[Interview] 'No Other Choice' Lee Byung-hun② “Feeling a sense of crisis with AI videos, I also watch videos featuring Lee Jung-jae”

※ Part 1 continues

The director said he spent a lot of time convincing about the part where Mansoo kills his rival. It’s a part that some audience members might question, and it must have been even more important from the perspective of playing Mansoo.

We talked a lot about that with the director throughout the shoot. Can someone who has been fired really make such a decision? He is definitely not an ordinary person, and while Mansoo may seem ordinary, if he eliminates a rival just because he was fired, there would be no one left in the world. (Everyone laughs) So I thought more persuasion was needed. The director agreed. There will be a time before the first murder in the running time, and I need to appear more emotionally desperate and miserable to make it convincing, and the director agreed on that. However, it seems that the two characters came to an implicit agreement through the cinematic setting. (After the murder) the next story is important. It was a concern and a difficult part for me.

You must have had a lot of experiences, including a press conference at the Venice Film Festival. What was it like to promote Korean films abroad, and what thoughts did you have about maintaining the status of Korean actors?

I’ve had several experiences promoting our films abroad, but I encountered many firsts while attending these film festivals. During the promotion of 〈Squid Game〉, I was surprised to see so many people recognizing me and greeting me. The intensity of that recognition was much greater this time. Venice and Toronto had more fans of the content during the festival period, but many people have become fans of individual works like 〈My Name is No. 1〉 by Yeom Hye-ran and 〈Crash Landing on You〉 by Son Ye-jin. I realized how incredible Korean content has become. Being invited to the festival with ‘Park Chan-wook’s new work’ felt amazing, and I was really proud. Even though we are in the same industry, the admiration in their eyes was so impressive. I was really excited to have worked together. I don’t think too deeply about the future direction, but what hasn’t changed is that it’s been 20 years since the Hallyu wave started. When we became popular across Asia, people in the industry were also bewildered. I think we went through trial and error during that time, trying to adapt to what people liked. I wonder if that’s what cooled down the Hallyu wave. To maintain our elevated status for a long time, I think we need to reflect on our past trials and errors and focus on what we’ve done so far, rather than what others like, to keep that diversity and surprise alive for a long time.

In the scene where Beommo fights Ararang, Jo Yong-pil's 'Dragonfly' was used. How was the song chosen? I’m also curious about the atmosphere during the shoot.

It was already decided to use a song by Jo Yong-pil, but I think 'Dragonfly' was chosen about a month before filming that scene. During the shoot, we did it without music due to simultaneous recording, and I wondered if it was okay to shout that loudly. Hyung Seong-min shouted first, and I followed his lead. I thought, ‘Is it okay to shout this loudly?’ but the director said, ‘You won’t hear the voice anyway,’ so I asked, ‘Then why did we shout?’ (Everyone laughs) I was worried that it might have been too much, but he said it would be fine since they would make the music louder. He was trying to capture those subtle sounds.

The couple's fight was also very funny. There were some childish points that were well captured. How was it when you shot that scene?

Miri’s line, “You’re handsome too,” was one of the last changes made by director Lee Kyung-mi, who participated in the script. I think that scene became funnier. I laughed a lot. When a man and a woman fight, they often argue over childish things. (The humor in that scene) might be the power of empathy. I suddenly remembered that there was a dog barking sound on set. Miri has a line saying, “You’re a dog, so be fair,” and I originally had a line after that. The director asked me to bark instead of saying my line once. At first, I thought it was a joke, but he really wanted me to try it. So I thought he wouldn’t use it, but I gave it a shot. Everyone laughed on set, but the director said, ‘I wanted to try it once,’ implying he wouldn’t use it. But it ended up in the movie. (Everyone laughs) I’m curious how the audience will react. When a person gets angry, they lose their rationality, and I thought that might have been what he was aiming for.

Among the various emotions of Mansoo, which ones do you personally want to pick?

