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growing-cosmos · 1 year ago

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Kim SeonHo for ELLE MEN Singapore Issue 05 2023 - Full Interview

Kim Seon Ho Keeps Going On

Farisia Thang

The beloved South Korean actor is back and taking things one day at a time — starting with his debut as a villain.

Every movie needs a good villain — but that's a role that not just anyone can pull it off. Especially when the cards are not stacked in your favour. Kim Seon Ho knows this well.

Having always played heroic roles (Hong Du Sik, literally the neighbourhood hero in Hometown Cha Cha Cha or charming second leads who win over the audience's affection, Han Ji Pyeong in Start-Up and Jung Jae Yoon in 100 Days My Prince), there was a certain image that became expected of the South Korean actor. Before taking on the Nobleman in The Childe, it would have been irreconcilable to picture him as a villain, much less an antagonist. Not because there was any doubt in his acting skills, but because it never would have occurred to the masses to cast a man who has been given the endearing nickname "good boy" to play a Machiavellian assassin. Even the director of The Childe Park Hoon Jung didn't see the fit when he first looked at the actor's profile as he thought, "This face is not for noir."

But Kim has always been one to rise to the challenge. Let us not forget that before he was a TV actor, he was a familiar face in the theatre industry. And though it was only at 31-years-old that he debuted in his first TV drama, his so-called big break came three years later with shows like Start-Up and Hometown Cha Cha Cha. This is the way things go: Just when you think he has reached the height of his career, he keeps proving otherwise.

And that is exactly what he's done in The Childe.

Even if it wasn't a comeback role from his two-year hiatus, it still stands as an impressive film debut on its own. This marks Kim's first big screen role and for that reason alone, the Nobleman remains one of his favourite characters. "All of the characters I've played are special to me and I cherish them all, but a memorable character would be my most recent role in The Childe as Nobleman since it was my film debut," says Kim. "I still vividly remember the excitement and nerves I felt seeing my character on the big screen for the first time."

As it is with most of his roles, he runs through a routine. "I usually take a fairly long time to understand one character. I would choose about three or four lines that I like from a script, and then repeat them over and over again in my head. This could be when I'm walking, when I'm in the shower, or when I'm eating." Kim adds, "Sometimes I also make use of music. would put on some good music, put myself in front of a stunning view, and then read out the lines. And as I do that, there would be moments where I realise, 'This is it. This is how this character would say it. From that point onwards, everything else falls into place itself. For this method to work and in order to get closer to a character, studying the script in detail has to come first. It's important to have a good grasp of a character's language and habits.

With the Nobleman, details maketh man. He says, "I developed my character by studying the lead character from A Clockwork Orange, and I spent plenty of time trying to understand my character as Nobleman." Just like he had done many times before, Kim learned new skills to better embody his character. "I got to learn about using handguns for acting for the first time. I did some practice at a shooting range in Myeongdong and I was given a dummy too, so I was able to practice and have a feel of it. That helped me a lot during the actual filming."

To simply call the Nobleman a villain would reduce the character to a flat trope, but Kim's performance and interpretation of him are actually for more nuanced. This is a character who gets imitated by his shoes being dirtied with blood after killing a room full of people, curses with a sadistic smile in an American accent and British accent, chases after the hero while hollering — and yet manages to confuse the audience with whose side he is actually on. Ultimately, Kim's portrayal of the Nobleman brings to life a brutal yet whimsical anti-hero.

And yet, the actor still struggles to pinpoint a moment during The Childe's filming process that he felt proud of himself for. In past interviews, he scrutinised his performance for the movie. Even now, he laughs as he says, "To be honest, it's hard for me to point out areas that I did well in. In my eyes, I mostly see only my shortcomings. Thankfully enough, people who went to see the movie had lots of positive feedback. I was glad and thankful to be praised as a fluid actor."

Fluid is the perfect word here, and yet it still feels like an understatement to the actor's performance. If his previous roles solidified his expected trajectory as an actor, then this character turned it all around - reminding us all that Kim has been honing his craft for over a decade now. He has been finessing this duality for almost 14 years, and while others may rest on their laurels and rely on their experience in the industry to get by, Kim is always looking for ways to better himself.

His recent projects have been movies and because of that "I'm not as pressured having to film a large amount of scenes in a short time as compared to other mediums. The directors told me to take my time between lines, which showed me the art of slowing down." He goes on to say, "When I was younger, I was also taught to enjoy the pauses between each line. I did think that I was already doing so with my acting for dramas, but the mechanics of movies and dramas are still very much different. So I've recently been working on how I can savour those pauses even more." Looking back at the Kim Seon Ho who started acting 14 years ago, the 37-year-old feels envious of his past self. "I'm envious of the experience and how raw my acting was back then. I recently rewatched some of my previous work. In the past, if I were to rewatch something a year later, all I could think about was how inadequate my acting was before. But seeing it again after 10 years makes me realise that that kind of raw acting was something I could do only back then."

