[Interview] Jung Woo "Investment Difficulties During 'Hot Blood' Filming... Leading Role Was a Big Burden"

Jungwoo / Photo by Kidar Studio

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "I wanted to film comfortably in my hometown Busan, have a plate of sashimi, and take a walk along the beach while acting, but we faced difficulties in the middle of the investment phase. Since I knew the internal situation well, I couldn’t just let it go. It was the production company's first project, the director’s debut work, and the screenplay wasn’t commercially structured either. I thought it was my duty as the lead actor to do my best."

Actor Jung Woo (Kim Jung-guk) candidly spoke about the burden he carried and the production process during a video interview held on the morning of the 22nd, saying, "I knew a lot to enjoy acting in the movie 'Hot Blood'."

'Hot Blood' depicts the survival fight of bottom-tier gangsters led by Hee-soo (played by Jung Woo), a powerful figure in the outskirts of the Busan port Guam in 1993. Writer Cheon Myeong-kwan, who debuted with "Whale," adapted and directed the film based on the novel of the same name by writer Kim Eon-su.

Jung Woo said, "The more I understood Hee-soo, the more sensitive I became. It was heartbreaking to see him, lonely, bearing everything on his own," adding, "This work helped me grow by expressing those aspects." He continued, "Hoping to look a bit sexy, I barely shaved and dressed appropriately. I portrayed it with humor and without heaviness."

Since the film mainly deals with conflicts among gangsters and factions set in Busan, almost all characters speak in the Gyeongsang-do dialect. After the recent press screening of 'Hot Blood,' some criticized the rapid-fire dialogue as unfriendly, causing mixed reactions.

Regarding this, Jung Woo said, "People from other countries probably wouldn’t know whether it’s a dialect or not," and added, "I think language is the best means to convey emotion."

Jungwoo / Photo by Kidar Studio

"The Gyeongsang-do dialect definitely has a rough and chewy nuance with a seaside scent. Its unique intonation and words are like that. Since I’m from Busan, the expression process is concise. I understand the script quickly and can catch and express it naturally, which is an advantage."

Jung Woo has performed Busan dialect acting in many works such as the movie 'Wind' (2009) and the drama 'Reply 1994.' The same applies to 'Hot Blood.' In fact, Hee-soo is hard to see as a completely new character. He overlaps with several characters Jung Woo has played before. As the actor said, the rough image given by the dialect intonation inevitably repeats.

Jung Woo nodded, admitting he worried about being repeatedly seen as a character using the Busan dialect. At the same time, he showed his passion as an actor. "I still have many materials as an actor. I have a strong desire to show different sides beyond the works the public remembers me for."

He also expressed pride in the dialect. Jung Woo said, "When I first came to Seoul, I had to use standard language, and I felt the dialect was something I had to overcome. Now it’s completely different. For an actor, dialect is both an advantage and a strength. I’m more excited about how well I can utilize that strength."

He emphasized, "The dialect intonation may be similar, but the emotions of the characters are completely different, so I don’t feel burdened."

Jungwoo / Photo by Kidar Studio

"I focused on setting the tone of the lines in terms of genre. I was worried the lines might sound superficial if done wrong. I kept reciting the lines on set to avoid them sounding light. I repeated them while matching the space and the role."

About 'Hot Blood,' Jung Woo said, "It was a work I instinctively chose and was drawn to by feeling," adding, "I filmed it in my late 30s, and my passion boiled over. I thought about how to perform raw and natural acting."

"My favorite line is, 'The world isn’t won by the cool guy, but by the bastard.' I don’t know if it fits the meaning of the line, but isn’t it better to live a healthy and realistic life than to live a stylish life posing?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.