Interview, Part 2: Gong Myung on Crafting a ‘Clear-Eyed, Slightly Unhinged’ Look

※ This interview with Gong Myung, star of 〈Husbands〉, continues from Part 1.

The animal clinic van got a lot of laughs in the film. What was your first impression when you saw the clinic van? Also, the van’s drift action was striking—how did you prepare for that?

It was so adorable. The script even described the clinic van as having ears and a tail. There were a few options, and the art department ended up styling the clinic van with a Doberman vibe. I didn’t do the drift myself, but I rode along so I could experience it and make my performance more believable. Through that practice I learned what I needed to do and how to operate the controls.

Even amid the rough action, Gong Myung’s "clear-eyed, slightly unhinged" aspect really shone through. When you work on facial expressions, is there a point you calculate deliberately, or did that crazed gaze come from your own personality?

Anyway, Min-seok’s action is different from Chung-sik’s—it's not really physical action—so I thought I needed to focus more on expressions. As you said, I tried to express a clear-eyed, slightly unhinged look. After some close friends watched 〈Husbands〉 recently, they contacted me and said, "This is totally you." I think there are brief moments that felt like when I’m hanging out and playing games with friends.

Min-seok’s first appearance is also memorable. From his first scene he cracks a walnut with his bare hands and instantly signals he’s not an ordinary character.

Rock climbers have incredibly strong grip strength. As part of Min-seok’s character, he always carries a walnut and rolls it in his hand. So when he cracks a walnut with his hands, it shows that Min-seok does rock climbing.

The Netflix film 〈Husbands〉 builds a likable seven-person lineup centered on Jin Sun-kyu and Gong Myung, with Kim Ji-seok, Yoon Kyung-ho, Kang Han-na, Lee Da-hee and Jeon So-min rounding out the cast. As that ensemble came together, what expectations did you have? I’m also curious about your chemistry with Yoon Kyung-ho, who’s one of the most talked-about actors these days.

I remember being surprised and thinking, "They're doing it?" The most important role for me was probably Si-nae. Si-nae is the one who has met both the current husband and the ex-husband, so I wondered who would play her, and I was really happy that Kang Han-na took the part. When I heard that Yoon Kyung-ho would play Yong-gang, I burst out laughing. The script originally described him as having an incredible physique, but there wasn’t much time left, so the script was revised. (laughs) It was a surprising and fun period. Our shoot came after the release of 〈Zombie Daughter〉, and on set he was so entertaining—like a walking treasure trove of stories. He also introduced us to a lot of life hacks.

You had the most scenes with Jin Sun-kyu, but you also showed great chemistry with Kim Ji-seok, who plays Ma Do-jun. How was working with Kim Ji-seok?

Kim Ji-seok was so cool that I was genuinely surprised. The character Do-jun wears flashy clothes and accessories and is designed to stand out, but Kim himself is strikingly handsome even without the character styling. I had seen him in many works since I was young, but meeting him in person made me think he’s even more impressive. Kim prepared for Do-jun with tremendous passion. Watching that made me think, "I have to work hard, too." From the reading, he came prepared with several different versions.

You said you originally like extreme sports. Which sports do you enjoy? Did 〈Husbands〉 introduce you to any new activities you found fun?

I have many active hobbies: scuba diving, water-skiing, snowboarding, and the like. For this project, I tried climbing and paragliding for the first time, and they were fun. There are more indoor climbing gyms now, and the process of working up levels is enjoyable—I see why so many people are into it.

Between the recently popular drama 〈Secret Gratitude〉 and 〈Husbands〉, I felt you maintain your softer image while gradually showing a firmer, bolder side. You seem to change your image in stages rather than making a sudden, radical shift.

As you said, if my image changed drastically, even I might feel uncomfortable or like it didn’t fit when I was performing. So I think I keep choosing roles the way I do because I want to combine the image people like with areas I can perform well and then show slightly different sides. If more time passes and I feel ready, I might try a more dramatic change.

Your filmography since leaving the military has been impressive. You’ve been steadily filling your filmography since leaving the military, leaving no noticeable gap. If you were to praise your own trajectory, what would you say?

I don’t want to praise myself too much already, but while I was in the military for 18 months I came to really value work and realized this is what I truly love. I told myself after discharge that I wouldn’t rest and that I would work hard on projects, and I feel like I’ve kept that mindset and done well—so I want to give myself some credit for that. Going forward, I hope I continue to keep the keyword "value" in mind when choosing projects and make good choices.

〈Husbands〉 was released on the 19th. What would you like to say to viewers who haven’t seen the film yet to encourage them to watch?

Comedy films are more fun to watch with someone rather than alone. Sharing laughs and talking about what’s funny or not—that shared enjoyment is part of the fun. So if you haven’t seen it yet, don’t watch it alone: watch it with family, friends, or someone else. If you have to watch it alone, it’s still fun, so please make time to see it. And beyond Jin Sun-kyu and me, there are many well-known veteran actors in the cast. Each actor brings something enjoyable to the screen, so I think you won’t regret seeing it.