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| yna@yna.co.kr 2023-04-13 10:36:06
SEOUL, Apr. 13 (Yonhap) -- “I was able to act without any thought or restriction. While shooting, I acted as if I was wearing a mask since the film itself was already based on exaggeration,” veteran actor Lee Sun-kyun shared his feelings on the eye-catching transformation he had in the upcoming comedy film “Killing Romance.”
The actor will appear as an island tycoon Jonathan, an unrivaled character with long hair and a mustache, wearing colorful clothes that match his exaggerated hyperboles. He and the mega-hit star Yeo-rae (Lee Ha-nee) tie the knot, deceiving the public as if they are in love. However, the top star soon realizes she is married to a distasteful narcissist who thinks of her as all but a trophy wife.
During an exclusive interview at a cafe in Seoul on Wednesday, the 48-year-old said, “I used to weigh more heavily on the story’s seamlessness and hyper-realism while shooting my previous works. However, I gladly took this film as I only focused on the characters themselves.”
“Killing Romance,” helmed by star director Lee Won-seok who has credits for previously producing the iconic rom-com “How to Use Guys with Secret Tips,” has been raising up the hype of comedy-film lovers only with its unheard-of teaser, which gave them sneak peek into its unprecedented setting and plot line.
Lee was known to have offered this work after his sensational dark comedy film “Parasite” raked in highly acclaimed film awards from all over the world, including the Cannes. When asked why he willingly took this challenge by starring in such an experimental piece, especially when he just hit two strikes with tvN’s television series “My Mister” and the film “Parasite,” the actor replied, “Those successes actually did not have much of an impact on my decision-making process. Yes, I have been a part of some major works. However, they were just part of my career, and they just became part of my experiences.”
“I can always cover up my character from one work with another character from the next work. I wanted to give some variations to my filmography which I thought weighed too much on serious and heavy works,” the actor added.
Nevertheless, Lee confessed that he was rather reluctant to star in this film until he met director Lee. “When I first received the scenario, it was so peculiar that I enjoyed reading it. However, I could not imagine myself starring in this role. I went to meet director Lee only because I wanted to listen to the reason he gave me the offer to star as Jonathan, and then I was told that Lee Ha-nee was almost going for this film. I guess I had put my trust in Ha-nee,” the actor recalled.
Lee Sun-kyun and Lee Ha-nee met and joined hands for the first time in the 2010 smash-hit television series “Pasta,”
“At that time, it was not long after Ha-nee just had her screen debut. But she exceptionally did well,” adding, “I knew she was going to be big, but I think she has become even bigger than I expected. There are not many Korean actresses who can just put everything down as she does. I think she has become a figure as a comedy actress. As she always does, she held the balance also for this film.”
Lee, who said he truly had fun while shooting “Killing Romance,” recalled that director Lee also played a big role: “Director Lee was very comfortable to work with, and he is very humorous. He is not only funny but also very straightforward. I think that is his biggest strength. Since we have always been comfortable with each other, I could also take the courage to act as I feel and also tell him parts that I wish to be changed. We had zero communication issues. I think that was how the character Jonathan came out.”
The line “It’s good,” which Jonathan constantly shouts throughout the film, as well as his detachable mustache were all actor Lee’s ideas. “I feel pretty attached to Jonathan. Just as some iconic scenes from ‘How to Use Guys with Secret Tips’ went viral, I wish the audience to have fun with this film as well,” the actor said.
“The film will definitely get both likes and dislikes, but I think we made a fairly satisfactory work that fulfills our main objective of having the audience break into laughter in diverse ways. If you watch the first 20 minutes of our film without making any assumptions, I believe you will unexpectedly be captivated by this film that is far from being seamless,” Lee said with a smile.
His "Killing Romance" will hit local theaters on April 14, 2023.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)
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