Movie '84 Square Meters' Kang Ha-neul "Although different from Woosung, I acted fiercely"

Actor Kang Ha-neul took on the role of Woosung, the protagonist in the Netflix movie 〈84 Square Meters〉, which deals with the sharp realities of modern society such as 'Younggeul' (borrowing to the point of exhaustion) and noise between floors, showcasing a deep performance. In a recent interview at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, he shared his personal interpretation of the character and his thoughts on the work.

Kang Ha-neul expressed the difficulty of forming a personal connection regarding Woosung's 'Younggeul' method, saying, "It's not a style of pouring everything in and saying 'please go well.'" However, he added, "I could understand what kind of feelings he had."

He mentioned that he has never personally experienced 'Younggeul' or noise between floors. Kang Ha-neul defined the act of betting everything to buy a house as "ultimately a 'gambler's temperament'" and humorously suggested that if it were him, he would have left "at least one emergency exit, like my mother's land."

In the film, Woosung gathers all his salary, loans, and even the money from selling his mother's rural land to buy an apartment, only to suffer from noise between floors. Kang Ha-neul pointed out, "You should have checked those things (noise between floors) before buying," and added, "I live in a rental because if a problem arises, I have to move."

Despite playing a character different from his usual disposition, Kang Ha-neul emphasized that he approached the work fiercely. He recalled a scene where Woosung is enthusiastic about coin investment, saying, "Every time the cut ended, we discussed with the director and shot it really fiercely." He added, "It was a constructive moment, and it was so much fun."

Especially when filming the scene where Woosung struggles not to lose consciousness after being hit by a taser at the police station, he revealed, "I was most wary of it looking funny like a comedy." Kang Ha-neul expressed satisfaction, saying, "The director and I wanted a 'laugh-sad' (funny yet sad) picture the most, and I think we achieved the desired atmosphere."

He praised director Kim Tae-jun's delicate direction for enhancing the film's realism. Kang Ha-neul explained, "For example, even when the camera was only filming my hand, I had to wait until a drop of sweat fell from my fingertips," adding, "I don't think any scene was taken lightly." It is said that when filming the state of clothes soaked in sweat, the director directed down to the detail of, 'Since the sweat came out like this, it should have this much saltiness when dry.'

Kang Ha-neul also explained his secret to spreading bright energy around him. He said, "When I think of the works I've done so far, I don't remember the success or audience numbers at all; only the fun moments during filming come to mind." He emphasized, "Of course, the success of the work is important, but what matters more is how much fun you enjoy that scene."

Kang Ha-neul added, "Whether the movie does well or not is not something I can control," stating, "The only thing I can choose is to make that day's shoot enjoyable." He mentioned 〈84 Square Meters〉 saying, "I think it is the most 'hyper-realistic' work among the ones available on Netflix right now," and added, "If you want to see a thriller genre that could come out in reality, it would be a good choice."