[Interview] Jin Sun-kyu on “Husbands in Action” Part 1: “A comedy film we made by thinking together with Gong Myung, like close siblings”

A “buddy movie” made by “buddies” who genuinely don’t have to pretend—crafted “together.” 〈Extreme Job〉(2019) marked the last time they reunited after seven years, but Jin Sun-kyu described Gong Myung as “the kind of feeling that’s like a real younger brother.” This was possible because the gap of 17 years in age didn’t matter, thanks to the deep rapport and trust the two built over those seven years—so the on-screen chemistry between a former husband and a current husband inside 〈Husbands in Action〉 could take shape. This outcome was made possible by the trust that grew to the point where they exchanged ideas throughout filming to create the freshest situations and, even in a scene where they refuse to shy away from putting each other’s toes in their mouths (!).

Netflix’s 〈Husbands in Action〉, released on the 19th, is a comedy action film about a wild rescue operation in which a former husband and a current husband join forces by sheer accident to save a kidnapped wife. In the film, Jin Sun-kyu plays a top-notch detective in a narcotics unit who sweeps down the moment something goes wrong, and he takes on the role of “Choong-sik,” a “real dad’s boy” who can’t help but dote on his daughter, despite having divorced his wife, Si-na (Kang Han-na). If Choong-sik is the “former husband,” then “Min-seok,” played by Gong Myung, is the “current husband.” In this movie, built on the outlandish setup in which the former husband and current husband cooperate, Jin Sun-kyu and Gong Myung bring the “buddy chemistry” to life in a fun way—constantly butting heads and bickering, yet ultimately learning to trust each other. On the afternoon of the 22nd at some location in Jongno-gu, Seoul, actor Jin Sun-kyu, the lead of 〈Husbands in Action〉, met with Cineplay to talk about the film. Below is the full text of the conversation.

Following the previous drama 〈UDT: The Neighborhood Special Forces〉, we’re getting to meet viewers again with a continuous stream of upbeat, bright work. It’s different from the intense side you show in genre pieces, though. Lately, it seems like you’re doing comedy performances quite a lot.

I like genre works, too, but honestly, I really liked everyday, relatable pieces that can make people laugh and feel good like this. No matter what the results were, I also had a lot of fun shooting 〈UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces〉 with (Yoon) Gye-sang. And in this 〈Husbands in Action〉, too, (Gong) Myung feels so much like a close younger brother that the two of us are basically inseparable right now—we’ve grown even closer and gone deeper. As it comes out in the latter half of 〈Husbands in Action〉, when you hear that we put toes in our mouths and do things like that, it made us dig even deeper. (Laughs.) When you’re thinking about how comedy acting should give laughs to someone—where and how—our team just sat down and worked things out, came up with ideas, and poured effort into making it together.

You’ve done comedy acting a lot, but especially for Choong-sik in this 〈Husbands in Action〉, a lot of your real self as an actor comes through. Among your filmography, isn’t this the character that reflects your actual image the most?

Yes, that’s right. I think the “me” as an actor and what I’m like in everyday life with my kids are different—just like Choong-sik. So I acted that out by drawing on myself for the scenes when Choong-sik meets a child. And this story also lets the former husband and the current husband cooperate because of their love for family. We chose this work partly because those kinds of stories and characters were so entertaining.

As you said, the setup itself—having the former husband and the current husband cooperate to rescue the wife—is truly inventive and refreshing. When you read the first script, what part hooked you?

When I like a script, I feel like I can picture it really quickly. I read the script while reciting the lines. But 〈Husbands in Action〉 was exactly like that. It was so fun, and the dialogue just stuck to your mouth. So I wanted to do it. Also, I really loved director Park Kyu-tae’s previous works. But even setting aside fandom, I still found 〈Husbands in Action〉’s script entertaining. I expressed my intention to do it, and when I asked who would play the former husband, they said the offer went to Gong Myung. So I called Myung right away. I told him, “If you do it, I’d really love to do it with you.” And Myung also said, “It would be great if we do it together with Hyung.” And that’s how it started.

Jin Sun-kyu and Gong Myung’s combination is also one that has already been proven once as 〈Extreme Job〉, but since audiences have already learned the comedy formula, there might have been some pressure instead.

Because in South Korea there’s a benchmark like 〈Extreme Job〉, the top comedy, you inevitably end up comparing it. Of course, some people might not like it. I was accounting for all of that. But while thinking about it, I didn’t feel like, “We need to do it even better,” or “We need to create something more.” Instead, I thought we should share well the style that fits this story and the images that the director envisioned for this piece. That’s how we worked. Even when I did 〈Amazon Hwalmyungsu〉(2024) before, there was that same kind of pressure about the combination. But within this, as we built the story here, we believe we made it well and worked hard.

As you mentioned earlier, I heard you found director Park Kyu-tae’s previous work 〈Six Leaders: 6/45〉 very impressive. What was the reason?

It was a movie that spread by word of mouth. I didn’t get to see it in theaters either—I watched it at home separately through OTT. But I found it extremely moving: a very trivial incident connects the two Koreas, and the people collide through the character traits they have, and they end up reconciling. That really impressed me. I didn’t think it was just funny because it’s a comedy; I felt that the story is packed, and the part that makes you laugh is in the entertaining process of how those people meet. When I received the script for 〈Husbands in Action〉, I really felt exactly that. That’s why I wanted to do it even more. I think one of director Park Kyu-tae’s distinctive features is that he comes up with an idea to make something so entertaining with a very simple, straightforward setup.

You reunited and collaborated again with actor Gong Myung after seven years. Since a long time passed and you’re together again, it seems like you might have discovered new charms in Gong Myung.

Even after 〈Extreme Job〉, we always watch things together, so it wasn’t like something completely new. But I think this time, I felt it more strongly—that Gong Myung isn’t just “the youngest” anymore; he’s a solid actor who has built his own standing well. The drama also turned out great, which makes me very happy. I feel both admiration and envy, too, because it’s impressive.

Actor Jin Sun-kyu and actor Gong Myung have an age difference of 17 years, but they’re really close. What’s the secret to your friendship?

Myung keeps teasing me. The fact that there’s a 17-year gap between Myung and me is truly surprising. I didn’t even know it would be that big. Myung said the same. But despite that age difference, I think Gong Myung’s strength is the kind of inclusiveness that lets him accommodate and be at ease with people like this. I also hope to become that kind of actor.

※ The interview with actor Jin Sun-kyu about 〈Husbands in Action〉 continues in Part 2.