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| Actor Cho Jin-woong poses for a photo after an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, June 16. / Courtesy of AceMaker Movieworks |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Cho Jin-woong got his start with a minor role in "Spirit of Jeet Kune Do ― Once Upon a Time in High School" (2004).
Since then, he has starred in films of diverse genres, including "Nameless Gangster: Rules of Time" (2011), "Roaring Currents" (2014), "Assassination" (2015) and "The Handmaiden," dominating every scene he is in.
With more than 60 films under his belt now, the actor is still as in demand as ever. Cho credits his longevity for his ability to maintain great working relationships with fellow actors and directors and see the bigger picture.
Even after he became a much-sought-after actor, he continued to reinvent himself by working alongside rookie filmmakers to diversify his portfolio.
"There is a time-tested formula for making a hit film. It's pretty simple ― cast A-listed stars and invest big money. However, I'm a type of person who feels more joy when accomplishing something that seemed out of balance," he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
Cho recalled that he decided to take a lead role in Jung Jin-young's directorial debut "Me and Me" just a day after receiving the casting offer.
"I said yes because I liked the script," Cho said. "However, I was a bit worried about how the film would turn out because being happy with the script and being satisfied with the final product is a whole different story."
Cho said whenever his films don't work out the way he intended or got a poor response from audiences, he cries and blames himself, asking himself, "What was all that about? I've worked so hard, but for what?"
Despite initial concerns, the actor had a wonderful time with "Me and Me," adding he was pleased with the final product.
"One thing I noticed from working with rookie directors is that they try to place too much meaning behind one piece of work. Such an error occurs because they fear their debut work would be their last," he laughed.
"Jung was different. Instead of setting forth his philosophical ideas, he let the audience to realize there are issues in life that are worth observing and thinking over."
In "Me and Me," Cho plays Hyung-gu, a police officer assigned to a mysterious fire that took the lives of a married couple in a small town.
While trying to find out why there was a cage installed in the house and the couple were locked up in the attic, Hyung-gu becomes aware of the townspeople's secret related to their deaths.
One night, the townspeople invite Hyung-gu for a drink. The next day, he wakes up discovering that people refuse to recognize him for who he is ― a police officer and a father of two. Instead, the townspeople tell Hyung-gu he is a teacher and single. Having fallen into the world of delusions, Hyung-gu tries to wake himself from the nightmare.
For Cho, the most memorable scene was him staring at his wife who doesn't recognize him.
"I imagined the most heartbreaking part for Hyung-gu would be losing his wife. I mean his wife is still alive, she doesn't know him," he said. "If I were Hyung-gu, I wouldn't be able to cope with the new reality ― a world without my family."
Cho confessed that he thinks about quitting acting about 2 million times a day because it is frightening to be the subject of relentless gossip and the center of attention. However, one of the great things about being an actor is being able to live in a character and film that starts discourses on various topics.
