Sidekicks steal the scenes
By Kim Bo-eun
Film stars with chiseled features and jaw-dropping bodies have almost always dominated the big screen. When a film became a hit, these actors and actresses were in the spotlight.
However, things have changed. Actors in supporting roles _ usually as sidekicks _ are drawing attention after Oh Dal-su became the first actor to have seven films reach the 10 million milestone in ticket sales.
Oh set the record after the blockbusters "Assassination" and "Veteran" surpassed the mark last month.
The unglamorous middle-aged actor, who mainly played comic roles, added elements of entertainment to productions, but for the most part remained inconspicuous in the many films in which he has featured. However, critics have lauded Oh, 47, saying his roles may always seem familiar, yet he never bored audiences.
In Veteran, he plays a funny but righteous character as the head of a regional investigation unit up against a villainous conglomerate.
Oh starred in his first film in 2002. His career soared after auteur Park Chan-wook chose him for "Sympathy For Lady Vengeance" in 2005. The following year, Oh was the voice of the monster in highly regarded director Bong Joon-ho's "The Host."
Other films starring Oh that have made the 10 million milestone are "The Host (2006)," "The Thieves (2012)," "Miracle in Cell No.7 (2013)," "The Attorney(2013)" and "Ode to My Father (2014)."
Another actor who drew attention in Veteran is Yoo Hae-jin. Yoo has played roles ranging from comic in the "Tazza" series to serious in "The Unfair (2013)" to his latest villain's role in Veteran, which sends chills down the spine.
Yoo stars as the older cousin of a conglomerate chairman's trouble-making son. While he is mostly shown cleaning up after his younger cousin, he also exhibits ambition for power.
This contrasts Yoo's warm character on tvN's entertainment show "Three Meals a Day: Fishing Village" earlier this year.
Actor Sung Dong-il has also become increasingly popular after his appearing as the father of two children on MBC's entertainment show "Daddy, Where are We Going?" last year.
Sung is also known as a character actor who is great at cussing, starring in such films as "Return of The Mafia (2012)." He is playing another supporting role in a detective film to be released later this month.
Amid the popularity of these scene stealers, a festival for them was held in Seogwipo on Jeju Island on Tuesday through Wednesday. Twenty-two actors, including Oh, Yoo and Sung, took part in the "2015 Seogwipo Scene Stealer Festival" in the island's southern city.
The festival introduced the actors and their major productions to the audience and awarded the actors.