Lee Min Ho: Good character makes good actor

Lee Min Ho has shared comments on his Assassin(s) character at the K-movie's press conference. 

Assassin(s) follows the investigation into the suspicions and masterminds behind the assassination attempt on South Korea's First Lady on August 15, 1974. Blending historical records with unanswered questions and cinematic imagination, the film is a mystery investigation drama. It is reportedly the first film to dramatize this real-life case, exploring a true story that has never before been depicted on screen.

Yoo Hai Jin, Park Hae Il, and Lee Min Ho star as leads.

Lee Min Ho (39) plays Young Il, a reporter assigned to cover the Liberation Day commemorative ceremony.

The actor explained the character, saying, "Young Il is portrayed as someone who comes from a good family background. In a way, he is a young man who could have compromised with the times and taken a stable path by living up to his family's expectations, but as he pursues the values of conviction and truth, he ends up working as a reporter in a rather chaotic way." "Rather than trying to portray his professionalism, I acted by feeling the space and the circumstances. I think I acted while everything felt raw."

He continued with a smile, "I'm at an age when it's not easy for me to be the youngest wherever I go, but I was able to be the youngest among my senior co-stars." "I acted with the thought that I wanted Young Il to have the feeling of a live fish — full of dynamic energy.”

Lee also said, "I thought of him as someone who grew up upright in a good environment, but who yearned for something unfulfilled deep inside. I portrayed him as someone who becomes a reporter, grows and becomes stronger through his experiences [working] under Jae Hwan (Park Hae Il), comes to believe in the value of truth, and dreams of freedom."

It was also revealed that Park Hae Il would come to the set and act as Lee Min Ho's scene partner over the phone, even when he had no scenes of his own, to support him.

Talking about it, Lee Min Ho said, "The phone call scene was my first scene. When I heard that senior actor Park Hae Il would come to the set, I became even more nervous from the moment I was getting my makeup done." "I felt even more nervous, but when I heard Park Hae Il sunbae's voice in the first take, I immediately became immersed in the scene. I'm truly grateful. He squatted down and did the phone call with me, and I was really moved."

Regarding his first time working with Yoo Hae Jin and Park Hae Il, Lee Min Ho said, "I was happier than I could have imagined. In a way, they are two of the most respected actors in Korea. What I felt while working with them was that the dignity that comes from one's character is what makes a good actor."

Assassin(s) is scheduled to premiere in theaters during this year's Chuseok holiday.

Source: SPOTV News