Interview 2012: First time impressions – Part 1

First impression left Park Sihoo the deepest impression

Can’t believe that there were so many interviews our Oppa Park Sihoo-ssi did for his first movie “Confession of Murder”. Each had a slightly different angle and interesting bits.

We continue this week with sharing more of these interviews. I believe as fans, we won’t get bored as they give us better insights to our favorite actor. Or if we have read them before they will be great efreshers too! Today, we share his first impressions of his first movie.

Interview with Naver Cover Story Part 1, 11 November 2012; Courtesy Translation by ParkSihooSsi.com

Interview with Park Sihoo on “Confession of Murder” – Part One

What was your first impression?

Park Sihoo was the protagonist Lee Dooseok of a serial murder case whose statute of limitations had expired and he became a celebrity with his confession. The detective in charge Choi Hyunggu, played by Jung Jaeyoung, fought a lonely battle with the killer, whom the world had forgiven, to solve the case which the last body was never found. “Confession of Murder” was directed by Jung Byunggil, who also directed a documentary “Action Boys” about stuntmen in an action school.

The encounter among a bold director who shot a top star as if he were a stuntman, the King of dramas who was filming a movie for the first time and a middle-aged actor famous for his good personality led to the birth of a unique piece of work.

Park Sihoo, who played the role of the murderer in the movie, used his well loved melodrama image to satirize the pathetic world where being handsome and famous, one can draw a big group of fans. He has proven himself in works such as “How to meet a perfect neighbor”, “Iljimae”, “Prosecutor Princess”, “Queen of Reversals” and “The Princess Man”. Now, he takes on a new challenge he has been waiting for a long time with his first movie. He will show himself in a different light.

The cat and mouse game between the detective and murderer

Q: “Confession of Murder” is a social thriller that is immediately associated with “Memories of Murder” (2003), but it is surprisingly a very commercialized genre of movie. A variety of elements such as comedy, action, and melo are combined like a comprehensive gift set.

PSH: You can see it that way. I put a lot of effort into the actions, but the reactions are different for different viewers. Men may prefer full-scale action, but women may dislike it.

Q: That is not the case. It is also an action movie for women. The main highlight of the movie is the car chase after the abduction from the swimming pool. Female fans seemed to be enthusiastic.

PSH: Why? Because I only wear a dressing gown? Hahaha! I wouldn’t think of it that way, but does it look like that? I consider it enthusiasm, but an embarrassing scene. Frankly speaking, the action scenes were hard to understand when I read them in the script. I can’t imagine driving on that road in that car and wondered if that was possible. I thought it would be parked  in front of a chroma key (Nance: for screen composition so a different background can be added) for the filming, but it took 10 days with a car that was really moving.

The car chase scene that left a deep impression

Q: Was it a really tough shoot? When the actor has to perform the action personally, the angles can be varied in the action scene, so it can be different from the stunt.

PSH: Maybe the director asked the actor to perform the actions because he graduated from action school. The stunt had to be filmed in full again and again, with the actor doing it personally. I did it because I was not familiar with it. If he had asked me, “This part is dangerous, should we get a  stuntman?” If he had said that him even once, I would have said, “Oh, then change. ” As this was my first movie. I didn’t say anything. That was why the director filmed it as it is. Honestly, if I were a difficult actor, I wouldn’t have done that.

The only thing that made me upset was that in the car chase scene, I only had to pretend that a car was coming up next to me and hit me, but it really happened. My head bumped against the glass window. It was so difficult to hang on to the hood. I didn’t get an NG, so I went through it as it is. I thought the director would come and ask me if I were okay. But he said, “Let’s do it again.” Even if you don’t say anything, you should ask, “Are you okay?” I was a little annoyed. Besides, it wasn’t a situation where we had to film it again! The sun was setting and the lighting wasn’t right anyway, so it couldn’t be used. But again? I almost gave up…

Q: What happened when you almost gave up?

PSH: I eventually did it again (Laugh)

Q:  You don’t feel like you are pulling each other apart?

