Until his recent Golden Globe nomination, most people in America simply knew Lee Byung Hun as the enigmatic Front Man from the hit Netflix show Squid Game. In Asia, however, it’s always been a different story. Now 55, the actor first caused a splash in Park Chan-wook’s political thriller JSA, set in the no man’s land between North and South Korea. Since then, his star has sky-rocketed, to the extent that even Hollywood came calling, offering him roles in action franchises such as G.I. Joe, Terminator: Genisys and Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Magnificent Seven. He was even inducted into AMPAS in 2016, presenting the Oscar International Feature to Hungary’s Son of Saul the same year.
In fact, so in-demand was Lee that it’s taken 25 years for him to reunite with Park, on South Korea’s critically acclaimed Oscar entry No Other Choice, which opens on Christmas Day via Neon. Giving us a rare glimpse of his comedic acting chops, the film stars Lee as Mansu, a veteran employee at a paper mill, who is cruelly canned after celebrating 25 years of service. Finding employment hard to come by, Mansu reaches the sinister but logical conclusion that the only way he’ll ever get work again is by figuring out who his strongest competitors are — and killing them.
Director Park Chan-wook has waited for this moment for a long time. “Ever since we first met on the set of JSA, we’ve always stayed very close friends,” he told Deadline, “and throughout those years we’ve looked for opportunities to work together again. But because of scheduling conflicts, we couldn’t find the right project. But what was most important for me — and what I’m most proud of in casting him for the role — is that, with the passage of time, he has reached the right age to play this role. When I was thinking about the ideal actor to play the main character — including people who had passed away and people who are alive — my ideal choice was either Jack Lemmon or Jimmy Stewart. And I believe that Lee is that same kind of actor. He’s an actor with dynamic range.”
Here, Lee talks about the Golden Globes, his relationship with Park and his career to date.
DEADLINE: What went through your mind when you heard about the Golden Globes nominations, for you, Park and the film?
LEE BYUNG HUN: I was so surprised by this news, and it was a great honor to be one of the nominees. And I was going to tell this great news to my family, but it’s 3am, 4am in the morning in Korea, so I couldn’t. It’s a huge honor, and I’d be lying if I were to say I was hoping for it. Of course, we don’t know what’s going to happen. And I think, in terms of the category, whether it’s a directing award, award for the project itself, or a nomination for myself as an actor, I think what really matters is hopefully all this attention, or news being written about the project, will get as much people as possible into the theaters to watch this movie. And I think that really makes it worthwhile for all the attention that we poured into the making of this movie.
DEADLINE: Do you feel vindicated? Director Park says that you were the person that said, “Can it be funny?” And, of course, No Other Choice is nominated in the Best Musical or Comedy category, which Park is very, very amused by. Are you glad that he listened to you?
LEE: I think my intention in asking him that question — “Oh, can I be funny?” — is because Director Park, if you look at his filmography, not a lot of films have this much humor in it. Of course, there’s always some elements of humor, but not to this extent, so it was really just me checking with him to make sure that this was the correct approach for a film that has so many depressing elements and has a certain bitterness to it, because it’s reflecting the reality of a lot of the things that we’re experiencing. I thought it was really great that we could laugh watching this movie.
At the same time, as an actor, I really wasn’t trying to push the humor. I think, with comedy, when you really want something to be funny, it gets very excessive, and I think that can really push the audience away and make it less humorous. That’s the worst-case scenario.
DEADLINE: Director Park told me that he saw in you qualities that he saw in Jack Lemmon and Jimmy Stewart, two very iconic American actors. Did he tell you that, or am I telling you this for the first time?
LEE: I actually found out about the Jack Lemmon comparison while we were promoting this film in the last couple of months. He didn’t mention it to me in private or while we were shooting. However, during the Venice Film Festival there were critics that said that this film really gifted me a great slapstick performance, and there were some comparisons to Charlie Chaplin as well. That was the first time I heard that said about my performance or the film.
DEADLINE: No Other Choice has been a project of Director Park’s for a long, long time. When did you first hear about it?
LEE BYUNG HUN: When the project first came to me, it was originally titled The Ax. Director Park was preparing this, actually, 15 years ago. I had come to the US to prepare a movie here, and Director Park had as well. We coincidentally met in LA to have a meal, and he told me about this project. Then we both kind of forgot about it for a while. It was two years ago that he came to me and told me that instead of trying to make the film in the US, he was bringing it back to Korea, and that’s when the conversation restarted.
DEADLINE: So, was he going to make it with an American cast?
LEE: Yes, the original plan was to have an American cast. There were some actors he had in mind. They had even gone as far as to do some location scouting in Canada, but there was a little bit of a change in direction.
DEADLINE: Well, I was going to come to that! The film is very funny…
LEE: Thank you!
DEADLINE: But it’s a very dark kind of comedy. Whose decision was that?
