Senior Actor Choi Min-sik on His Role: "Not a Parent or Teacher... Only Corrects When Order Breaks" (Intern) [Interview ③]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Choi Min-sik shared his impressions of working alongside younger fellow actors.

On the 7th, we met with Choi Min-sik, who stars in the film "Intern" (directed by Kim Do-young), at a café on Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to discuss various topics.

The film "Intern" follows Ki-ho (played by Choi Min-sik), a 37-year veteran silver intern who joins the company of Sun-woo (played by Han So-hee), a dark horse in the fashion industry that rose to prominence just three years after its launch. The story portrays an office life that transcends both generations and job ranks.

Choi Min-sik plays Ki-ho, a 37-year veteran silver intern in the film. Ki-ho starts his second career as the youngest intern at the fashion startup "Wututu" after retirement.

Recently, Choi Min-sik has worked alongside young actors including Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun from "Exhuma," Choi Hyun-wook from "The Last Boy," and Han So-hee from "Intern." When asked what he felt most strongly observing his younger colleagues, he cited "flexibility."

He said, "I wonder if I had such flexibility at their age. In short, they are completely unhesitant. It's surprising." He added, "They aren't rigid; they're flexible. Even their thinking seems flexible. I feel a bit envious."

Recalling his own early days as an actor, he remarked, "In our era, it was the film era. If you made a mistake (NG), you got scolded and heard things like 'Where did you bring this kid from?' The set was extremely harsh." He continued, "Because of that atmosphere, our generation became quite rigid and always tense."

He then noted, "Younger actors today don't face such constraints, so they appear much freer and more flexible. I think an actor should naturally possess such flexibility in their heart. If I had started acting in this era, I would have flown around," he joked.

However, he expressed no regret about the strict environment of the past. Choi Min-sik stated, "I have no regrets. I learned a great deal from that rigidity and strictness." He added, "From the time I attended school and participated in theater productions, it felt like I had joined the Military Academy. Being late for an appointment felt as if a bolt of lightning would strike from the sky."

When asked what kind of example he hopes to set for younger actors as a senior colleague, he replied, "I don't have any specific idea of what kind of senior actor I should become."

He explained, "I think it's enough if I show up on time for filming and work hard during shoots. We aren't parents or school teachers; we are collaborators. If we get along, influence each other, and communicate naturally, something meaningful will likely emerge."

He further added, "If I act on set the way I have throughout my acting career, those who need to know will know, and those who don't won't. However, if someone disrupts overall order or affects important scenes, then I must step in and point it out. That is likely the role of a senior actor."

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*This content was translated by AI.