Can This Love Be Translated? Kim Seon-ho ② "I think my reaction creates the image of the other character while acting"

▶ 〈Can This Love Be Translated?〉 Kim Seon-ho Actor Interview continues in Part 1.

There were many overseas location shoots. Among Japan, Italy, and Canada, which country left the biggest impression on you?

Italy was great, and everything was good, but I can't forget the shock of seeing the aurora. I saw the aurora by chance, even though it wasn't planned. I actually saw it. I realized that you can see the aurora even when the sun is up. It felt like it was alive and moving. So, I say Canada, Banff is the best. I saw it in Banff. If you get the chance, I hope you can see it. It made my heart flutter.

Please pick a scene from the work that made you excited.

There is a scene in Japan where Mu-hee and Ho-jin are facing each other across the train tracks. I think that scene shows their current perspective. It seemed to show the emotional distance at that time. And the scene where they went to the dawn market in Canada seemed to show how their hearts unknowingly got closer, which I liked. Lastly, the scene of climbing the stairs on a snowy day. The scenery of Italy was captured beautifully. Those three scenes are the most memorable for me.

You showed your 'melodrama eyes' without filter in this work. How do you perform that eye acting?

At some point, people started telling me that, and I became aware of it. In the beginning, I wasn't conscious of it. Now, I am so aware that I don't know how to approach future works. (laughs) When I look at someone, I think it contains emotions, so it seems a bit like that. I'm grateful that people see it positively, but on the other hand, I'm worried that my emotions might be miscommunicated. I'm thankful for it now, but I think I need to keep checking my eyes in the next project.

Expressing subtle emotions is difficult. Do you have any know-how when performing melodrama? You were already good, but it seems like you've improved even more in this work.

If I say this, it makes me feel good for two days. (laughs) It's not that I developed it separately, but the writer and director told me that my role needs to be stable. I need to stand firm so that when Mu-hee shakes in various ways, I can convey the theme of communication that this work wants to express.

And when performing romance or any emotional acting, the most important thing is to make it so that viewers can imagine. Because love is an emotion that everyone possesses. Even if there are preferences for genres, everyone has experienced that emotion, so I think it doesn't make sense to be too fake. I believe that moving subtly and delicately within the basic framework of the love emotion we know evokes people's past and allows them to imagine. For example, when someone is standing still and sees someone they like and raises their eyebrows once, the degree of emotion people feel may vary, but they know it's love. I think I intentionally reacted to express that delicately. I'm truly grateful that you think it was good after seeing that.

You mentioned that you act reactions intentionally when filming romance or melodrama, and I definitely felt that in this work. There are moments when Ho-jin looks at Mu-hee and smiles because she is so cute. Those are actually points of excitement.

Ho-jin's lines are particularly static and written in a literary style. So, if I lose that liveliness, Ho-jin would just become a very solid character, so I always thought I needed to be open to external stimuli and react. I believe that my reactions create the image of the other character, not just in romance but in any genre. When I look at someone fearfully, it might just produce a scary reaction, but if I look at them with my heart racing, that person might appear larger. That's why I think reactions are really important.

In fact, with the introduction of Dorami, the drama takes a turn, and there are mixed reactions among viewers. What do you think about this part?

In the beginning, I also discussed with the writers about what kind of relationship this character has and why it's necessary. I felt that Ho-jin and Mu-hee don't have a translator. They can't communicate well, and I think Dorami plays the role of translating between them. Anyway, since this work has a theme of understanding each other's language, words, and actions, I thought Dorami could help the two characters and approached the work.

Cha Mu-hee and Dorami are contrasting characters. Could you tell us about each of their charms?

Mu-hee is proactive but not honest in love. She doesn't just throw things out directly; she is the type to speak very indirectly about what she wants, while Dorami is someone who speaks very clearly about what she wants. She doesn't care if it hurts someone or creates a situation where they have to leave. But I don't see the difference between the two as that big. Because they both come from one person and stem from their deficiencies, I think Dorami embodies that deficiency. So, when I look at Mu-hee, I think I saw a bit of pain, rather than just seeing her as Dorami or Cha Mu-hee. As Ho-jin, I think I was contemplating how to resolve this person's deficiency, both as an actor and as Ho-jin.

Last year, you made a special appearance in 〈When Life Gives You Tangerines〉 and left a deep impression. You became a national son-in-law by becoming IU's husband. I'm curious about your feelings about receiving a lot of love for the character Chung-seop.

I could only see the script for the episode I was in. But as soon as I read the script, I thought it might be an honor to participate in this work. I cried when I read the script. I don't usually cry when reading scripts, but I cried and laughed a lot, so I was happy to be part of this work. However, I didn't really know how people reacted. I was filming something else at that time. When I suddenly heard that a challenge had gone viral, I was like, what is going on? I realized that there were more people than I thought who remember me as Chung-seop from 〈When Life Gives You Tangerines〉. At that moment, the pride and joy as an actor were indescribable. Surprisingly, many actors envied me. (laughs) I can't name anyone, but I heard that even unknown actors said they wanted to play a role like Chung-seop. So, I think I got an incredible lucky opportunity.

And through social media, many overseas fans have shown their support, which often leaves me speechless. I still remember hearing that I had many fans in Thailand, but I didn't really feel it. However, when I went to Thailand to film 〈The Childe〉, fans called my name. The vividness and shock of that moment still linger in my memory. I'm so grateful, and it still feels like a dream. I feel like I'm having a truly happy experience as an actor being able to appear on Netflix consecutively.

Usually, you participate in small-scale plays mainly in Daehakro.

Since I started there, and all the actors I admire and want to work with are there. I think there has been a longing that I've unconsciously had since I was young. I learned a lot when I was in Daehakro, and that's why I'm here. Because I wasn't a very good actor. The fact that I can do this now is thanks to the advice and footsteps of many seniors that I could follow. I can say this with confidence.

Acting is the most difficult when you first try it. It's scary, and that first step can have mixed reactions from the public, but I want to say that I really respect the seniors who boldly attempt that. So, when the public validates it and good acting is received, someone can take that as a reference. But those references are there for me.

And when doing theater, there are times when you are triple-cast. At those times, I sometimes get shocked. There are times when another actor cast in the same role expresses it so differently that I wonder if I'm looking at the right script. Those moments are so enjoyable. I feel like I'm building something within me through those small experiences. So, I continue to be there to fulfill my small desires.

Lastly, do you have any message for the viewers of 〈Can This Love Be Translated?〉?

I think if everyone has more leeway regarding language and keeps an open mind that someone can be different, it would be very helpful in our thoughts, actions, and communication. If you watch our work, you can ponder communication, and since it's a fairy tale-like story, I would like to ask you to view it beautifully.