LEE: From its conception, this project had elements of black comedy, so there was that very set directionality there. Of course, I brought some of my own ideas of funny moments, but the setting and the tone was already established. This is a really unique film, in that sometimes it might be a funny scene and you’re laughing, but you are left with a feeling of bittersweetness or melancholy. Or you are watching a really sad moment, but you find yourself chuckling or laughing a little bit. This amalgamation of a lot of complex emotions is, I think, what makes this film special, and it was something we wanted to carry on from the inception of the film.
DEADLINE: How did you find the character of Yoo Mansu?
LEE: He is, in many ways, a common patriarch. However, he is faced with a lot of extreme circumstances, and he also makes extreme choices in order to overcome those circumstances. You see him being faced with obstacle after obstacle. My goal in developing the character of Mansu was that he is a very average, common man. However, he goes through drastic changes, and makes some drastic decisions, throughout the course of the film.
DEADLINE: You often play very cool characters. This character is not very cool at all. I wonder if that was liberating for you to play somebody who’s not cool.
LEE: [Laughs] I’m sure you haven’t seen my entire filmography — I actually have played a couple of characters who might be missing a screw or two! A Korean audience might be more familiar with me acting these less charismatic characters. What I think I find so fascinating about the character of Mansu is that he is constantly faltering. And not only that, but he also isn’t able to maneuver these situations very smoothly. He’s almost waddling through various problems in his life. I find this extremely realistic, and I really enjoyed playing this role.
You’ll notice that a lot of moments in this movie are captured from a distance in a wide shot or in an extreme close-up. I thought that this really represented the character, Mansu, in that if you look closely at him, he doesn’t really even have a moment to take a breath. His feelings are very extreme, his situations are tragic, and his actions are desperate. However, when you take a more objective point of view, and see things from a distance, you find that the situation can be funny and, in some ways, even pitiful. I think this really represents life in many ways.
DEADLINE: What keeps you returning to Park Chan-wook as a director? You’ve worked with him several times. What is it about his vision that appeals to you?
LEE: What makes Director Park really unique is the process he goes through, from rehearsal to shooting. He’s a director that really is taking in his surroundings, so, from every set piece to the color of the costume to the intensity of the lighting, he’s really paying attention to all these aspects and he’s very detail oriented. I would say that he does even more preparation than is normal for other directors. Of course, as an actor, that means a little bit of a longer wait time. However, it’s really admirable, his ability to check everything from start to finish. Of course, every director preps, but I think his level is really rare and unparalleled. While I’m watching the finished film, I start to really catch on. I’m like, “Oh, now I get why that took so much time,” or “Now I know why he insisted on that color to be that specific color.” I go through a process of realization and surprise when I watch the final product and see the A to B of what decisions made what effect on screen.
DEADLINE: You’ve been on tour with this film, from Venice to Toronto and London. What conversations have you had as a result of people seeing this movie in other countries?
LEE: While touring with this film in Toronto and in London, we had countless Q&As. What I really took away from that is the audiences had a lot of laughter in approaching this film. However, these laughing points were different depending on the location. That made me realize that there are cultural differences to humor. Also, the audiences were watching the film really deeply and analyzing a lot of the hidden meanings or the messaging that was under the surface. We had some really intelligent questions, so I realized that people were really absorbing the film.
DEADLINE: What kind of questions did you get?
LEE: One of them was that all of the characters that Mansu is eliminating, like Beom-mo or Sijo, could be a metaphor for Mansu eliminating himself, almost like an act of self-destruction. That kind of comment was really surprising to me, seeing their ability to really understand this film. Another moment was when Mansu is observing the house, and there’s a shot of a bug eating away at a leaf. That leaf, again, could represent or be a metaphor for Man-soo being slowly taken away piece by piece. Those comments were really interesting to me.
DEADLINE: Does it have a particular resonance in Korea, because there seems to be a theme that unemployment is kind of shameful in Korean society?
LEE: I think Director Park originally wanting to make the film in the US shows that this is an issue that’s not limited just to Korea, and something that, cross-culturally, audiences could really empathize with. Of course, unemployment and job security is a worsening issue in Korea specifically, but what I realized through these international screenings and the comments and feedback we got from reporters is that this kind of job insecurity is a huge issue all over the world. Regardless of the nation, this is a huge issue that we are facing here in modernity.
DEADLINE: Can I use this moment to ask why you became an actor? Why choose this career?
LEE: I didn’t major in acting in school or anything. I was actually recommended by my mom’s friend to go for an audition at a TV station, and that’s how I got cast in my first TV show. I realized that through the process of acting that my entire environment was changing. Originally, I didn’t feel like I had that natural ability to act. I thought acting was more of a fleeting experience and just something memorable to look back on. However, after a year or so, I had an awakening while working on a project, and I realized that it was a career that would be worth pouring my passion into. Now, it’s been 35 years, walking down this path.
DEADLINE: Did you think it would last that long?
LEE: I’m not sure if I knew that it’d be so many years. But when I really had that awakening and decided to take acting more seriously, I knew that I wouldn’t really be shaken in my conviction. That as long as my body allowed for it — that I wasn’t too old or got sick — that I would be continuing on this path.
DEADLINE: How has the Korean film industry changed in your time working there?
