Veteran actor Lee Byung-hun (55) transformed into a Go player in the movie 'Victory'.
'Victory' (directed by Kim Hyung-joo) tells the story of Korea's greatest Go legend, Cho Hun-hyun (played by Lee Byung-hun), who challenges the top once again after losing a match against his disciple. Lee Byung-hun plays the living Go legend Cho Hun-hyun. His disciple and world Go genius Lee Chang-ho is portrayed by Kim Kang-hoon as a child and Yoo Ah-in as an adult.
Yoo Ah-in was imprisoned on charges of habitual drug use, including propofol and marijuana, and was released after receiving a suspended prison sentence in the appeals court held on the 18th of last month. After many ups and downs, 'Victory' is set to be released on the 26th.
When asked about his feelings ahead of the release, Lee Byung-hun said, "I was excited just to have a theatrical release. There were ups and downs, but I was overjoyed that it was finally being released. All the staff and actors worked hard on it, and while it might be seen by many on OTT, beyond that, being able to focus on the detailed emotions and sounds on the big screen for two hours is something that makes me proud as a creator."
He mentioned that he met with Cho Hun-hyun before filming and tried to catch his mannerisms and habits. "As the conversation went on, I realized that not all stories could be happy and good, so if there were ambiguous statements, his wife controlled the situation very well," he said.
When asked about Cho Hun-hyun's reaction at the preview, he said, "He was worried and curious about how a static sport like Go could be made into a movie. But he was surprised that the psychology and emotions were expressed very well. He mentioned that he didn't scold Lee Chang-ho that much, and that a master is just a guide for his disciple rather than teaching every single stone. I was relieved to hear that he thought he had watched the movie trailer."
He also shared his thoughts on playing real-life characters, having portrayed Cha Min-soo in the drama 'All In' and Cho Hun-hyun in 'Victory'.
Lee Byung-hun said, "I played Cha Min-soo in 'All In', which depicted his life. Cha Min-soo and Cho Hun-hyun were close friends in their youth. When I asked Cho Hun-hyun if they were that close, he said they had dinner just a few days ago. I thought it was a strange connection. One is a gambler, and the other is a Go king. I found it a strange fate to portray the lives of these two men."
He continued, "I acted while both of them are still alive, and I think the writer probably had the most concerns. If it becomes distorted or false, it could lead to criticism and problems. As an actor, when I perform a created fiction, I have freedom. I can freely expand from there, but in this case, freedom was excluded, and I acted while imagining, 'This person must have been like this.'
When asked about the controversial Yoo Ah-in, Lee Byung-hun said, "I think he did an excellent job in this role. It's not just one actor's performance that makes a movie shine. Everyone has to do well to elevate it and draw the audience into the story. In that sense, I think he did well," but added, "Of course, while waiting to see how this movie would turn out, I felt regret. However, the person who was most worried was the director. After filming 'The Sheriff', he prepared and shot this movie with great care for several years, and if it doesn't reach the audience... I was worried about the director."
When asked about his experience working with Yoo Ah-in, he said, "I was amazed by the expression of Lee Chang-ho's calm demeanor and the inscrutable thoughts conveyed through his eyes, speech, and gestures, which I hadn't seen in other works. I don't know if he was trying to immerse himself in his character during filming, but he was so quiet on set that I couldn't grasp his personality. So I thought he was trying hard to immerse himself in the character."
When asked if he contacted Yoo Ah-in after the incident, he replied briefly, "I haven't contacted him even once. We weren't the type to call each other regularly."
Lee Byung-hun learned how to place and remove stones from actual Go players before filming and tried to get familiar with it by practicing with his family.
In particular, he mentioned that he often played Omok (a traditional Korean board game) with his son, saying, "I don't know Go well and can't teach it, so the way I place the stones and remove them is important, so I practiced by playing Omok with my son. I still can't play Go. I can't even talk about my skill level," and added, "When I call my son, if I have my own schedule or want to do something else, my wife sometimes takes over. I also played with my father-in-law."
Recently, at the VIP preview of 'Victory', Lee Byung-hun's wife Lee Min-jung and their 10-year-old son attended together.
When asked about his family's reaction, Lee Byung-hun said, "My father-in-law and my mother also came to the preview," and added, "My father-in-law is a Go fan, and since he knows the historical background, he said the movie was made with great care. My wife also said she felt sad after watching the movie. When I asked if it was because of me, she said it was because of Lee Chang-ho's departure. I think my performance contributed to that."
He continued, "My son watched the movie, and the first one I showed him was 'Masquerade', then 'Joint Security Area (JSA)', and the third was 'Victory'. He didn't quite understand the North-South relations in 'JSA' and asked why the two couldn't be friends. He said 'Victory' was very sad. I think he felt the same way as my wife Lee Min-jung when Lee Chang-ho left."
Although he is a veteran actor recognized by everyone, Lee Byung-hun still has many concerns when acting.
He said, "I also have moments in every project where I feel like I can't do it. Even during the recent filming of 'I Can't Help It', there were moments when I felt like I couldn't do it. Everyone probably goes through a continuous struggle of how to approach it. As I gain experience, the depth of my concerns changes, but the concerns remain the same. Those moments always arise in every project."
Lee Byung-hun's next project is 'I Can't Help It', which he finished filming last January. He reunites with director Park Chan-wook after 'Joint Security Area (JSA)' and 'Thirst'.
He said, "It was really hard and really fun. When going to the filming set, I worried about how hard it would be that day. But on the other hand, I felt excited. It was that much fun and challenging to film," raising expectations.
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