Now, what he is able to appreciate about his approach to acting is. that "I'm a lot more composed and poised. My acting was often carried away by emotions in the past, but I think that my acting now has become more rational. I feel that this kind of rationality is also what makes me grow. After all, Kim knows a thing or two about alchemising patience into gold. While he started acting in plays at the age of 23, it was only eight years later that he made his debut on the small screens. But he has never been one to measure his trajectory against his counterparts in the industry. Waiting has always been a welcomed ritual for the actor, and Kim knows it's to that good things take time.

It's like his Hometown Cha Cha Cha character Hong Du Sik said, "Life isn't so fair for all of us. Some spend their whole lives on unpaved roads, while some run at full speed only to reach the edge of a cliff." It's a line that hits close to home for Kim too. "Coincidentally enough, I happened to re-watch that scene just three days before this interview, I searched for the scene randomly one day because I suddenly got curious about the kind of expression and tone I shot that scene with. Through that scene, rather than discovering elements about myself, I focused more on how I could get closer to Chief Hong. But there were moments where I did feel that I was becoming a better version of myself, like when I was preparing for the drama, after wrapping up the filming, and when I met other great characters." He adds, "People say that each word you say and each action you do creates one's character and personality. I think I got to learn a lot through the lines of my past characters like Han Ji Pyeong and Chief Hong, and thanks to them, I am the person I am now."

During his two-year break from acting on-screen, he remained loyal to his earlier comforts — stage acting. While he stayed off social media and film projects, he went back to his roots and performed in the theatre with Touching the Void. In that period of time, "I found comfort in the fact that one has the ability to create a change if they could just think a little differently in times of trouble." He continues, "I felt grateful to be able to share a stage with other talented actors, and I had fun. Touching The Void was a project where I discovered that the results of something can be very different depending on my perspective on a particular situation and on the support I receive. Most of all, I was moved and comforted by the audience members who came to watch the play even though things were difficult due to the pandemic. I was honored to be able to perform such a remarkable piece of work for the audience, and it inspired me to become an even better actor."

In life and in work, Kim believes himself to be a dreamer. "I am someone who thinks that we must dream big, and I'm happiest when I come close to the goals I've set. Rather than setting a realistic goal but still feeling unsatisfied even after accomplishing it, I find more joy when I set big goals and accomplish it to a certain extent. When he considers his dreams for the distant future, "My goal is for people to remember me as a skilled actor and to be an actor that people want to work with a second time." But for now, his ambitions are straightforward — "I want to try a role that feels real and warm, one that others can relate to."

When he looks back at his career, there is only one thing he can really say he's proud of over the years. "Instead of feeling proud of my own accomplishments, I feel a stronger sense of pride towards the people that have been there for me since the days before I became an actor. Seniors, juniors and directors who gave me advice so I could pass the audition for my first project, agency colleagues who worked tirelessly until I got my first lead role, and my fans who supported my career as an actor. These are people that I'm thankful for and proud of every moment." He continues, "I often have thoughts like, 'How was I able to meet such incredible people?', 'How did I get so lucky to receive such advice from my seniors at this timing?', 'How is it that all these great people. are rooting for me?' Thanks to these people, there have been so many moments in my career that have made me proud that I cannot single out a specific achievement."

His gratitude grounds him because if there's one thing Kim has leamed, it's to take nothing for granted. With the love he's received from fans and friends in the industry, he hopes to return it tenfold. "I hope to repay the love with my acting and to successfully wrap up current projects. By doing so, I think I would be able to welcome 2024 with a happy heart." What that looks like these days is a running list of plays, dramas, and films. And while he's busy with his ongoing projects, for now, "I will be focusing on the upcoming mystery drama Mangnaein. Although I don't know what the future has in store for me, I will work hard to live my best each day."

When he thinks about the actor he wants to be remembered for, he considers the weight of his answer. "Not too long ago, I felt that I was on a plateau so I reflected a lot on it and I'm getting back on my feet again now." He goes on to say, "I hope to be remembered as an actor who constantly improves. (Of course, for that to happen, a lot of effort is needed on my part.) And I hope people think of me as an actor who is always growing, and as an actor who has the potential for even more growth. I hope to refine my craft a little more."

Because at the end of the day, Kim Seon Ho knows when to walk away from comparison. He's never bothered to measure himself to others, and he has no plans to start now. Instead, he holds himself to his own standards. And the version of him today is content to take things as they come, to better himself with every passing day. After all, if there's one thing we know for certain, it's that whatever accomplishments he's made so far are only a step to greater things to come.