Actor Zo In-sung revealed the reason why he repeatedly asked Jeon Do-yeon, "Is this right?" after reuniting with her on a project for the first time in 23 years.
Attending an interview for the film "Possible Love" held on the afternoon of November 10 in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Zo In-sung answered regarding why he constantly posed questions to Jeon Do-yeon early in the shoot: "Director Lee Chang-dong's works have a tone and manner that you could call existential. I tried to adapt to that, but because I hadn't verified it with my own eyes, I wanted to check it through the eyes of a third party."
In a previous interview, Jeon Do-yeon had said, "During the early stage, after filming a scene, In-sung kept asking me, 'Noona, is this right?' I think it was a process of adapting to the director's style."
Zo In-sung said, "Because I had done many conventional feature films, I tried to relax and take the tension out, but I thought even that itself might look like the wrong tone. At any rate, Do-yeon noona and Kyung-gu hyung had previous experience working with director Lee Chang-dong, so I wanted to ask about what I might be missing and make adjustments. Because if I couldn't ask out of embarrassment, that would only be my loss."
He continued, "However, director Lee Chang-dong was entirely fair, just like the full moon that appears in our film. Whether someone had done one project or two projects with him, everyone was trembling without knowing if this was right," adding, "It was the same for the 'Queen of Cannes,' and for (Sul) Kyung-gu, who is said to be the best actor in our country. Kyung-gu hyung wouldn't even go near the director," drawing laughter.
The existential film he mentioned refers to director Lee Chang-dong's realism. Lee Chang-dong's realism can be seen as an approach where actors do not dissect the meaning of each scene individually or stereotype their characters, but instead naturally become the character and act.
Zo In-sung added, "Rather than saying, 'This character is this kind of person, so act like this,' the director tells you to feel the character instead of acting it. He actually wanted us to act in a simpler state."
In this project, Zo In-sung plays Sang-woo, the husband of documentary director Ye-ji and a capitalist endowed with wealth and manners. Participating in an auteur film by director Lee Chang-dong for the first time, Zo In-sung showcased acting distinct from his previous style, achieving an expansion of his filmography.
"Possible Love" tells the story of two married couples—a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary director and her husband—who meet for the production of a documentary and confront their different lives and hidden desires, marking director Lee Chang-dong's new work after eight years. It was released worldwide via Netflix on November 6.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)