APRIL 16, 2005

[INTERVIEW] Kim takes on the role of a cold-hearted gangster

Achieving a top-star label is hard; keeping it is much harder. An actor needs to embrace changes to survive the turbulent and whimsical entertainment labyrinth. That's exactly what Kim Young-cheol has done in recent months.


Veteran actor Kim Young-cheol tries to toughen
his image in the new thriller movie "A Bittersweet Life."

Kim, one of the most widely known TV actors in Korea, has taken a supporting role in "A Bittersweet Life," a new thriller movie directed by Kim Ji-woon. The change means more than it seems: It is rare for Kim to take a supporting role on TV, but he is now willing to adapt and transform.

"One of the things I realized when I took some rest in the past two years is that I'm not young enough to stick to lead roles," Kim said.

His role in "A Bittersweet Life" is not minor, however. He plays a callous gangster boss called "President Kang" opposite the main character Sun-woo, played by Lee Byung-hun.

Kim's role is classified as No. 2 in terms of importance in the movie after Lee's. For those who haven't tasted the spotlight at all, Kim's comments might sound snobbish, but his tone and determination were genuine.

To stay fit for serious acting and maintain his sharp image, the 52-year-old actor said he walks about 10 kilometers in less than two hours every day. In fact, he looks much younger than his age. Sporting his short, silver hair and stylish suit, Kim seems cool.

"Although my role in the movie is a cold-hearted man, I think there can be many different types of bad guys, and I've tried to look cool," Kim said, laughing lightly.

His more detailed description for President Kang: "No color, no smell." In plain language, President Kang does not have a human heart - except for his affection for his younger girlfriend.

In the film, nail-biting suspense begins to build as Sun-woo, the right-hand man of President Kang, defies an order from his boss regarding the woman, and their relations go awry, sparking a cycle of violence and revenge.

No doubt, the role of the boss fits in perfectly with Kim's sharp image. The only dilemma is that Kim does not feel he's cut out for such a strong, charismatic character. "People often say that my image is cold, and the role of a gangster boss is a right choice, but I feel strong pressure when I play such roles," Kim said.

That's quite a frank comment from an actor who started his career in the late 1970s and has long dominated the domestic TV screen. Kim first joined a drama company named "Minyae," starting with a lowly job mopping the floor at the theater. His career had a turning point in 1978 when he entered TBC, a now defunct broadcasting station, as an actor.

"I just thought that if I work for a broadcasting station, I can make money to buy noodles and cigarettes," Kim said. "Soon, I found it quite fun to do some acting for TV dramas."

Coincidentally, his first TV role was as a gangster. Not a boss, but an obscure gangster with little influence. It was in a drama named "Promise," and Kim was abruptly called on to play the role when the original actor was absent because of military training.

"It was a small part, but screenplay writer Na Yeon-sook appreciated my acting," Kim said. Since then, he has completed countless roles for TV soap operas and movies, some of which happened to be linked to Lee Byung-hun who plays the No. 1 role in "A Bittersweet Life."

In one TV soap opera, Lee played a man who dies while serving in the army, while Kim was, of course, the main character. In another, Kim and Lee were brothers. "I was dying inside a truck, and Byung-hun had to cry over my death. Because his acting was so real, I couldn't help crying too, leading to about 10 NGs, and that's the moment when I thought he would be a big star in the future," Kim recalled.

Kim did not see much importance in Lee's continued attempts to talk to him in their earlier filming together. It was natural for Kim to focus on his work as the top-rated actor, and Lee, who just began his acting career, had no serious reputation.

"On several occasions, Byun-hun came up to me and asked me if I knew a person who he said was his uncle. I was busy, so I said no and went away. It turned out that his uncle and I went to the same high school, the same class," Kim said.

By Yang Sung-jin

2005.04.16

Credits: The Korea Herald
http://koreanow.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2005/04/16/200504160024.asp