Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
Foreign actors take bigger roles in Korean cinema
Vincent Cassel seen in the film “Default.” Courtesy of CJ Entertainment
By Park Jin-hai
By Park Jin-hai
In the past, it was uncommon to see foreign actors starring in Korean films. Even if they made it, their roles were relatively small and more to create a buzz than to carry the plot.
But things have changed a lot in recent years.
Starting with Hollywood star Liam Neeson cast in the 2016 “Operation Chromite” as General Douglas MacArthur, German actor Thomas Kretschmann co-starred in "A Taxi Driver" last year as a German journalist reporting on the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement.
This month, the big three Korean blockbusters released or waiting for premiere feature foreign actors in major roles.
In the film “Default,” which is currently ranked second at the weekend box office, French actor Vincent Cassel, known for “Black Swan” (2010) and “Jason Bourne” (2016), plays a cold managing director of the International Monetary Fund who pressures the Korean government to give in and submit to an IMF-led bailout program in 1997.
In “Swing Kids” set in the Geoje Prisoner of War Camp on the southern island during the 1951-53 Korean War, Jared Grimes, the Broadway tap dancer and actor who toured with Mariah Carey, plays an officer from Broadway who starts a tap dancing group within the prison camp.
In the upcoming action blockbuster “Take Point,” which tells the story of an elite CIA mercenary force on a black operation near the truce village of Panmunjom on the inter-Korean border, out of 15 actors cast in major roles, 13 are foreigners, including Jennifer Ehle, the English actress who starred in the popular 1995 BBC miniseries “Pride and Prejudice.” She plays a CIA team leader.
Jennifer Ehle seen in the film “Take Point.” Courtesy of CJ Entertainment
In the Korean film “The Battle of Jangsari,” “Transformers” star Megan Fox will portray female war correspondent Marguerite Higgins, one of the first female reporters to cover the atrocities of the Korean War and who later won a Pulitzer Prize.
Foreign actors have begun approaching South Korean film making with heightened sincerity.
“Grimes voluntarily flew to Korea to shoot an ending scene where only his back will be shown on camera. On set, he was eager to help teach his fellow actors the dance moves,” said Lee An-na, CEO of Swing Kids' production company Annapurna Film.
Industry insiders say that foreign actors entering the Korean film market is proof of where Korean films stand in the cinematic world.
Cassel of “Default,” was particularly interested in, and boasted a comprehensive understanding of, Korean films ranging from acclaimed filmmakers Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho's works to the lesser-known “Breathless” by Yang Ik-joon.
“The French actor said he wanted to experience the potential of Korean films and that was why he chose to star in Default,” said Oh Hyo-jin, the film's producer.
Hollywood stars are fully aware that if they succeed in Korea, their recognition and popularity in Asia will increase as well, according to Kang Myung-chan, CEO of Perfect Storm Film, the production company for “Take Point.”
“In the casting process, it became evident that foreign actors had developed a newfound confidence and interest in the Korean film industry,” he said. “We carried out auditions for the film through a U.S. agency and many actors expressed an interest in appearing in the film because it will star Ha Jung-woo of The Handmaiden and The Chaser that impressed them,” he added.