'Bi-gwang' Plummets: Ryu Seung-ryong and Ha Ji-won Aim for a Screen Home Run... "Acting Climax" [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

In 'Bi-gwang,' Ryu Seung-ryong, Ha Ji-won, and Kim Si-a come together as a rough yet passionate family. The film is set to depict the solidarity of characters striving to survive by holding onto each other in moments of crisis, along with their deep familial love.

On the 24th, a press distribution screening for the film 'Bi-gwang' (directed by Lee Ji-won) was held at Megabox COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Director Lee Ji-won and actors Ryu Seung-ryong, Ha Ji-won, and Kim Si-a attended the event.

'Bi-gwang' is a family saga about top-star couple Jung-gu (played by Ryu Seung-ryong) and Nam-mi (played by Ha Ji-won), whose lives are upended by the sudden appearance of Jung-gu's daughter, Dong-ju (played by Kim Si-a). Eight years later, they risk everything to save Dong-ju from a shocking incident while uncovering the truth.

Director Lee Ji-won, who made her feature film debut with 'Miss Back,' returns with 'Bi-gwang,' showcasing an even deeper artistic world following the drama 'Climax.'

Director Lee Ji-won stated, "I once thought I wanted to make a family film. My grandmother lived alone, and I often watched as family members gathered to play gos-top (a Korean card game). At that time, 'Bi-gwang' was the only card with a human figure on it, so I found it interesting. However, they didn't seem to like having that card. As I grew older, I came to understand its meaning and thought it would be fitting to title my story about struggling families 'Bi-gwang.'"

Although Ryu Seung-ryong was once a top baseball player, his life plummeted with Dong-ju's arrival. Now, he portrays Jung-gu, a father who stops at nothing to protect his daughter.

Ryu Seung-ryong revealed that while portraying Jung-gu, he prioritized emotional authenticity above all else. He said, "I tried my best to be sincere in every situation I was given and worked hard to ensure truthfulness within those moments. I aimed to show the father's love for his daughter through continuous actions and various events."

He further explained, "Even in moments where Jung-gu's feelings are not directly expressed, we focused on allowing the audience to emotionally follow this character."

In particular, he noted that he struggled greatly with expressing Jung-gu's situation, which differs from typical father-daughter relationships. Ryu Seung-ryong said, "The natural process of paternal love—from pregnancy through birth and upbringing—is skipped for Jung-gu. Although he is an imperfect, rough, and clumsy person, I wanted to clearly show his clear desire to cherish and protect his daughter as a father."

He added, "I thought of him as a Doberman-like figure who charges forward recklessly to protect Dong-ju. Because of this friend, Jung-gu gets caught in an enormous whirlpool. It seems that Dong-ju's small back, which stirs paternal love, became the driving force behind this character."

Ha Ji-won took on the role of Nam-mi, a former top star who suddenly plummets due to Dong-ju's unexpected appearance and now lives as a working-class entertainer. She revealed that she focused deeply on understanding the character to portray Nam-mi, who lives a life similar to her own as an actress.

Ha Ji-won said, "After receiving the 'Bi-gwang' script and immersing myself in the character of Nam-mi, I reflected deeply on my time as an actress. My emotions rose like a roller coaster."

She continued, "Since Nam-mi is also a character living the life of a female actress, I worked very hard with the director to read the script together. The character speaks harshly and uses many swear words, and there is a significant difference between her appearance when she was at the top and after her fall. We spent a long time building this character."

She then shared, "I let go of more on set than I had prepared. Being a female actress isn't easy, and while working on 'Bi-gwang,' I felt many things."

Ha Ji-won stated that she believed there were expressions and lines that could only emerge after fully understanding Nam-mi and merging with her life. To immerse herself in the character, she even reflected on her own life and relationships around her.

She said, "I think it was a period when I thought deeply about many people in my surroundings, including family, friends, and others with whom I have relationships while entering 'Bi-gwang.'"

Despite the rough language, Ha Ji-won fearlessly took on the challenge. She said, "I learned many swear words directly from the director. Among those around me, only the director was good at swearing. I asked the director to record the swear words in the script so I could listen to them repeatedly on my terrace and practice."

In response, Director Lee Ji-won joked that Ha Ji-won's swearing performance earned a score of 20 out of 100, saying, "Perhaps because actress Ha Ji-won has lived without swearing for a long time, no matter how much we practiced, it just didn't stick to her tongue," which drew laughter.

She continued, "There were parts where we kept trying on set but eventually gave up. During post-recording, I even recorded some swear words myself and added variations. Out of about three swear words, I did two of them," surprising Ha Ji-won.

Kim Si-a portrays Dong-ju, a girl pushed to the brink after being identified as a suspect following her friend's death.

She said, "After 'Miss Back,' I felt excited that they trusted me again and gave me another opportunity, but the pressure was immense. Because I wanted to show a better performance than in 'Miss Back,' it was both difficult and enjoyable on set."

She added, "I am grateful to the director for trusting me once again."

She explained, "Due to Dong-ju's character traits, she doesn't have an enormous amount of dialogue. I wanted each line to clearly reveal Dong-ju's emotions. I worked hard to study and express this point."

Regarding her chemistry with Ryu Seung-ryong and Ha Ji-won, she said, "Both are incredible seniors. Just learning how to sync on set was a valuable experience. They created such a wonderful atmosphere not only through their acting but also in general. I learned a lot while thinking about becoming an actor like them."

Ryu Seung-ryong praised Kim Si-a, saying, "I was constantly surprised by her ability to convey a massive narrative just with her eyes despite her young age. It made me feel that I had become tainted, and she is an actress whose future I look forward to."

Finally, Director Lee Ji-won shared the key points of 'Bi-gwang,' stating, "I think it's the climax of acting performed by star-studded actors. I've even called it an emotional blockbuster. As the family reconciles and confirms their affection and love, I hope the waves of emotion felt during their journey forward leave a gentle lingering impression in the audience's hearts."

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*This content was translated by AI.