Finding One's Purpose as an Actor 'HUMINT' Jo In-sung① "Elegant Action? Thanks to Director Ryoo Seung-wan, I Just Did What I Was Told"

Jo In-sung stated that he studies 'how not to act'. With 27 years of acting experience, Jo In-sung still contemplates his purpose. He constantly questions his usefulness and self-censors.

The actor Jo In-sung, who has built a strong image, said he is rather learning 'how to let go'. After passing through a period where he expressed raw emotions like Byeong-du in 〈The Outlaws〉, he reached a turning point in his acting career with 〈HUMINT〉. He aims to be an actor who can perform quietly yet powerfully, transitioning from acting that exudes energy to one that swallows it inward, and he has shaped a restrained character in 〈HUMINT〉.

The acting style that Jo In-sung pursues, 'letting go and emptying out', is vividly expressed in 〈HUMINT〉. Jo's character, Manager Jo, serves as an 'emotional guide' leading the audience watching the film. The film 〈HUMINT〉, directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, which was released on the 11th, tells the story of individuals with different purposes clashing in Vladivostok, where secrets and truths are submerged in a cold sea of ice. The character 'Manager Jo', played by Jo In-sung, is a National Intelligence Service agent of South Korea who successfully carries out operations with sharp intuition and judgment even in dangerous situations, but after losing a HUMINT (Human Intelligence source) for the first time, he struggles between a ruthless mission and human choices.

Manager Jo observes the romance between Park Geon (Park Jung-min) and Chae Sun-hwa (Shin Se-kyung) from a distance. Amid their deep relationship, Manager Jo fulfills his role as a guide for the audience with restrained expressions and actions, balancing human compassion for HUMINT and his responsibilities as an agent, rather than excessive emotions.

According to Jo In-sung, Manager Jo in 〈HUMINT〉 serves as the 'base' of the film. Just like the bass in a band or the base in cooking, when it exists, its presence is often unnoticed, but when it is gone, everything collapses. The actor, who took on the role of a safe base, completed Ryoo Seung-wan's feast with a heavy flavor instead of flashy seasoning.

On the afternoon of the 11th, an interview was held to commemorate the release of the film 〈HUMINT〉 in a certain location in Jongno, Seoul. On this day, Cineplay met with Jo In-sung to discuss various topics, from behind-the-scenes stories about the film 〈HUMINT〉 to his honest acting concerns. Here is the full conversation with actor Jo In-sung, who skillfully completed Ryoo Seung-wan's culinary creation.

I heard that when Director Ryoo Seung-wan offered you 〈HUMINT〉, you accepted it right away without even looking at the script. What were your impressions when you first received and read the script?

I thought, 'It's cold, but the emotions are hot.' If I were to compare it to an animal, the character Manager Jo feels like a lonely wolf. Especially, Director Ryoo is known for changing the script a lot on set, and he has a very strong sense of the scene, so I approached this project with the mindset of having fun creating it together.

The character Manager Jo in 〈HUMINT〉 is described as 'elegant'. He appears wearing a long coat, which reminds one of classic American spy movies and Hong Kong noir films. What aspects did you consider regarding Manager Jo's style and action?

The style of Manager Jo in a coat contrasts with Park Geon's (Park Jung-min) mustang. The director thought it would be good for me to wear a coat since I am tall, but that coat is very uncomfortable. It gets caught during action scenes, and I almost wanted to tear it off. (laughs) I'm not sure if my action is particularly elegant. I don't have a grand intention when acting in action scenes. Since Director Ryoo knows action very well and can manage it skillfully, I think his direction and that magic made it look elegant. I didn't specifically try to be elegant. How does one even do that? (laughs) It's not something you can just aim for, and there are many tall actors too. I really don't know much about action. I really don't. It's the director who knows how to do it; I just did what I was told. (laughs)

If so, were there any specific directions that Director Ryoo Seung-wan gave to you as Jo In-sung?

He often told me to act “kindly” and “affectionately” when portraying Manager Jo. And he repeatedly reminded me that “Manager Jo should have dignity.” For example, if there was no kindness when dealing with HUMINT Kim Soo-rin (Joo Bo-bi) or Chae Sun-hwa (Shin Se-kyung), the character of Manager Jo would have lacked depth. Listening to the stories of defectors from North Korea on the show 〈Now Going to Meet You〉 (a variety program aired on Channel A related to North Korea), I heard that when they go to Hanawon (an institution under the Ministry of Unification that helps defectors adapt to South Korean society), there are cases where they fall in love while talking with National Intelligence Service agents. It seems that the Seoul dialect sounds kind and sweet to defectors. I also took that into consideration. So, I approached HUMINT with the mindset that it’s not just about information but also about exchanging emotions, and I thought that would make the character appear more three-dimensional.

