[INTERVIEW] Im Si-wan finds own narrative for villain role in 'Emergency Declaration'

Actor Im Si-wan plays the role of a terrorist in the new disaster blockbuster film, "Emergency Declaration." Courtesy of Showbox

With 10-year career, Im is still eager to learn more about acting

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actor Im Si-wan / Courtesy of Showbox

Singer and actor Im Si-wan, who started his career as a member of K-pop group ZE:A, has been building a strong filmography, proving himself as a capable actor.

Known for his good boy, by-the-book image, he has added a new dimension to his repertoire, cultivating a new image in his new role as the terrorist, Jin-seok, in the disaster flick, "Emergency Declaration."

"There's no backstory on the character of Jin-seok (in the film). I usually try to find a sense of justification (in a character's actions) when I act, because the harder it is to find one, the harder it is to act. But with Jin-seok, there wasn't any. It was a complete blank," Im said in an interview with The Korea Times, Monday.

"But on the other hand, because it was blank, I had the freedom to fill it as I wanted. I portrayed Jin-seok as I built his narrative," he said.

"Emergency Declaration" is about a terrorist attack on an airplane. Courtesy of Showbox

Led by director Han Jae-rim, who helmed the 2017 crime film, "The King," the new disaster film, which hit the theaters on Aug. 3, follows the story of a terrorist attack on an airplane.

When passengers on a commercial flight start dying following a terrorist threat online, people on the ground, including detective In-ho (Song Kang-ho), and those on board, including Jae-hyuk (Lee Byung-hun) and Hyun-soo (Kim Nam-gil), try to save people's lives, while dealing with the rising tension and panic.

Im plays a vengeful biochemist, who plots the attack, thereby jeopardizing the lives of over a hundred passengers who are trapped up in the air.

The actor revealed that he could feel a sense of freedom in acting as a villain in this film. "This character doesn't exactly fall in the category of being normal or being relatable (to the audience)," he said.

"(Some say) the role of an antagonist is a blessing as an actor. Protagonists have certain boundaries they must keep, but with the villain role, I could step out of the frame that (I must act) in a certain way. I was able to feel freedom with this work. It felt incredible to fill in my imagination. I felt liberated in terms of acting," he said.

A scene from the film, "Emergency Declaration" / Courtesy of Showbox

The film only gives the smallest of glimpses into Jin-seok's unfortunate upbringing and his dysfunctional mother, yet it doesn't delve deeper into the reasons behind his heinous actions.

Im said he tried to focus on finding Jin-seok's emotions and his own justification to prevent his role from being purely superficial.

"For characters that don't fall into a normal category, I believe that the moment I approach that character with a 'he's not normal' attitude, it's going to feel ingenuous," he said. "I think Jin-seok had an experimental mind that felt sacred in his own values. And when he actualizes that experiment step by step, he feels the thrill, which comes off as abnormal and chilling to the other person. And that's what I focused on (in playing the character)."

For Im and Song, this is the second time the two have worked together in a film, following the drama flick, "The Attorney," in 2013.

Im shared that Song would visit him on the set to encourage him, although they barely had scenes together.

"When Song came to the set, he gave me a lot of compliments, which to me felt like strong support," he said. "To hear a compliment from someone who is one of the best actors in the world, in my opinion, meant a lot. I felt proud and a sense of motivation."

"Emergency Declaration" made its local premiere on Aug. 3. Courtesy of Showbox

Along with Song, Im worked with top-tier actors for this film, including Lee, Kim, and Jeon Do-yeon. He expressed his overwhelming excitement to have such an opportunity.

"This piece has been such an enormous honor to me. Working with those who are not just top actors in Korea but also globally recognized, was a tremendous opportunity. It is a chance that any actor would dream for and it felt unbelievable to have that great chance," he said, adding that it felt surreal. "It would have been nice if I could have worked on a scene together with all of those co-stars. And I feel bad that I didn't get to, but regardless I was very thrilled."

The actor, who made his way into acting with a minor role in the hit historical series, "Moon Embracing the Sun," in 2012, shared that the 10 years of his career feel nothing more than a number and he is eager to learn more.

"The pressure that the number 10 gives is pretty huge. When I think of the 10 years, it just feels that the time has flown by much faster than the things I've accomplished," he said. "There is still a lot that I need to do and that I do not know … I'm still yet to have my own answer to the question of 'what is acting.'"