[Interview] "I Thought of the Boy Whose Growth Stopped After That Day." Actor Lee Chang-min from 'Mantis: The Murderer's Outing'

A villain like family, a family like a villain. The character Park Min-jae, played by actor Lee Chang-min, is a prime suspect in a serial murder case and a childhood friend who was like family to the protagonist, Soo-yeol (Jang Dong-yoon). With his charming appearance and eloquence, he approaches Jung-yeon (Kim Bo-ra) and Ah-ra (Han Dong-hee) and eventually confronts Soo-yeol. Even knowing that Soo-yeol is wary of him, he hints at the relationship between Soo-yeol and Jeong Yi-shin (Go Hyun-jung), constantly digging up the past. Having been abused by his father in childhood, he has lived considering Yi-shin, the only one who cared for him, as his savior. In many ways, he is a significant obstacle to Soo-yeol, who is trying to move forward. However, if that was perhaps an intention to unmask Soo-yeol, Min-jae's ambiguous stance as a friend or foe plays a crucial role in sustaining the tension in 〈Mantis: The Murderer's Outing〉's midsection. Moreover, there is a pitiful sympathy that inevitably arises from his inner turmoil, which keeps him close to Soo-yeol. We met Lee Chang-min, who delivered a passionate performance that traverses anxiety and madness. Starting with the drama 〈The Wedding Battle〉, he has been steadily building his career with works like 〈Hot Blooded Priest〉 Season 2 and 〈Labor Attorney Noh Mu-jin〉, and he is also set to air the Genie TV original 〈Good Woman Busemi〉. It seems we will be seeing more of him in the future.

How did you get cast in 〈Mantis: The Murderer's Outing〉?

The audition process was conducted like an entrance exam. It involved extracting a monologue from a play and narrating it freely through acting. In my case, it was a scene where a cheating husband writes a letter to his wife. I had been to quite a few auditions for different dramas, but this was the first time I acted freely with a play, which felt refreshing. It was difficult, but I felt like I was growing as an actor just through the audition.

What was your meeting with director Byun Young-joo like?

I remember the first time I met her after passing the audition. I had just returned from vacation, my face was a bit tanned, and my hairstyle was a bit odd due to filming another independent film. She said, "It looks like a country boy who just graduated from school came to audition," and told me to "quickly make my face whiter." Since the character's appearance was important, she gave me various advice and said, "You need to find the character on your own," which left a strong impression on me. Above all, I remember her saying, "This work may not be your first, but I hope 〈Mantis: The Murderer's Outing〉 will be called your debut work as an actor." That statement was a great motivation for me.

Then, what do you consider your real debut work as an actor?

First of all, the National Theater's youth play 〈Toe-Thumb Athletic Genius〉 (2022) stands out in my memory. It's a story about 12-year-old boys in the athletics club, each with their own struggles, finding their identity at the boundary between childhood and adolescence. I had a leading role, and it was my first experience meeting an audience outside of school. I made my TV drama debut with 〈The Wedding Battle〉 (2023), where I played a monk with a lot of backstory set in the Joseon era. I completely shaved my head for that role. (laughs)

I'm curious about how you interpreted the character Park Min-jae, who suddenly appears in the middle and disrupts the drama's emotions, making Soo-yeol uncomfortable.

He is a character who suddenly rises as a prime suspect upon his appearance. (laughs) Min-jae lived next door to Soo-yeol when they were kids, but he grew up in an unfortunate environment without proper care. Time has passed, and although he has aged, I thought of him as an adult whose body just grew. As soon as I read the script, I thought of him as a boy whose growth has stopped and acted accordingly. His speech and actions reflect a childlike view of the world, and he wants to keep playing like a child. That’s why he keeps making Soo-yeol uncomfortable. If the audience feels that discomfort, I consider it a success.

What is your personal sync rate with the role you played?

I expressed Min-jae as a child who is growing older but still has a child's body, and I feel like I am somewhat like that. While there are many differences when compared in detail, I felt that fundamentally, we are similar, and I might say that I share Min-jae's unique innocence. (laughs)

If you had to pick a memorable scene.

Min-jae is a character with many secrets and always hovers around others. His attempts to approach Soo-yeol, Jung-yeon, and Ah-ra seem like efforts to blend into the group. Those scenes remind me of how kids struggle to connect with new friends, reflecting the character of Min-jae I mentioned earlier. I was very nervous while filming, thinking that the chemistry with the co-actor is important, which might have added to that feeling. Ah-ra's actress is a fellow 2016 graduate from the Korea National University of Arts, and we are very close in real life, yet I was still nervous throughout.

When did you start dreaming of becoming an actor?

When I was young, I didn't have a specific dream of what I wanted to be; I just vaguely wanted to be a cool person. In my childish mind, actors seemed cool, and I can't leave out the drama 〈Queen Seondeok〉 as an influence. The charisma of actors like Go Hyun-jung seemed enormous. After that, I watched countless movies and joined the school drama club. I participated in performance competitions in the summer, and I enjoyed the time spent preparing works together in the drama club all day. Of course, since I wasn't skilled, I sometimes got scolded for my shortcomings, but all those processes were really fun. Even when it was hard, it was fun, and even when I got scolded, it was fun, and even when I couldn't do it, it was fun, so I felt that 'acting' suited me well. Even when I struggled and things didn't go well, I always wanted to do better.

Do you have a favorite actor?

When I was young, I had many, but I found that if I took someone as a role model, I would lose myself in the process. Since I have always been a person lacking confidence, I would follow along and be influenced by what I liked, but then I would lose sight of who I really am. Still, I think those times gathered to create who I am now. Once I got fixated on an actor, there was definitely a period where I adjusted not only my speech but also my tone and mannerisms to match that person. I wanted to become that person. For example, there was a time when I followed Cillian Murphy from the 〈Peaky Blinders〉 series that started in 2013. When that drama ended in 2022 and I saw Cillian Murphy win the Academy Award for Best Actor in the 2023 film 〈Oppenheimer〉, I felt a sense of pride as if my fandom had succeeded. In fact, he is an actor much older than me, but I almost felt like I had raised him. (laughs)

What are your thoughts after finishing 〈Mantis: The Murderer's Outing〉?

From the moment I first read the script, it was not only fun but also had no gaps in the content. I read it three times in a row. I was constantly curious about what would happen next, and upon rereading, I found that the previously read content could be interpreted differently. I feel that director Byun Young-joo, who coordinated all of that, is truly amazing. She is also a benefactor in my acting life. I was completely unemployed until I started this project. (laughs) She took good care of me on set and even demonstrated acting herself, which made it easy to understand what kind of picture she was drawing. I felt regret as each moment of filming came to an end, wishing that time could continue. I definitely feel that I leveled up through 〈Mantis: The Murderer's Outing〉.