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| Actor Lee Byung-hun plays the role of Jae-hyuk in the new disaster action film, "Emergency Declaration." Courtesy of Showbox |
Lee says he put own experience of fear of flying into role
By Lee Gyu-lee
Actor Lee Byung-hun, one of the most prolific actors in Korea, is set to return to the silver screen with the new disaster action film, "Emergency Declaration," two years after the political flick, "The Man Standing Next," in 2020.
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| Actor Lee Byung-hun / Courtesy of BH Entertainment |
"Although it wasn't intended, I feel like this film has a story that people living in this time can be more immersed and empathize with as they are watching it while going through the pandemic," Lee said during an interview with The Korea Times, Thursday.
Lee plays the role of dedicated father Jae-hyuk, who is scared of flying. Despite his fear, he gets on board a flight with his daughter to move to Hawaii to find better living conditions for his daughter, who has an illness.
He encounters a strange, ominous man, Jin-seok (Im Si-wan), at the airport while checking in for his flight. When he meets Jin-seok again on the plane and one of the plane's passengers suddenly dies up in the air after a terrorist threat, his suspicions about Jin-seok intensify, along with tension and panic among the people on board.
The film is directed by filmmaker Han Jae-rim, who led the historical film, "The Face Reader," (2013) and the crime film, "The King" (2017).
Lee revealed that he had his first panic attack on an airplane when he was in his 20s, just like his character.
"When I got on board a plane to go to the U.S, I had a panic attack for the first time. I thought I was going to die there. It was so shocking that I can't forget it," he said. "I asked if there were any doctors on board and to stop the plane, but they said that they couldn't do that. I couldn't breathe and it was really hard."
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| A scene from the movie, "Emergency Declaration" / Courtesy of Showbox |
The actor added that he used that actual experience to help depict Jae-hyuk's condition on the flight.
"As I was portraying the character, I discussed with director Han what kind of fear and symptoms Jae-hyuk was going through (throughout the story)," he said. "He is scared of even just getting on a plane and would need a sedative. But as the situation gets more extreme on the plane, he goes through a series of panic attack symptoms. As a person who knows what that's like, I tried to make it realistic."
Lee, who is a father of a seven-year-old son in reality, said that he had confidence in playing his character as a father.
"If I didn't have my child, I would have asked around and studied the sides that fathers have. But I've had my fair share of experiences now," he said. "So I could portray a father figure that takes care of his child with confidence."
Recalling the first time he read the script, he said that the movie turned out just as thrilling as he expected from the script.
"When I first read the script, it was a storm of tension and confusion. So I enjoyed it like I was on a rollercoaster ride," he said. "(The production team) put it in their heart for audiences to feel what goes on on the plane from their seat. That experience itself is unique, I think. But more importantly, this film could give a chance to question yourself on what it means to be human, as we are going through a pandemic era."
"Emergency Declaration" will be released on Aug. 3.
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