You mentioned 'kindness' as a keyword for Manager Jo, but personally, I kept thinking that there might be a romantic tension between Manager Jo and Chae Sun-hwa while watching the film. Also, thanks to your gaze, there were parts that strangely made it look like a love triangle between Park Geon, Chae Sun-hwa, and Manager Jo. I’m curious if that was intentional during your performance or if there were any special requests from the director.

It wasn't something the director specifically requested or something I intended, but if you saw it that way, it seems you viewed the film richly. When I watch a film, even if there aren't actual scenes, if I feel like something could happen, it means I felt chemistry between the two in my heart. So if you watched the film that way, I think that's the highest praise. I didn't practice any romantic gazes separately or have that in mind; it seems to stem from a chemical reaction. Just like during 〈The Drug King〉, where some felt a strange romantic tension with Kim Hye-soo, if such elements were visible in this film as well, I think it adds to the richness of the experience. My gaze might be due to getting older and having dry eyes. (laughs)

As you mentioned, the hotel scene with Chae Sun-hwa had a particularly strange romantic mood. Earlier, actor Park Hae-joon also mentioned that scene as the best scene in 〈HUMINT〉. How would you respond to that?

(Park) Hae-joon? He knows how to watch a movie. (laughs) Honestly, I was really surprised by both (Park) Jung-min and (Shin) Se-kyung, but I was particularly amazed by Hae-joon. He acts with such flexibility and ease that it was truly overwhelming. He doesn't put on a facade or say, 'I'm the bad guy'; he really becomes that person. When you can't read what that character is thinking, the movie becomes even more interesting, and I think Hae-joon deserves even more applause for his performance.

As mentioned earlier, Manager Jo's delivery of lines was also impressive. For example, when you said, “Have you ever told anyone about us? Even family?” you paused in the middle, giving it a lot of space. Thanks to that, it felt like you were suspicious of Chae Sun-hwa while still being kind to her. You must have considered a lot to embody both suspicion and kindness simultaneously.

A bit of 'ma' makes you think a lot. When we speak to someone, that brief silence holds a lot. I read in a psychology book that if one person remains silent in a noisy crowd, that silence can be more powerful in stopping the noise than shouting. However, since 〈HUMINT〉 is a film, there are intense fights. You can't make your lines too long, and if they're too short, the expression doesn't come across. I'm not sure if the timing was appropriate, but I tried to utilize that 'ma'. Thank you for noticing that.

Director Ryoo Seung-wan mentioned that you memorized the script entirely, considering the rhythm and endings. What was the specific process for that?

To completely internalize the lines, I read the script out loud every morning. After about 100 days, it flows out easily. It's better to memorize it twice than once, and better to read it three times than twice. As the memory builds up, it comes out smoothly. So I read it every day. I went through the process of reading it out loud once a day to make it stick. Now that I’ve become a senior actor, it’s a bit embarrassing when I make mistakes on set, even if no one says anything. When I have to connect long scenes with the co-actor, if I make a mistake first, I might break their rhythm, so I think I made sure to look at the script at least once a day. Because of that, I was able to see the rhythm and endings. Although there are times when it doesn't hold up during actual acting due to urgency, I still tried to make an effort and asked others to check (the rhythm and endings).

In 〈HUMINT〉, there are many intense action scenes between actor Jo In-sung and actor Park Jung-min. In a previous interview, Park Jung-min mentioned that he enjoyed not getting hurt while working with you and appreciated your consideration. How was it for you while filming the action scenes?

I wasn't worried at all about working with Jung-min. We can communicate. But it was more challenging to work with the overseas team because the emotions are different. In the first sequence, a Southeast Asian action team came, and their methods and skills differ from ours. So, I think I was more scared working with overseas stunt performers where communication and emotions didn't align. The same goes for the Russian stunt team.

Park Jung-min mentioned at the press conference that he was glad to finally face off against you in this project after only seeing you support him from behind. As a senior, you’ve been able to witness the growth of a junior actor right in front of you.

If I say, “I had those days too,” it might sound like I'm belittling Jung-min. (laughs) You get to witness the growth process. I worked with (Ryu) Jun-yeol in 〈The King〉, and it’s the same with Jung-min. I believe there are times and moments when junior actors can be more loved, and Jung-min was an actor who was ready for that timing, and I thought he would naturally become that kind of friend.

▶ The interview with actor Jo In-sung from 〈HUMINT〉 continues in part 2.