'Actor's life begins at 40:' Jung Woo says turning 40 affected his outlook on acting

Jung Woo poses after an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Little Big Pictures

By Kwak Yeon-soo

• Published Nov 19, 2020 4:00 PM KST
• Updated Nov 19, 2020 5:03 PM KST

By Kwak Yeon-soo

It's been a long and winding road for the film “Best Friend” to ultimately land in theaters, but even amid the pandemic, it's a big moment for Jung Woo who has been out of the public eye for nearly three years.

“I shot three films ― 'Hot Blooded,' 'Best Friend' and 'Dirty Money' ― after 'Heung-boo: The Revolutionist' (2018), but all of their release dates got pushed back due to internal and external circumstances. I'm relieved that the film could come out right now,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday.

“After wrapping up shooting for three films, I went on a one-year hiatus because I experienced a burnout. During that period of time, I tried to use my time wisely ― waking up early, working out regularly and reviewing scripts.”

The upcoming film is set in the 1980s when the country was still under authoritarian rule. It follows an undercover surveillance team tasked with monitoring an opposition politician when he is confined to his home after returning from overseas. The team pretends to be the politician's friendly new neighbors as they listen in 24 hours a day, probing into the family's secrets one by one.

Jung Woo plays Yoo Dae-kwon, a cold-hearted intelligence agent, who leads the surveillance team.

“Dae-kwon is a callous and patriarchal person. However, as he eavesdrops on his neighbor, the character begins to change. He develops an unlikely friendship with the opposition politician, which pushes him to contradict his own beliefs later on,” he said.

The characters Jung plays, like in “The Himalayas” (2015) and “New Trial” (2017) are often those who face a moral dilemma and must seek to make things right.

“It was never intentional, but I've played several characters that hold a strong sense of justice. I feel like I'm more drawn to characters that uphold their ethical standards in a world of intolerance and greed,” he said.

Over concerns that the film could be interpreted through a political lens, Jung stressed that the setting is only one aspect of the film.

The actor is also known to frequently speak in Busan dialect to portray his character in films like “Wish” (2009) and “C'est Si Bon” (2015) as well as hit drama series “Reply 1994” (2013).

“People often tell me, 'Your Busan dialect is really good,' but that's because I was born and grew up there. I've lived in Seoul for half my life but I also lived in Busan for half my life,” he said.

“Of course, it helped me shape the character because I'm capable of catching the smallest nuances. Moreover, I was able to act in accordance with instinctive feelings about a given situation because I carry memories of the 1980s.”

Jung continued on about how filming each scene for “Best Friend” felt like jumping through a hurdle.

“There were a lot of emotional scenes, and they all required something more than just crying or shouting in anger. I wanted the audience to empathize with me throughout the story,” he said.

“In the film Dae-kwon leads the surveillance team so he doesn't speak that much. So I had to portray his evolving psychological condition through minute changes in facial expressions or subtle movements. It was very challenging to express a character that renounces his personal beliefs and goes from being cold-blooded to compassionate.”

When asked if there was any competition with fellow actors Oh Dal-su (who plays the next-door neighbor) and Kim Hee-won (who plays Dae-kwon's heartless boss), Jung said, “I was a bit worried that we may get overdramatic, but director Lee Hwan-kyung gave a very specific kind of direction to avoid clashes.”

He added, “A large part of acting is trusting your fellow actors and the director. The synergy between us motivates me to perform better.”

Born in 1981, Jung also shared his experience of turning 40 (Korean age) and how it affected his outlook on his acting and personal life.

Koreans traditionally adhere to a system of calculating age which starts from one rather than zero and one year is added to one's age on January 1st each year instead of on one's birthday. Though Jung is 39, he is considered 40 according to this system.

“Many told me that an actor's life begins at 40. I turned 40 this year, and I'm starting to realize what that means. My mind changed, and so did my relationship to myself and the world around me.”

He explained that he is learning the skill of letting go and looking at the bigger picture on set.

“When I was younger, I had an infinite amount of enthusiasm and passion for acting. But I made the mistake of acting like I'm the only one in the room,” he said.

“While filming, I couldn't sleep or eat well, and I felt as if something was stuck in my throat. And one day, I said to myself 'Acting has been my dream and I'm doing it because I like it. Why am I making things so difficult? People around me will feel the same pressure from me.'”

The versatile actor picked his family as a source of inspiration. He married actress Kim Yu-mi in 2016, and the two have a five-year-old daughter.

“My family ― my parents, wife and daughter ― have changed my life for the better,” he said. “We're a normal family. I always feel grateful for small things and fear not being a good enough dad for my daughter.”

Jung also hinted that he's currently shooting a romantic comedy series “Crazy Person in the Area” (working title), which is slated for the first half of 2021.

“My fans have been waiting for me to play funny, light-hearted character like the one in Reply 1994. I guarantee that my next drama will be an enjoyable series,” he said.

“Best Friend” will hit local theaters, Nov. 25.