Thursday, August 11, 2011

Lee Min Ho “I want to find the image I lost in the next project” (Part 1)


SBS ‘City Hunter’ Lee Yoon Sung is an unconventional hero. Although raised with the sole intention for revenge, he strives to execute revenge in the proper way without shedding blood. With the fate of loneliness heavy on his shoulders, he manages to penetrate deeply into the life of weak common folks. Although Lee Yoon Sung is not a dramatic hero who erupts on the scene, he is one who resiliently gives strength. Playing the role of Lee Yoon Sung was definitely unfamiliar territory for Lee Min Ho who is more well known for the romantic image he’s projected so far. Nevertheless, he carves out his own city hunter by embodying Lee Yoon Sung’s loneliness and carefully proportioning his emotions continuously throughout the drama. Having gone through a considerable long unknown period before he finally shot to stardom in his entertainment career, Lee Min Ho is currently searching out his own uniqueness.

R: I heard that you were injured by glass shards while filming ‘City hunter’ and that filming was difficult. Have you fully recovered?
LMH: We had to use explosives twice. However, an excess was used and so when the glass shattered the shards injured my leg. That wound has recovered a lot since then. However, actually i’m still bruised and wounded all over. Filming was difficult in that sense. (laugh)

R: City Hunter ended with Lee Jin Pyo (kim sang joong) dying and Lee Yoon Sung living. What are your thoughts on the ending?
LMH: I think the ending is appropriate for a character like Lee Yoon Sung. He is not a selfish character. If the ending showed Lee Jin Pyo dying and Lee Yoon Sung cheerfully going about his life, it would not match Yoon Sung’s personality. The ending scene showing Lee Yoon Sung solidarily driving in the city is fitting for him. Subsequently I think he can perhaps live a happy life (laugh) and a normal one as in the original manga.

R: Lee Yoon Sung can finally reconcile with Lee Jin Pyo who raised him up as a tool for revenge in the last episode. How did it feel like having to immerse yourself in the role opposite Lee Jin Pyo’s role for the bulk of the episode?
LMH: For the sake of continuation throughout the drama, parts needed to be split up and analyzed. Viewers will find it hard to be absorbed in the drama if Yoon Sung suddenly becomes emotionally weak in front of Lee Jin Pyo. Jin Pyo is a strong character throughout the entire drama. Therefore I think Yoon Sung would need something different instead of countering Jin Pyo by force. In that sense, I chose not to depict Yoon Sung strength through his eyes whenever he confronts Jin Pyo. Contrastingly, I chose to show how Yoon Sung tried to restrain his sadness and anger. Being led down this road, Yoon Sung finally erupts and inflicts self-injury by piercing himself after learning that he was kidnapped by Jin Pyo. Subsequently, after that scene, I wanted to portray how Yoon Sung tries to understand and empathize with Jin Pyo.

R: You agreed to join the project rather early. Are there any differences between the current Lee Yoon Sung and what you used to think about the character?
LMH: Yoon Sung was initially supposed to be a more melancholic character. I saw him as a darker person who is foreign to smiles and gradually warms up after meeting Kim Na Na and working at the Blue House. However, it turned out to be the opposite (laugh). After much discussion with the director, we decided to emphasize the melo-line by adding more squabble scenes since we were worried that action dramas may be more prone to failure.

R: You’ve shown various aspects to Yoon Sung’s personality as he interacts with Kim Na Na, e.g. how he ill-naturedly treats her, his immature jealousy, his earnestness as well as the cold side to him. It’s as if you’ve poured out in that role all the experience you’ve accumulated throughout the years of acting.
LMH: The squabble with Kim Na Na are exemplary scenes that appear very often when depicting couples in dramas. I think I am familiar and can handle those scenes well now. As for the heart-thumping scenes that pop up half way (laugh), I put my trust in PD Jin Hyeok since he’s skillful at making scenes beautiful. In addition, actress Park Min Young is very receptive towards how I choose to enact the scenes. Therefore I was able to act comfortably and the scenes turn out well. It’s regrettable that Lee Yoon Sung wasn’t able to treat Kim Na Na in a more manly, mature fashion at the end of the drama. There wasn’t much to develop about their relationship after Kim Na Na discovered his identity as the city hunter. The only thing he could do for Na Na was to tell her to wait for him 'til he finishes with his plan. If the two were to continue on with their squabbles, wouldn’t it detract from the suspense that has been carefully built up in the earlier episodes? It’s indeed regrettable.

Source: 10asia
Translation: webby & soompiCredits: loveghs.wordpress.com

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