I really like the first and last interviews. The anxious and desperate feelings I’m experiencing now and the calmness and confidence I’m trying to show are very contrasting. Mansoo appears the most pitiful, and I feel a sense of compassion for him.

As Mansoo meets the applicants, he discovers similarities with them. Have you ever felt that you unexpectedly resembled someone?

I vaguely thought that Park Hee-soon might resemble me, but the director mentioned that he wanted to see macho and funny acting from Park Hee-soon. When he said he hoped the people eliminated by Mansoo would have something in common, it turned out that the selection was based on physical resemblance. I thought I might look somewhat similar, but after seeing that the director cast him for that reason, I realized that I must really resemble him this time.

Do you find any part of Mansoo relatable?

You might think it’s hard to feel a sense of kinship with Mansoo in a happy and good situation like mine, but I’m experiencing many things indirectly. Whether as a director or an actor, you never know what will happen until the next project. I’m just someone with a smaller range, but there are many actors who are waiting without knowing what will happen. It’s even more so for directors. While many actors are constantly working, for those who are waiting, it’s almost like unemployment. Moreover, the issue of AI in the film industry is becoming prominent. I’ve seen it too. I’ve seen AI videos featuring Lee Jung-jae and me from 〈Squid Game〉. At first, I thought, ‘When did I shoot something like this?’ Considering those things, losing jobs due to AI is something most people are experiencing directly or indirectly. The publishing industry is a declining industry where everyone sends texts via computers and phones, reducing the use of paper, and in reality, the theater industry is similar. While movies are being made through streaming, the theater industry urgently needs to think and find ways to recover. I’m always contemplating this. It’s the first topic that comes up when I meet filmmakers. No one has a definitive solution, but I hope that by focusing on making good movies that can only be felt in theaters, things will improve.

You have done many works every year and are currently active as a top actor. Are there moments you look forward to expanding your filmography in the future?

I feel like this phenomenon is some kind of energy beyond my will. There were times when I thought, ‘Let’s just try it,’ but since this phenomenon is causing a global reaction, it’s bewildering. The most significant feeling is happiness, but it’s also frighteningly bewildering. This film is by director Park Chan-wook, who has many fans worldwide. All of this makes me feel a bit puzzled. I feel very happy and think I made a good choice. However, our movie starts with ‘I have achieved everything’ but ends with ‘I have lost everything.’ Considering all of that, there’s also a sense of anxiety. I wonder what kind of work I should do to remain a good actor. As you mentioned, I have received a lot of love, but I always think about whether I can remain an actor that people want to see.

Recently, 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 has also garnered tremendous attention. Do you have any criteria for choosing such successful scripts?

The most important thing is my enjoyment. Did I find it fun to read? That’s the biggest criterion, and when I encounter a situation that makes me think, I ask around. 〈G.I. Joe〉 was like that; a project came to me, and I rejected it, but my American manager insisted, ‘This is a national comic.’ It wasn’t for us. So I called directors Kim Ji-woon and Park Chan-wook to share my concerns. Director Park said, ‘Go for it,’ while director Kim said, ‘Why do it?’ which made me even more confused. (Everyone laughs) The feeling I had when I first read the story is the biggest criterion for me. 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 honestly felt more like an adventure. I had done voice acting in my 20s, but doing voice acting in English was a challenge. Still, I thought, let’s try it; it’s better than regretting not trying. About five years ago, I was asked to meet and heard the story, but at that time, I thought, ‘I probably won’t do it.’ However, as we continued video call meetings, I leaned towards doing it because the idea was good. The way it connects the origins of today’s boy groups and girl groups was interesting. I had some concerns, though. When I watched it with my son, he asked, “Who’s dad?” and I said, “That’s fire.” Since I’m a dad, he said both Huntix and Lion Boys were not great, saying, “I’m on the side of the ear.” But you can’t support the ear side when watching the movie. Later, he said, “Dad, why did you do that!” (laughs) At some point, my child will reach an age where he can watch my movies, and there are many villains. I wonder if he thinks of me as a villain specialist.... (laughs)