LEE: Korean film has really gone through so much since I started my career. I would say that it’s really been a rollercoaster. There’s been ups and downs. There was a renaissance in Korean filmmaking. There were also some really difficult times. I’ve participated in protests that were happening in the industry and, of course, there’s been this tug and push and pull between streaming services and theaters. I’ve been privileged to be able to work on projects that were on streaming, but I also really love the space of the theater. I’m really hoping that these two arenas can coexist, and I think there are just some rules and structures that need to be in place for this to continue.
DEADLINE: At the Golden Globes there was also a nomination also for KPop Demon Hunters. Can you tell me a little bit about how you got involved with that movie?
LEE: It’s a great piece of luck to be involved in not just one of the two projects that are doing this awards run, so I feel extremely honored and excited for that project as well. And, regardless of where we are, we keep running into each other during this promotional cycle, so we feel like we’re even getting closer through that process. I’m really excited for them and rooting them on.
DEADLINE: As somebody who does not know what KPop Demon Hunters is, could you explain to me?
LEE: To tell you a little bit about the film, it’s about a K-pop girl group and the inception and history of KPop. There’s a lot of historical elements rooted in Korean history, and I think the writers of the film conjecture that it’s rooted in Korean shamanism. And so, there is Huntrix, this main girl group, and they’re chasing these demons. And then on the opposite side, there’s a group led by demons, and they’re fighting and protecting what is theirs. It has all these elements that kids will really love. And also, KPop is so beloved worldwide, and the film encompasses some really great music, so that’s a little bit about the film. [Laughs.] I’m the Demon King in it!
DEADLINE: It seems to me now you now have several careers. You have your movie career, and now you have KPop Demon Hunters, and then there’s also Squid Game. You must be recognized by very different people for these very different projects. Tell me a little bit about your feelings for Squid Game.
LEE: It was a really interesting point in my career, especially over the last couple of years, because I’ve been an actor for almost 30 years now, and it’s even been 15 years since I debuted in Hollywood. However, it’s really recently that there’s been so much attention and recognition [of Korean film and television] by a Western audience, so that part is really exciting. I’ve been acting for such a long time and, again, been involved in Hollywood blockbusters and whatnot, but I really do think that it’s the development and proliferation of streaming services that has really revolutionized the game in getting the eyes on these projects. And of course, there is an inherent strength in Korean content, and these projects as well, but I think this is a huge change in that the rate of spread and watchability of these projects is so different compared to what it used to be.
DEADLINE: How would you describe your character the Front Man in Squid Game?
LEE: He’s a character that has really lost all sense of hope and humanity, and he is someone who represents darkness within the series. He’s a character that started off as a very ordinary person, but he experiences some extremely low lows and decides to enter the Squid Game, and he remains there as a winner. And in the course of that, he commits countless murders and also is witness to all these very brutal deaths as well. So, in that process, he loses a sense of hope and is really has a dark outlook on humanity as a whole.
And in Season 2 and 3, the Front Man character, he’s acting amongst these other contestants as a contestant himself, so I got to encompass so many different types of faces and characters. So, there’s, first and foremost, the Front Man, but then there’s also [Hwang] In-ho, the man who he was before the games and also playing and participating in the games. And he is put into all these very desperate situations, so while it was a challenge to be able to encompass all these different characters, it was also really exciting, because there’s all these momentary shifts from one version of the character to the next.
DEADLINE: Do you think he’s like Mansu in any way?
LEE: I think the two projects are part of completely different genres and are very, very different. However, I do think there is one unique element that is in common, and it’s that both characters, Mansu and Front Man, they have to eliminate their victims, or their opponents, without emotion or without empathizing with them. Normally, when you see a murder or elimination that happens within a TV show or a movie, there is usually deep emotion or a sense of vengeance and there’s emotional ties to the person they’re trying to kill. However, in both instances, you see that they have no emotional tie to that person.
DEADLINE: You mentioned meeting Director Park in Hollywood. How do you look back on your Hollywood career, and will you be coming back to make more movies?
LEE: I am definitely open to projects in Hollywood, and what really matters is what the film is trying to say. If that message moves me, I’m open not just to Hollywood but all films outside Korea. I think if it’s the right condition, the right situation, I’m open to it. Because I have a little bit of experience shooting here in the US, I feel like I can approach it with more grace.
DEADLINE: One final question: What’s your enduring memory of the year you presented at the Oscars?
LEE: I’ve been to many awards ceremonies in Korea before, but I do think the Oscars are really special. There is a whole rehearsal process, and then a red carpet before the show itself. This almost operates like a cocktail party, so people get a little bit tipsy before the actual ceremony. There is really a sense of festivity about the Oscars. Of course, you’re still nervous, but they’re really trying to make you feel comfortable, pouring the champagne. There’s time to actually have conversations and get to know one another before the actual ceremony begins. I think this really brings up the energy of the ceremony. Also, one other part that I found really interesting is that if you have to leave to go use the restroom, the staff of the Oscars will take your spot so that when the camera pans to you, there won’t be any empty seats throughout the ceremony. I found that really interesting. Even though it was very nerve-racking to participate in it, it was also very exciting.
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