"Everything is a challenge." 'Wild Thing' Kang Dong-won, Park Ji-hyun, Eom Tae-gu, Oh Jung-se undergo extreme transformations [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Wild Thing,' featuring the challenges of actors Kang Dong-won, Park Ji-hyun, Eom Tae-gu, and Oh Jung-se, is coming.

On the 18th, a press screening for 'Wild Thing' (directed by Son Jae-gon) was held at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Following the screening, a press conference was held with director Son Jae-gon and actors Kang Dong-won, Park Ji-hyun, Eom Tae-gu, and Oh Jung-se in attendance.

'Wild Thing' is a comedy film about the three-member mixed dance group 'Triangle,' which once dominated the music industry but disbanded overnight due to an unexpected incident, as they seize a chance for redemption after 20 years through a reckless challenge.

On this day, Kang Dong-won, Park Ji-hyun, Eom Tae-gu, and Oh Jung-se revealed their reasons for deciding to appear in the film. Kang Dong-won played Hyun-woo, the leader of 'Triangle' and a dance machine; Park Ji-hyun and Eom Tae-gu played the vocalists 'Domi' and 'Sang-gu' within the group, respectively. Oh Jung-se starred as the tragic ballad prince 'Choi Seong-gon.'

Kang Dong-won stated, "I found the script fun. I approached it thinking I was filming another action movie." He added, "In my case, I was an idol singer who started as a breakdancer, so I spent a tremendous amount of time learning breakdancing. That became a special trait of the character in the film, and I wanted to try it."

Oh Jung-se explained, "The singing was fun, and the character was fresh and cute. Most importantly, I wanted to work with the director, and he reached out to me, so I was able to do it."

Park Ji-hyun shared, "When I was practicing acting, I auditioned for many of the director's works. I was that much of a fan of his." She emphasized, "I read the script and found it fun. The Domi character itself felt charming because of its confidence, honesty, and the humor that comes from being open and generous."

Eom Tae-gu said, "I was scared, but the script was so fun. I wanted to try it because Kang Dong-won was cast as Hyun-woo."

The actors stated that they referenced past groups and idols from their prime eras.

Regarding character portrayal, Kang Dong-won said, "I referenced many people. In fact, my generation grew up watching them. I wanted to pay homage to the styles of those senior artists." He further explained, "For the dancing, I thought of other people. I acted with the feeling of paying homage to various singer seniors."

Park Ji-hyun said, "Not only me, but everyone involved in the film, including the costume and makeup teams and the director, helped build the characters. So we tried to capture that era well. We referenced all the idols and groups from that time." She added, "The reason Finkle's Lee Hyo-ri was impressive is that Lee Hyo-ri from that time is the most memorable. I tried to reference her freshness, sexiness, and smiling eyes."

Eom Tae-gu shared, "For the rap, I tried to work hard as instructed and taught." He also noted, "The wig and costumes were decided by the team."

Director Son Jae-gon explained the film's styling direction: "When the production team did research, they felt that focusing only on a specific period would make it less trendy compared to the present. So we expanded broadly and created the styling. I think viewers will be able to see the styles they remember based on their own experiences and memories."

The actors discussed the various challenges they faced while working on the film. Oh Jung-se recalled, "Seong-gon stands alone on stage. He performed while casting a spell on many audience members alone and fighting his own battles. That was the most challenging part."

Park Ji-hyun explained, "I have rarely done a comedy film. I think choosing this genre itself was a big challenge."

Eom Tae-gu also stated, "In my case, everything was a challenge. The character's tension was high, so everything was a challenge."

Kang Dong-won said, "Since we are actors, performing on stage was the most challenging. Everyone was a successful idol, so we had to show off our skills on stage." He added, "Actors get NGs when they look at the camera, but here, looking away from the camera results in NGs. So staring at the camera while singing and dancing was a challenge in itself."

Regarding the headspin scene in the film, Kang Dong-won said, "I thought it was one of the important scenes in this movie. It felt like a dream continuing. I thought it was an important element, so I practiced hard."

He continued, "I had a friend who practiced with me, and I received a lot of help. It wasn't easy for me to do this after turning 40. My neck has always been weak. But strangely, during the headspin practice, there was no pain. Instead, my neck muscles were trained, and my neck disc issues seemed to lessen. It was a strange experience."

Park Ji-hyun admitted, "Actually, I didn't push myself too hard; I regret not pushing myself even more." She said, "Watching the seniors work, I tried my best, but when I saw the results, I felt regretful. I thought I should have pushed myself harder."

Director Son Jae-gon discussed the film's theme and message: "Actually, I have never made a film to convey a theme or message. 'This will be fun' is the only criterion for judgment. I have never tried to create a thematic consciousness in any case."

He added, "Usually, when a film is released, people start thinking about themes and messages. I think at those times, we tend to discover plausible themes and messages."

Meanwhile, 'Wild Thing' is scheduled to be released on June 3.

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*This content was translated by AI.