Bae Hyun-sung, who stars in "Paradise Lost," even practiced swearing to portray a new side of himself: "I don't usually swear much" [Interview ②]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Actor Bae Hyun-sung revealed the effort he put into showing a new face in "Paradise Lost."

On the 20th, at a cafe on Samcheong-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul, we met with Bae Hyun-sung, an actor in the film "Paradise Lost" (directed by Yeon Sang-ho), and had a wide-ranging conversation about the work.

"Paradise Lost" is a psychological thriller that begins when Ryu Sun-woo (played by Bae Hyun-sung), who was believed to be dead, miraculously returns alive to his mother, Ryu So-young (played by Kim Hyeon-joo), who lost her son in a camping school bus disappearance incident nine years ago.

In the film, Bae Hyun-sung took on the role of the unfamiliar son, Ryu Sun-woo, who returned after nine years, challenging himself with his first lead role on the big screen. This collaboration followed a previous connection where he worked with director Yeon Sang-ho in Season 2 of the Netflix series "Hell."

What was his first film set like? Bae Hyun-sung said, "I didn't feel much pressure about showing my image large on the screen."

He continued, "'Paradise Lost' is a low-budget film, so there were about 14 shooting days. I heard my part covered about 7 to 8 of those days. However, when filming dramas, schedules often extend due to weather and various circumstances, so I thought the number of days might increase this time as well."

He added, "But the filming really ended exactly within the scheduled days. I realized that 'films end according to the set schedule.' The way things were conducted on set didn't seem much different from a drama."

In particular, Bae Hyun-sung revealed that he wanted to show a side of himself different from his previous roles through this work.

He said, "Every time I act in a character, I always want to show a new side. I wanted to show a new side through Sun-woo as well, and I had a strong desire to take on the challenge."

However, since the character was different in nature from his previous roles, he did have some concerns. Bae Hyun-sung revealed, "Because Sun-woo is an intense character, I was worried at first. I had many conversations with the director and went through a process of trying various makeup looks."

He continued, "Because of that preparation process, I think I was able to show a familiar yet new image different from before, which was good," expressing his satisfaction with the work.

Regarding director Yeon Sang-ho's directing style, Bae Hyun-sung said, "The director tends to let actors be free. He doesn't give many directions; if there is something needed, he explains it briefly and concisely."

He added, "One thing the director emphasized was that Sun-woo should be a 'strong and uncomfortable presence.' He wanted him to be a character who makes the audience feel uneasy."

To express this, he paid attention even to subtle actions. Bae Hyun-sung said, "I intentionally walked slowly, and tried to slow down my movements and the speed at which I opened and closed my eyes. When looking at someone, I would stare intently, trying to act in a way that made the other person avoid my gaze." He added, "I tried to create Sun-woo's unique uncomfortable and unfamiliar atmosphere through that approach."

In particular, he went through separate practice to handle rough acting he had not shown before. He confessed, "I am not someone who swears a lot usually, so I was not used to performing swearing scenes. If the swearing sounds awkward, it might break the flow of emotion, so I wanted to express it as naturally and realistically as possible."

He continued, "I also looked up many swearing performances from other works and practiced on my own. It felt awkward at first, but I think I expressed it well within the limit of not breaking the flow of emotion," expressing satisfaction.

Additionally, Bae Hyun-sung said, "There is a scene in the drama where Sun-woo appears alone holding a cigarette, and while preparing for that scene, I received advice from the director," sharing the process of considering even small character actions.

Meanwhile, "Paradise Lost" opens on the 21st.

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original