우재연
| 2025-03-21 15:02:11
actor-interview
Lee Byung-hun on challenges of playing Go legend
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- Portraying Cho Hoon-hyun, South Korea's living legendary Go player, in the upcoming film "The Match," actor Lee Byung-hun experienced moments where he felt as if he were facing an uphill battle.
One such moment occurred in the scene where Cho realizes he stands no chance of winning against his own pupil, Lee Chang-ho (Yoo Ah-in), at the championship defense final.
"Wait, is it over now?" he whispers to himself in disbelief when the cold realization hits him.
"When I delivered the line, I couldn't even begin to fathom what he must have felt inside," Lee said during an interview with local media Friday. "I really wanted to do it right so that the audience can feel what I was feeling in that moment."
However, a lingering sense of apprehension about his own performance in that scene stayed with him for days. He couldn't shake the feeling that he might have done it better if given another chance.
"I asked the director to shoot that scene again, but he assured me it was good enough. Still, I couldn't let go of the anxiety, wondering whether I had truly conveyed his emotions."
Based on the real-life rivalry between South Korea's two legendary Go players, "The Match" follows the mental journey of Cho, who spots the young genius and takes him under his wing at the height of his professional career.
Cho treats Lee like his own son, mentoring him for years and passing down everything he has learned as a Go player. But as the young student matures, Lee develops his own set of rules and principles as a professional. Lee is no longer just a young boy who unconditionally absorbs Cho's teachings. The film takes a new turn as a series of humiliating defeats ultimately sparks Cho's resolve to start anew.
Lee said he was attracted to the gripping story of the two iconic players who lived under the same roof for years, only to become each other's fiercest rivals.
"Imagine, being driven to the match in the same car and returning home in that same car -- one as the winner, the other as the loser. That image alone, without a single word, is incredibly dramatic."
As a newcomer to the game, he researched both the players and the mind sport, watching a documentary to learn more about the two rivals.
"I was captivated. I knew right away I had to take on the role," he said.
Widely regarded as one of the country's finest performers, Lee, celebrated for his roles in "Concrete Utopia" and "Squid Game," is trusted to bring any character to life. Yet, the actor admitted that he still experiences moments of self-doubt in every project he takes on.
"There are always difficult moments where I think, 'I can't do this anymore,'" he said.
"Many assume that acting must be easy for me by now, but I actually find myself dwelling on things I wouldn't have given much thought to in the past. While the nature of my worries might have changed, the amount hasn't."
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