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No misunderstandings before conversing: Jo Seung-woo

No misunderstandings before conversing: Jo Seung-woo

There's a lot of talk aboutJo Seung-woo.

There are rumors that he is sharp, he's bad-tempered, he hates side scripts and that he doesn't do musicals unless he's paid a lot. Most of them are exaggerated or just plain rumors. He's not frequently published in media and it's hard to see him anywhere besides musicals and movies so he hasn't really had a chance to explain himself. Of course, there was no need to.

He agreed to do an interview for his leading movie"Inside Men"and he spoke honestly. Never judge a book by its cover. His first greeting already gave the impression that he was a warm guy. Reactions to his refusing and accepting to star in the movie"Inside Men"were, 'how picky is he?' but there was another reason behind that.

"I've always wanted to work withLee Byung-hun, but I refused the movie because I wasn't confident. I thought there would be another chance to work with him so I hesitated. Also, I didn't think I was suitable for the role of investigator Woo Jang-hoon. However, the director kept asking for me and those around me kept asking me why I won't do it. I wondered what I'd done wrong and I also wondered if I didn't have an eye for things anymore". Despite sensitive questions,Jo Seung-woodidn't once frown at them and smiled. He then asked, "Was I bad tempered before (laughs)?"

-What weren't you so sure about in the beginning about"Inside Men"?

Jo Seung-woo: "I didn't think I suited the role of Woo Jang-hoon. The movie is about social corruption, a man who dreams of a presidential election, a man of wealth supporting him and political gangsters who are tangled here. I didn't really feel anything new about it. Subjects like them have been delt with before in movies and I didn't see a difference. So I asked the producer what was new about it. It wasn't new to me. Then I thought about why I denied the movie and realized that our society wouldn't want to admit that there was a dark side to it. I guess I felt pressured reading it in text".

-This movie is based on a web-toon byYoon Tae-hobut Woo Jang-hoon is actually not in the original.

"So I wondered how I should do this. There was no role model for me to copy from so I had to create a target. I decided to simplify the character. This character was a policeman before he became an investigator because he didn't want to be looked down upon by those who graduated the police academy. However, he knows that the reality is bigger even after he becomes an investigator and justice needs more. So, he allies with political gangster Ahn Sang-goo (Lee Byung-hun)".

-How was working withLee Byung-hun?

"When he acts, he doesn't calculate. We didn't really 'work' together. We've had our mess-ups but we made it up with adlibs. We did that because we didn't want to waste time but I guess the producer thought the lines were good for the movie. I realizedLee Byung-hunis a very detailed actor".

"I learned a lot from him. I guess I can say I didn't do much this time. Just like "The War Of Flower". I wondered what I had done and reviews even said 'there's little existence ofJo Seung-woo'. Even I think I don't stand out because there were so many good actors. I usually got energy from them and returned it now that I see it. I just blended along. There isn't a scene where I actually used a lot of my own energy in".

-Why did you want to work withLee Byung-hun?

"He's been on TV since we were younger. I watched his dramas with my family and my mother used to say he has a nice smile. So that's why I wanted to work with him".

-What was your first impression ofLee Byung-hun?

"I've watched many dramas and movies of his since I was young. I was impressed at his Hollywood performance. I used to think he was not just a super star but a superstar. He also looked rich and I thought he would have a couple of buildings in Gangnam. Then after I worked with him, I realized that he's such a fool for the movie. He's always in his script and watches a lot of movies at home on the big screen. He asked me if I watched certain movies but they were all movies that weren't even out in Korea yet. He asked me why I don't watch many movies without realizing that they weren't even out yet. He loves movies and he's quite simple".

No misunderstandings before conversing: Jo Seung-woo

-Have you become close withLee Byung-hunafter this?

"I've been to his house and his wife made dinner for me. We talked about movies and even had drinks. We compared each others' heights too the last time I went there. He was slightly taller than me. I am 173.3 cm but he's about 175~176 cm".

-You revealed your bottoms in most movies and this time too.

"Only my bottoms? Mostly everything. Only my upper body was shown. I was wearing my underwear during the making. It was embarrassing in front of the actresses too. But I couldn't say it out loud because there were seniors likeLee Kyeong-seonandBaek Yoon-sik. If that's what the movie needs, then I'll do it".

-Jo Seung-woomeant a sharp edge in the past. But now you seem affordable and milder.

"Was I? I haven't had an interview like this in a while. Every year is different for me. I've heard rumors that I am a playboy and that I hunt down rookie actresses and I wondered why I should be hearing this. I didn't do anything wrong. I asked someone for advice and that person said, "That's because you are so appealing". So I got over it".

-Did going to the military change your personality?

"I'm sure that has something to do with it. I lived a corporate life and built my patience while meeting various people and saw things I didn't see before".

-There was the gallery issue.

"I don't want to talk about it again but I guess that's because I stepped over a line. There have been many misunderstandings about that issue. Media misprinted my intentions for one thing. What I meant to say was: it's fine saying bad things about me, but I didn't want the media to say bad things about those around me. If anyone was on my side, I hoped they would stick behind the lines. It's not right that those around me should be treated that way".

No misunderstandings before conversing: Jo Seung-woo

-There was a lot of talk about getting paid a high amount in the world of performances.

"I did get paid a lot but not because I asked for it. I never drew a certain amount. They paid me what they could and I accepted without excuse"

-Do you have plans to get married?

"I want to meet someone who I gives me the tingles. I have met someone like that before. She was an ordinary woman walking on the street so I asked her for her number and we dated for a while. I want to get married with someone sometime. But then again, I debuted at the age of 20 and never took a day off. I haven't been on a proper vacation yet. National Service was my only break. I don't have memories from my 20s so I want to do something that will remain with me now before I get married though. I might have to get married after I'm 40".

-You seem to be more focused on musicals than movies lately.

"I am not trying to keep a balance. There will come a time when I won't be able to play certain roles when I get older. I have things I want to do when I can. It's not that I'm more focused on something else. I filmed"The Assassination"when I was fully booked".

-Have you decided what to do next?

"Still working on it. I got the script for"God's Gift - 14 Days"pretty early and I even had 4 hours to sleep every day. I could do something like that again".

Source from :Hancinema