PSH: I acted it out again but the director said, “Oh, I can’t use this cut.” Oh, really…! It took almost a full day of shooting. My manager couldn’t stand to see and commented, “The director doesn’t seem to be in the right mental state. He always has to take action. So maybe it is better to be hospitalized once.” … (Laughter). It was all a very healthy situation.

Cold, cold pool water in the heart of winter

Q. Why don’t you pretend to be sick?

PSH: It also doesn’t suit my personality. I couldn’t go to the hospital unless I am really injured as all the staff will be waiting.  For now, I have been able to go to the filming site the next day. I went because I still have to film it but on that day I waited without doing any scene. (Laugh) In some instances, the on-site monitor showed the difference between what the actor personally did and what he didn’t do, and what the actor filmed looked more dynamic and realistic, so I decided to do it again. Did it look good like this? Yes, the director was determined to make a movie good movie .(Laugh)

Q: Even so, while watching the movie, I thought, “Is the actor nice or the director hard?”

PSH: I guess the director didn’t meet a difficult actor. (Laugh) It was my first movie, and I saw senior Jaeyoung worked really hard on the filming. The first scene I filmed was when my senior ran carrying me on his back. I couldn’t tell whether it was acting or real because I was cursing in the excitement. Even in the car pursuit scene, it is difficult for an older person to act in the rain, so I can’t complain. My seniors are my seniors and my juniors are enthusiastically working hard, so I can’t cut corners. That was our situation.

Another actor had a scene hanging from a dump truck and my first thought was, “How can the actor do this?” However, the director said, “Sihoo was shot grabbing onto the car hood for 10 days,” so he had to do it. There was also a scene that I filmed without attaching a safety wire on a running car. In “The Princess’s Man” (2011) I thought there were many action scenes that I had trained for, but this was different.

Yikes! Snakes alive!

Q: You been interviewing for 12 hours since 10:00 this morning, how are you feeling?

PSH: I’m fine today, but the first day was really hard. I didn’t have to do publicity like this for dramas, so I am not used to having eight interviews in a day. Besides, I do interviews every hour, so I have nothing else to say later. The reporters have the same questions, but if the previous person has written the reply first, they will not be able to use them. I can’t create words that aren’t there or come up with ideas that I don’t know. Since I was having a hard time on the first day, Senior Jaeyoung taught me the know-how. “Oh, it isn’t difficult to do interviews. When the reporter asks, show your reaction as if it were the first time a reporter has asked you. Pretend to think a little bit and talk about it together.” (Laugh)

Q: Good strategy. Do you have any other advice on the movie besides what the interview has covered?

PSH: As someone who has been working on this movie for a long time, I hope that being a rookie, I would have a good feeling for the movie. That was why I was considerate at the shooting locations. There were many seniors who pretend to be arrogant when I say hello.

Facebook Video – Park Sihoo “COM: Perfect Murders”, 8 November 2020

https://www.facebook.com/parksihoossi/posts/2576636875794859

Q: If so, do you follow them until they say hello?

PSH: No. If I say hello but they don’t acknowledge it, it means they are not polite. However, if a senior said hello, but I didn’t respond, it will be said that he wouldn’t say hello again. I would wonder if it was because I didn’t notice when he said hello. (Laugh).

Q: You have many juniors now. What kind of senior are you? And you are getting into mid-career now.

PS: What mid-career? Some newcomers are very shy and nervous, but when I see them, I remember my previous (self) and try to treat them well. I am even more afraid to say, “Do it this way, not that way,” so I try to give them confidence rather than pointing things out. I am that kind of person. When you look in the Internet, you don’t see bad articles, you just see good things. Try to be confident.

Others want me to make harsh statements, but I don’t listen to them. Actors and baseball players are alike, as long you have risen on your own abilities you don’t have to be terrified when you stand in front of the camera. You don’t have to listen to what the audience say, but just have to relax and lift up your shoulders. Such is the guidance given by the director.