"I envy well-made movies"... Kim Sung-cheol's intense acting passion breaks through box office pressure [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Kim Sung-cheol once again proved his wide acting spectrum through "Gold Land." Beneath the cheerful charm of the "national younger brother" title he earned at age 36 lies a bone-deep concern about box office performance and an intense acting passion that sees him taking supplements before stepping onto the stage.

Recently, Kim Sung-cheol conducted an interview with Disney+ original series "Gold Land" at a cafe in Jogye-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, following the series' conclusion.

In the drama, Kim Sung-cheol played Woo-ki, a low-level member of a loan shark organization who helps Hee-ju (played by Park Bo-young) after accidentally receiving gold bars from a smuggling organization. His childlike purity, his agility in overpowering others, and his loyal appearance of risking his life for Hee-ju were more than enough to capture the hearts of viewers.

Kim Sung-cheol played Woo-ki, a low-level member of a loan shark organization who unconditionally follows and helps Hee-ju in "Gold Land," winning the exclusive love of viewers and earning the pleasant descriptor "national younger brother."

When asked about his mindset in taking on the younger man character, Kim Sung-cheol joked, "Since it's not a complete romance but a partnership, I think I became 'national younger brother' rather than 'national younger man.'" He then revealed his admiration for Park Bo-young, saying, "She's an actress I've watched since I was a student, since I was young. I only ever thought, 'Could we ever work together?' I never imagined we would actually meet."

He added, "Neither of us looks particularly old for our ages, but I was worried about constantly calling her 'noona' (older sister). However, since I appear like a 7-year-old child in the drama, I acted with confidence."

Regarding the "national younger brother" title he gained at age 36, he smiled brightly, saying, "I'm completely satisfied." Kim Sung-cheol wittily remarked, "It's been a while since I got such a descriptor. But since I'm 36, I wonder if the 'nationals' who call me younger brother are in their late 30s or 40s." He also conveyed his sincerity, saying, "I'm truly grateful for the descriptor itself. If I had heard it before, I would have just thought, 'That's great,' but hearing 'national younger brother' at my current age is really fun and something I'm grateful for."

When asked with a mischievous question whether actor Yoo Seung-ho, the original "national younger brother," was a rival, he held back his words, saying, "There was a time when we were part of the same family... no..." and added more laughter.

When asked about the next descriptor he desires, he raised expectations for his upcoming work, saying, "Now that I've played 'national younger brother,' shouldn't I go for 'national younger man' next time?"

Kim Sung-cheol captivated viewers by portraying a pure appearance acting like a young child, sudden agility and alertness that instantly overpowers others, and a loyal appearance willing to risk his life for his older sister. In particular, Kim Sung-cheol expressed the boyish Woo-ki by constantly calling Park Bo-young "noona" in a voice one tone higher than his usual voice, and by appropriately using profanity, abbreviations, and new slang to lighten the heavy drama.

In reality, Kim Sung-cheol is closer to an introvert (I). He revealed the process of deeply immersing himself in the character, saying, "Playing Woo-ki made my personality extremely active. I even wondered, 'Am I being influenced by the character?'" He explained, "While acting as Woo-ki, I often thought of Lee Beom-ja from 'Smart Prison Life.' Back then, I called my hyung (Park Hae-soo) 'hyung, hyung' every day on the phone. I found it fun to maintain that character, so I think I shouted 'noona' that way this time as well."

Thanks to his overflowing immersion, an unforgettable episode also occurred. Kim Sung-cheol said, "I kept calling 'noona' three times in a row, and about two months into filming, Noona (Park Bo-young) said, 'Please stop calling me noona. Just call me noona once.'" This made everyone laugh.

Regarding his acting chemistry with Park Bo-young, he said, "It was too good," revealing deep trust. He stated, "The relationship buildup of the character Hee-ju was actually quite complex, so it must have been really difficult to act. But when Noona (Park Bo-young) acts, I can see all those images in her eyes." He praised her further, saying, "She seems to have precise calculations for the script, so I trusted her a lot."

He then mentioned Park Bo-young's signature large eyes, joking, "Her eyes are so big that it was really fun acting with her. I even envied her, thinking, 'How can her eyes be so big? It would be really great if I could express emotions with eyes that big.'"

He also revealed the behind-the-scenes of action acting, which was a new challenge for both of them. Kim Sung-cheol recalled, "Noona is so good at action. Her body is really like a feather. When I asked, 'Are you okay?' because she disappears when she's hit, she'd say, 'I'm okay, it's acting.' I was amazed, thinking, 'This is amazing. How does she make her body like a feather?'" He added, "Since Noona uses her body so well, we finished filming smoothly without any problems."

Kim Sung-cheol, who has been active across dramas, movies, and even musical stages, revealed his reason for consistently working in various fields: "If circumstances allow, I plan to do one movie, one drama, and one musical each year." He continued, "Works don't always go according to my schedule, but especially with performances, I feel so much fun. I expend a lot of energy on stage, but I gain just as much. I also regain the confidence I lost while doing media acting on stage." He expressed special affection for this.

When asked why he had lost confidence, he honestly admitted, "Recently, focusing on movie work made me pay attention to the score (number of viewers). Even if I try not to dwell on it, some responsibility comes with it, so sometimes I lose confidence and envy well-made movies." He added, "I don't necessarily desire a specific number of viewers, but ultimately, box office success is directly linked to the audience's evaluation of 'it's fun.' I thought, 'First, people need to watch it a lot to get an evaluation.'"

Kim Sung-cheol, who had been continuing his heavy concerns about box office and career, recently found that his top priority was none other than "health."

Kim Sung-cheol said wryly, "Just 1 or 2 years ago, my career and filmography were my top priority, but recently health has come to the forefront. Recovery suddenly became too slow." Having recently injured his ankle, he complained, "I injured the same ligament I injured 10 years ago at age 26. Back then, I was in a cast for about three weeks and recovered immediately, but now, even after six weeks, it's not healing."

He continued, "No matter how hard I treat it and go to Han (Rep.) and take medicine, I feel that my recovery ability is different from before. I thought, 'This is why adults say health and safety are the top priority.' I used to not take supplements at all, but these days I take them very well. Box office is important, but now health is the most important," he joked, turning the scene into a sea of laughter.

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*This content was translated by AI.