연합뉴스
| yna@yna.co.kr 2025-11-24 15:24:10
SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Yonhap) -- “Sometimes I wonder if my entire acting career has led me to director Kim Seok and to ‘The Informant’ — as if I became an actor just to make this film,” actor Heo Sung-tae said as he reflected on his first leading role.
Heo stars as detective Oh Nam-hyuk in director Kim’s crime action comedy “The Informant.” In an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Monday at a cafe in Seoul’s Samcheong-dong, he said the film feels especially meaningful to him.
“Being cast as a lead is significant, of course, but the character resembles me so much that it feels almost predestined,” he said. “I got along so well with director Kim that I felt I wanted to keep working with him. He’s someone I want to have in my life even outside of filmmaking.”
“The Informant” follows former ace detective Oh Nam-hyuk, who loses both his confidence and instincts after an unexpected incident. He becomes entangled in a major scheme together with informant Jo Tae-bong, played by Cho Bok-rae.
Heo said he initially turned down the role, believing it was too soon in his career to lead a film. “But after meeting the director and talking with him, I realized our sense of humor clicked perfectly and we communicated so well about the story. That’s what made me decide to join,” he explained.
He added that Kim’s background as both a theater director and longtime film editor made him someone who “truly enjoys collaborative sets,” and that Kim’s approach to people felt like a natural match for him.
Once he decided to take on the role, Heo said he tried to enjoy the process while fulfilling the responsibilities of a lead actor. “It was a learning experience, like the saying that the position makes the person,” he said. “I found myself mediating opinions between the producer and the director and even feeling motivated to take the initiative in promoting the film.”
He also praised co-star Cho Bok-rae, who plays the informant. “Cho is incredibly versatile — you input something and he outputs it immediately,” he said. “He can dance, box, sing — there’s nothing he can’t do. He prepares thoroughly and is a very serious actor.”
Heo, who debuted in 2011 through a televised audition program, previously worked in overseas sales at LG Electronics before becoming an actor. He said the moment just before he delivered his first-ever performance in that audition reminded him of Oh Nam-hyuk’s awakening as a detective in the film.
“I was trembling like crazy right before the door to the stage opened,” he recalled. “But then I told myself, ‘I am my mother’s proud son,’ and walked out with confidence. That moment came back to me.”
He added: “Everyone has their peak and also falls into bouts of stagnation. But I believe there’s always a moment when you return to your true self. I tried to capture that moment in a beautiful, meaningful way.”
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]