'Wild Thing' Director: "Introverted Eom Tae-gu doing rap? Practicing while visiting JYP" [Interview ②]

*This content was translated by AI.

Director Son Jae-gon of the film 'Wild Thing' revealed the reason for casting actor Eom Tae-gu and the efforts he made.

On the 28th, we met with Director Son Jae-gon, who directed the film 'Wild Thing', at a café on Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and had a wide-ranging conversation.

'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 by making a reckless challenge.

Regarding the casting of Eom Tae-gu, Director Son Jae-gon said, "As many people feel, I thought it would be funny and interesting if the representative introvert Eom Tae-gu became a rapper," and added, "Mr. Eom was also very cautious. Although I cannot know the inner thoughts of all actors, I think he did not decide easily."

He continued, "There are parts that the director cannot be responsible for, so it must have been a heavy burden for the actor," and explained, "However, I think he also had a desire to break away from his existing acting patterns and show a new side."

He also said, "I think the experience of trying something he had never done before through the drama 'A Woman Who Plays' with Ms. Han Sun-hwa had an influence," and added, "Even after deciding carefully, I think he was under a lot of stress, wondering, 'What if I cannot properly handle this?'"

He then said, "He received rap training very persistently. It was not just about being able to rap; it had to be fun as well," and noted, "Although there was a schedule set by the production team, I later found out that Mr. Eom was visiting JYP much more frequently than I thought."

He added, "In addition to the scheduled training, he continued practicing with his own ambition."

Regarding the casting of Park Ji-hyun, he stated, "I thought we needed a new face. According to the setting, it was difficult to cast an actor who was too young, and I also did not want an image that was too mature. I was looking for an actor in that middle ground, and she was one of the most noticeable actors at the time."

He then said, "Her image on screen felt mature, but when I met her in person, she seemed like a student. However, in front of the camera, she looked completely different," and added, "She had a clear atmosphere as an actor."

He also praised her, saying, "In reality, she does not seem to be conscious of being a female actress. She does not know how to pose and is not very interested in makeup," and added, "I got the impression that she is mentally healthy. She does not get intimidated at any moment and has a contrasting charm different from her existing image, which I think is a great advantage as an actor."

Regarding the actors' training process, he said, "We make requests, but we do not specify them in the contract. In reality, how much each actor achieves depends on the individual and their working style," and added, "Experienced actors do only as much as is shown on screen or as needed, and I do not think that is bad."

He continued, "However, the actors in 'Wild Thing' worked so hard it was almost shameful. Once the editing process begins, it becomes even more shameful," and explained, "Only a part of it is included in the making-of video. During the actual training process, we rarely film with cameras so that the actors can concentrate. We only shoot at specific times in very exceptional cases."

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*This content was translated by AI.