[INTERVIEW] Son Suk-ku portrays different villain in 'The Roundup'

Actor Son Suk-ku, right, in a scene from the film, "The Roundup" / Courtesy of ABO Entertainment

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Actor Son Suk-ku had second thoughts about joining "The Roundup," the sequel to "The Outlaws" (2017), because the first installment in the franchise was a huge success that secured a solid fan base in Korea and internationally.

Son opened up about comparisons with actor Yoon Kye-sang, who took up the villainous role of Jang Chen in "The Outlaws," and left a strong impression on audiences, and how he chose to portray a different kind of villain.

Son described his character, Kang Hae-sang, as a villain with a short temper. "He is aggressive and reckless. He is dangerous and ready to kill anyone who gets in his way. He is incapable of rational thought," he said during an interview with The Korea Times via Zoom, Wednesday.

"I know comparison is inevitable, but there was no intention of portraying a striking difference between Kang Hae-sang and Jang Chen because they're so different. They share the same cinematic universe, but they're two separate films," he said.

Son said he was offered the role when he finished filming JTBC's 2019 hit series, "Be Melodramatic." He was a fan of "The Outlaws," but it was a huge decision to take part in its sequel.

"I still remember the catharsis I felt the first time I watched 'The Outlaws' in a theater. It's got such a powerful detective story with some great action. However, I wasn't really interested in playing a part in the genre-defining franchise because I don't particularly love action movies. Director Lee Sang-yong's passion and commitment convinced me to change my mind," he said.

Actor Son Suk-ku / Courtesy of ABO Entertainment

Son gained 10 kilograms and cut his hair short to create an image of a ruthless villain. "I gained a lot of weight to look like someone out of shape. I was on a high-protein diet, but I don't think that was a good idea because it had side effects, including fatigue. I also believe color is one way of expressing a character, so I asked the costume designer to use orange in Kang's fashion," the actor said.

In the original script, Kang had more lines and a penchant for profanity. However, Son told director Lee that he doesn't want to use too much foul language. "I only wanted to swear when his madness was at its peak," he said.

He praised Ma Dong-seok's starring portrayal of detective Ma Seok-do's character.

"There are so many things I've learned from Ma. As the producer and actor of this franchise, he knows how to make films understandable and enjoyable for a wider audience. He's an all-rounder. He also encouraged me to direct, write a screenplay and produce films in the future," Son said.

Last year, Son made his filmmaking debut with "Rerun," a road movie about an aunt and nephew on their way to a wedding. It was part of local streamer Watcha's "Unframed" project to inspire actors to try their hand at directing.

"I learned to understand and respect filmmakers after making my own film. While shooting 'The Roundup,' my goal was to satisfy director Lee and make sure he goes home happy," he said.

"The Roundup" hit local theaters on Wednesday.

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