INTERVIEW From rom-com heartthrob to action hero

Actor Hyun Bin poses during a recent interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul. Courtesy of NEW

Hyun Bin's cinematic challenge is ongoing

By Park Jin-hai

Hyun Bin has been a long-time heartthrob for many K-drama fans, playing a rich heir who has a cold appearance but is warm to those he loves.

Thanks to two romantic comedy dramas “My Lovely Sam Soon” (2005) and “Secret Garden” (2010), he became one of the most sought-after actors in romance dramas. In the drama “Secret Garden,” Hyun's portrayal of a spoiled chaebol heir with a love for tacky tracksuits including a blue sparkling tracksuit and the famous cappuccino foam kiss scene have catapulted him into the ranks of hottest hallyu actors with an immense following.

Yet after returning to the entertainment business, finishing his mandatory military service in 2012, Hyun has been fiercely expanding his acting spectrum.

He was challenging in his first role in the period film “The Fatal Encounter” as King Jeongjo in 2014. Then he acted as a dashing North Korean agent in the action flick “Confidential Assignment” (2016), followed by a sly con artist in “The Swindlers” (2017).

Opening new chapter

The 36-year-old actor, who says he hadn't taken a break for longer than a month, is in his busiest year between dramas and films. In director Lee Jong-seok's debut crime thriller “The Negotiation,” released September, he played his first villain as a hostage-taker in the crime thriller. One month later, Hyun came with the zombie blockbuster “Rampant.” He is also filming the much-anticipated drama “Memories of the Alhambra,” an augmented reality-based fantasy, whose first episode is due Dec. 1.

“With my films released side by side, I'm a bit worried audiences might be tired of seeing me,” said Hyun during a recent interview with The Korea Times. “What comforts me is that in my latest projects, from The Negotiation to Rampant and Memories of the Alhambra, the elements of story and my character didn't overlap. I believe showing various characters is my job and I try to take as many challenges as possible in my dramas and films,” he said, adding his standard of choosing his project has been always “entertaining stories” that he wants to deliver to audiences.

Yet his latest zombie film Rampant worried him before he joined the cast. “It actually took some time for me to accept the offer. It had so many cartoon-like elements that I couldn't easily guess how to depict some scenes. There was no clear picture of myself acting in it. I also had some concerns how those zombies would be enacted on the big screen. But after everything, I was attracted to this fresh idea of a Joseon-era zombie film and all the thrills it gives,” said Hyun. “After joining the film, I felt like I was filling the empty space little by little.”

In “Rampant,” Hyun boasts skillful action scenes with a long sword, almost singlehandedly defeating zombies endlessly swarming from all directions. The film keeps viewers on the edge of their seats with nerve-wracking moments to the last second.

Compared with his previous gun-shooting, car-chasing action scenes in “Confidential Assignment,” Hyun said his newest action scenes were more dangerous. “I've been shooting in great tension, without lowering the guard. Since the extras playing Night Demons were attacking human beings with their heads sticking out toward victims, any failure of calculating the distance with them could lead to injuries to their faces,” he said.

While shooting the film, Hyun suffered some back and muscle pain due to the heavy swords he wielded, and lost a toenail. Yet he says he has a good reason to prefer action flicks. “Every single cut I make gives some joy and a sense of accomplishment in filmmaking. Although shooting action-packed movies is a physically hard job and I repeat movements over and over, those action scenes alone, regardless of rest of the story, gives visual pleasure to viewers. They also give some satisfaction to me as an actor,” he said.

Hyun met with global movie critics and fans during the film's international junket event in Singapore, Oct. 30, before its release in 19 countries including Germany, Britain, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

“I'm very excited. Being released internationally around Halloween, I think it is a great timing for our film. I wonder how overseas movie fans will respond to these Joseon era Night Demons. I've seen the reaction video clips over our film's trailers, they looked totally shocked,” said Hyun.

Actor of few words

Born to parents who were teachers in Seoul, most of his personal life is relatively unknown. Unlike other media-friendly colleagues of his age, Hyun looks reserved and gives the impression that he shies away from publicity.

He communicates with his fans through his dramas and films.

Looking back on those 15 years creating something new as an actor, he says it became really difficult to separate his personal life from his acting career. “I've kept working because I read intriguing stories that I couldn't let go of. But I'm thinking that I might be over-consuming my image and maybe I'd better take a break.”

Hyun says when he has free time he watches old dramas and films he starred in. “In retrospect, I've become wise in playing my roles in terms of acting techniques. But looking at my old performances when I was young like what I did in My Lovely Sam Soon or Secret Garden, there is something fresh and daring that I want to emulate now,” he said.

He said he lives with the feelings of insecurity, but not anxiety. “I've been always under pressure to do something new and looking at the results, I never know satisfaction. But, nowadays I'm thinking that taking everything as they are and learning how to come down well from the peak of my career is more important than just box office performance,” he said.

Hyun Bin is seen in the film “Rampant.” Courtesy of NEW