Seol Kyung-goo Adjusted His Schedule to Reunite with Lee Chang-dong: "Casting Another Actor Was Terrifying" ("Possible Love") [Interview ①]

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Actor Seol Kyung-goo shared his feelings about reuniting with director Lee Chang-dong after 24 years, revealing a unique affection for the filmmaker.

On the 9th, at a cafe in Samcheong-ro, Seoul Jongno-gu, we met with actor Seol Kyung-goo from the Netflix film "Possible Love" (directed by Lee Chang-dong) and had a conversation on various topics.

"Possible Love" is a story about two couples—a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary director and her husband—who meet to produce a documentary and confront their different lives and hidden desires.

It is the new work from director Lee Chang-dong, released eight years after "Burning." Seol Kyung-goo, who left a deep impression on the global film industry by working with Lee on "Peppermint Candy" (1999) and "Oasis" (2002), drew attention for reuniting with the director after approximately 24 years.

On this day, Seol Kyung-goo revealed, "About ten years ago, the director was preparing a story about workers under a different title, 'Ok-i and Seok-i.' However, he shelved it for various reasons and said he would no longer tell that story."

He continued, "But last year, I suddenly received a call. At the time, I had already committed to filming 'Field Mice,' so I thought, 'What should I do?'"

Seol Kyung-goo explained, "Originally, my schedule didn't align, and I almost couldn't participate. Fortunately, director Kim Hong-sun of 'Field Mice' agreed to film my scenes quickly, which allowed me to join 'Possible Love.'"

In particular, Seol Kyung-goo emphasized that he wanted to make his schedule work by any means necessary to reunite with director Lee Chang-dong. He said, "It may be irresponsible words for an actor, but I simply wanted to work with director Lee Chang-dong. That was all I thought about," adding, "Even if the schedules didn't match, I felt I had to find a way to make it happen."

He continued, "I received a casting offer, but my schedule didn't fit, so I couldn't do it. Thinking that a casting article would then come out with another actor's name was terrifying."

He added, conveying his special feelings for director Lee Chang-dong, "If the offer hadn't come to me, I would have thought, 'The director is finally making a film.' But the idea that I couldn't do it and another actor got cast instead felt unbearable."

The fact of working with director Lee Chang-dong itself took precedence over the content of the work. Seol Kyung-goo candidly stated, "I went all-in on working with director Lee Chang-dong; in fact, I wasn't interested in the content of the work."

He continued, sharing a moment that brought laughter: "The director asked me, 'Don't you ever ask for the script? Other actors have already read it and are talking about their impressions. Don't you even ask for it?'"

Seol Kyung-goo said, "Only then did I receive the script, and I thought, 'Ah, so this is the story.'"

Afterward, director Lee Chang-dong personally called Seol Kyung-goo to ask about his impressions after reading the script. Seol Kyung-goo revealed, "The director asked how it was, and I said, 'It's your film, isn't it?' That's just how I talk," adding, "It felt like reading a novel that leaves a lingering aftertaste."

He continued, "Peppermint Candy also felt like a novel with a long-lasting aftertaste, and this work was the same," demonstrating his unwavering trust in director Lee Chang-dong's artistic world.

Meanwhile, "Possible Love" was released on Netflix on the 6th.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original