reversal.
No, I have to keep dieting. I used to be ‘ skinny since birth’, but nowadays a lot of male actors would do a lot of exercise, so I also trained for the swimming scenes in ‘No Breathing’ and shower scenes in ‘Doctor Stranger’. It was so busy back then but I would still exercise and go on a special diet. Since I couldn’t ear much back then, now I seem to have developed a desire for food. Like today, everyone is drinking Americano coffee (black coffee) but I’m drinking really sweet coffee, see?
So it seems that you dislike exercising?
Yep, that’s right. I hate doing sports. A while back, I wanted to get out of the house so I started doing horse-riding and rock-climbing, but it so tiring. If I were doing it for a project then I can stick with it, since I set a goal for myself, but it is exhausting to do it for fun. I’m really the type to only do it if someone is beside me pushing me. Even if I am at home, I don’t exercise at all; but sometimes there would be CF filmings and stuff… Wa, it’s so tiresome.
Perhaps Jong Suk-ssi is most suited to be a hanryang (한량, Joseon aristocrats that lives well and doesn’t need to work)?
Perhaps so. Sometimes I really think I don’t want to be a star, but even if I did other jobs, people know my face already, so… (laughs) In the past, I’ve said I wanted to be the owner of a coffee shop. Wouldn’t that be great?
Coffee shop owner seems to suit you well.
Let’s stop worrying about your future and talk about your new project ‘Jade Lovers’. I heard the production cost is 40 billion won, your shoulders must be heavy with the responsibility.
It is heavy… but I have to do my best even if it’s heavy. 40 billion is enough for around eight movies. But there is another reason I chose a Chinese drama, besides the production cost. Recently, Korean dramas have started to complete production before broadcast – the reason is to be able to air it at the same time in China*. If it’s like that, then I feel that it’s not bad to pick a project that is written by Chinese writers and matches the cultural elements of China.
* I am suspecting that since anything that broadcasts in China has to pass through its censor department so usually China requires the filming to be done before buying the rights.
But if you film in China, then you would be speaking Korean while your partner would be speaking Chinese Wouldn’t that be really difficult to immerse yourself into the story?
Emotions are conveyed through facial expressions. As for the dialogue of the other actors, you can find out from reading the script. There shouldn’t be any problems capturing the emotions. When I was at school, I would watch exchange students from China while they act. Although their Korean is still not completely fluent, but you can feel the emotions. It’s the same idea.
So you don’t plan to have Korean activities while you film ‘Jade Lovers’?
I will finish filming quickly and return when the weather becomes warm. I plan to decide on my next project while I am China – the plan right now is to go for drama first.
Jong Suk-ssi seems to like dramas more than movies.
I like movies a lot as well. For most actors, their final destination is on the silver screen. But somehow I feel more familar with tv dramas. I feel that there are a lot of fans waiting for me so if I do a drama, I’ll get to present myself to them more quickly. We’ll meet on television soon~
In your projects, you seem to always portray characters with some flaws. Like, you have never done any characters with both parents alive. Perhaps the audience wants to see Lee Jong Suk’s image as like that.
Yes, besides in a sitcom (High Kick 3), none of my characters have had both his parents. Somehow when I read scripts, I seem to lean towards that kind of scripts. I slightly prefer movies or dramas that is rich in melancholy.
What do you consider first when you choose projects?
My role. I would definitely look at that first, but lately I’ve also started to pay attention to the role opposite mine. I would consider if that role can help mine as well, since I am the kind of actor that can be greatly helped [by a good role opposite mine]. My emotions will naturally move up and down according to the opposite role. So I pay special attention to how the male and female characters react to one another.
As we converse more, Jong Suk-ssi seems a little disappointed at times. You have such passion for acting, but your commercial image still seems stronger than that of Actor Lee Jong Suk?
There’s nothing to be done about that. It could be because of where I started. People still label me with ‘model-turned-actor’ from time to time. So I just have to work harder.
You’ve said so many times that you want to get married while you are prettiest. So I’ve read that fans keep emphasizing that ‘Lee Jong Suk is not handsome’.
About three years ago, there was a time when I kept saying that. That was when (Lee) Boyoung-noona was getting married. The year I was 25, I did five projects. I was so tired and busy that I kept thinking how wonderful it would be to settle down. Especially after hearing Boyoung-noona, who is like a real sister to me, was getting married, my heart was quite set on that. (laughs) Of course I don’t have plans to get married now.
Jong Suk will also be 30 years old in a few years.
Yep, that’s true. I;m 28 now and would be 30 before I know it. Some say that a man’s life really begins at 30, but when I was monitoring myself just now, I feel that I still look like a teenager. How can I look more like a man? I’m always worried about that.
End this interview with one charismatic sentence, something like your resolutions for this year?
(after a long period of thinking) Perhaps it’s a little too easy to say ‘I’ll work hard like a cow? Then I’ll just go with a practical resolution: I promise to fill up my quota of three projects this year!
Trans By: hitoritabi
