'Wild Thing' Bold Transformation: Kang Dong-won Says, "Retirement? That Might Not Be Bad" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

• 'Wild Thing' Interview with Kang Dong-won, who plays Hyun-woo

'Wild Thing' once again pushes actor Kang Dong-won beyond his limits. Having never danced before, he threw himself into the role, performing even a headspin. He also spoke candidly about everything from his past, when he enjoyed a phenomenon-level popularity, to his thoughts on retirement that may one day come.

'Wild Thing' (directed by Son Jae-gon) is a comedy film about the three-member mixed dance group 'Triangle,' which once swept the music industry but disbanded overnight due to an unexpected incident, as they seize a chance for redemption after 20 years. In the film, Kang Dong-won plays Hyun-woo, the leader of 'Triangle' and a dance machine.

'Wild Thing' required Kang Dong-won to undergo a more intense preparation process than ever before to master the dance genre. Recalling those days of dedicated performance practice, he smiled, saying, "I felt like I was debuting because I practiced so much," and added, "I practiced so much that I wanted to show it off quickly."

'Wild Thing' required exceptional effort, and dance training began even before his stay abroad. Kang Dong-won recalled, "When I had no work, I planned to spend a lot of time in the U.S., but when I was there, music for ('Triangle') came out, so I had to start practicing." He continued, "I thought it would be difficult to start once I returned to Korea, so I decided to begin in the U.S." He added, "There's a dance group in LA called 'Juice' that also does social service, and that's where I first learned to dance. It was a place where dancers and people who wanted to dance used to gather once a week."

'Wild Thing' also shared the behind-the-scenes story of the headspin, a key technique in the film. Kang Dong-won explained, "At first, I learned both windmills and headspins, but suddenly it changed to windmills. However, I insisted, 'I want to do a headspin; I must do it.'" Regarding his insistence on the headspin, he revealed, "When I chose the character for this film, I thought the headspin represented a dream that seemed to be cut off but continued until the very end."

'Wild Thing' decided to have him perform both moves, reflecting Kang Dong-won's active input, but the process was not smooth. Kang Dong-won said, "I thought it was impossible to do both, but I said I would try. However, I got injured while doing the windmill. When the two rotations started to connect, my rib bones began to hurt, so I only did one rotation and then went into a freeze."

'Wild Thing' also continued with intense efforts to adapt to the unfamiliar genre. Kang Dong-won shared, "I had never danced before, so while learning the moves, I realized this wouldn't work. I practiced with my friend, a b-boy, for two hours every day. Originally, we learned just the basic beat for one hour, but since I didn't know how to keep rhythm, I started by learning to walk while keeping rhythm. At first, I was stiff and it didn't go well."

'Wild Thing' also detailed the differences between dance and his existing action acting. He explained, "In action, your feet stay on the ground, but in breakdancing, your feet are not on the ground. You are upside down or supporting yourself with your hands. At first, your feet only do steps; the rest is off the ground. You are almost touching the ground with your hands, so you needed strong upper body strength." He then joked, "I'm built for lower body development, so it took me a while to get used to it."

'Wild Thing' also recalled his first meeting with co-stars Park Ji-hyun and Eom Tae-gu. Kang Dong-won said, "Everyone was not very talkative, which was fine. At first, we all practiced separately. Since our vocal, rap, and dance skills were all different, we practiced separately and only gathered much later."

'Wild Thing' continued, "When we met as a team, we didn't know each other well, so it was awkward. It felt like we were meeting for the first time in the practice room. We had a time to come together after learning the beats separately, and everyone was clanking and clanging." He particularly confessed about the difficulties in coordinating stage movements. Kang Dong-won said, "On stage, you have to take the center. It was hard to hit the center. We marked the positions and learned the choreography, but everyone ended up in different places. We learned the choreography, but we didn't learn where to stand."

'Wild Thing' was asked which member of 'Triangle' was the mood maker on set, and he immediately named his fellow actor. He answered, "It has to be Park Ji-hyun. Isn't that obvious?" causing laughter. Regarding Eom Tae-gu, he added, "I often wondered how he lives without talking so much. He was usually quiet," which drew more laughter.

'Wild Thing' showed a calm reaction to the huge public interest generated by his bold visual transformation. Kang Dong-won stated, "It looks very flashy, so it feels like I've transformed a lot, but to me, it's the same as an action movie. I prepare and create the styling just like an action movie. The rest is just another celebrity role." He further added, "I expected everyone would be surprised, but I also thought, 'Is this really something to be so surprised about?'"

'Wild Thing' also shared the cheerful feedback from acquaintances. Kang Dong-won said, "People around me captured their reactions and sent them to me. When the music video first came out, everyone liked it." He continued, "Close friends jokingly asked, 'Do you have no money?'" which brought laughter again.

'Wild Thing' then emphasized, "There were comments asking if I received a high appearance fee, but that was not the case at all. The production budget was not large. It was a film squeezed out of every penny."

'Wild Thing' also took time to reflect on the brilliant moments of his past, when he enjoyed phenomenon-level popularity. Kang Dong-won recalled, "When 'Temptation of Wolves' was doing well, I looked down from the Busan theater plaza, and the crowd was packed." He added, "It was really packed beyond belief."

'Wild Thing' continued, "But then I thought, 'Watching them from above, it was amazing, but I wondered, "How long will this popularity last?"' However, it lasted longer than I expected."

'Wild Thing' was calmly accepting the changes brought by the passage of time. Kang Dong-won shared, "I know it too. Both fans and I are aging. Fans find it hard to come often. As I age, I feel the spectrum of roles I can portray as an actor is changing."

'Wild Thing' also honestly revealed his sincere thoughts on retirement that recently passed through his mind. Kang Dong-won said, "I have never thought about retirement before, but I also feel that retirement might not be bad. I've had that thought for a few years now." However, regarding specific future plans, he held back, saying, "I'll have to think about that."

'Wild Thing' left a lingering thought, saying, "I don't think they will stop looking for me. Actors always have roles suitable for their age. Originally, I wanted to keep acting until I die, even taking roles that match my illness if I get sick, but I sometimes wonder if that was just my own thought."

'Wild Thing' is constantly dreaming of new challenges beyond his main profession of acting. Kang Dong-won explained, "Before I get any older, I wanted to present a definite style of clothing that I've always wanted to wear to the public, so I started a fashion business. I am also currently producing films."

'Wild Thing' added, "In fact, there are so many fields I want to challenge in life. I want to try producing furniture I designed myself for sale, and I also have a dream of brewing my own wine." However, he emphasized his sense of responsibility as a filmmaker, saying, "But since my main profession is filmmaking, I am currently focusing on the works and production right in front of me."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.