Park Sung-woong: "'Munmu' filming, riding a horse in armor under scorching heat... automatic diet" [Interview ②]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Park Sung-woong revealed the hardships of filming the epic historical drama "Munmu."

On the 4th, I met with actor Park Sung-woong at a café on Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to discuss his work in the film "Okay Madam 2," directed by Lee Cheol-ha.

"Okay Madam 2" is a comedic action film about the family of Mi-young, a former legendary agent who embarks on an extravagant cruise vacation to escape the heat and modern life. The story unfolds as they get caught up in a hijacking incident on a blue sea hanbok-themed cruise ship, featuring an even larger scale, upgraded humor, and thrilling action that brings audiences back once again.

Park Sung-woong continues his busy schedule this year with four projects: the recently concluded KBS 2TV drama "Simu-myeon Yeonri-ri" in June, the film "Okay Madam 2," the upcoming release "Land," and the currently filming KBS 2TV drama "Munmu," meeting both viewers and moviegoers.

Park Sung-woong said, "'Filming 'Munmu' feels like it could kill me. I have to ride a horse while wearing armor, and when we go to rural areas, temperatures can reach up to 38 degrees Celsius.' He added, 'After filming ends, my entire body is soaked with sweat. It's an automatic diet.'"

He continued, "We are filming across the country, including Mungyeong, Goesan, Gyeongju, and Yecheon. When I rest, I exercise a lot, but most importantly, I need to eat well. Since I'm in my 50s, it seems eating well is essential to endure the filming."

Park Sung-woong mentioned seeing a refrigerated truck for the first time on the "Munmu" set. He laughed, saying, "It was particularly ironic that they called me during the busiest months of July and August, and I found myself inside a refrigerated truck wearing armor for the very first time in my life." He added, "I don't usually snack much, but the ice cream was really delicious." Then, with a satisfied smile, he remarked, "Although I play the role of Kim Yu-shin, my screen time isn't that extensive, but there are many cool scenes."

Despite the grueling filming schedule, Park Sung-woong has not stopped his artistic activities. Behind this lies his long period of obscurity. He recalled, "I was an unknown actor for 10 years. Back then, even if I wanted to act, I couldn't." He added, "My debut film was 'Number 3.' At the end, when I saw Choi Min-sik entering and delivering lines while I was sitting there, I thought, 'I want to try acting like that too.'"

He said, "At that time, I didn't even know the first letter of acting. Just watching the protagonists act made me so envious." He revealed, "For 10 years, such opportunities rarely came my way. There were times when I earned only 500,000 won from acting in a year."

While financial struggles were difficult, what was even greater was his craving for works and acting. Park Sung-woong stated, "Over my 30-year career as an actor, I have averaged about three projects per year." He added, "Even while filming 'Okay Madam 2,' I was simultaneously shooting 'Simu-myeon Yeonri-ri' and 'Land.'"

He also noted that handling multiple works and characters at the same time is not necessarily difficult. He explained, "My body gets tired, but my mind does not." When asked if playing three characters simultaneously isn't hard, he replied, "Since all the characters are different, it's actually not difficult."

He further added, "Playing different characters at the same time allows me to focus in different directions, which can make things easier." He expressed his joy in showing different faces in each work.

When asked about his driving force, Park Sung-woong firmly stated, "My 10 years of obscurity." He said, "I still dream of becoming an actor. I don't know what kind of actor I want to be, nor do I fully understand what makes a good actor. However, I still hold the dream of wanting to become an actor."

He continued, "When a project comes in and I think, 'I can play this character better than other actors,' I choose it." He revealed this as the reason he constantly challenges himself with new works.

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

*This content was translated by AI.