Kim Min, take a leap to 'The Man of the King'.."Dream of an actor that you can't get tired of" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Kim Min took on a new challenge through "The Man Who Lives with the King," and what he learned over his shoulder remained an asset that would firmly support his next step beyond simple experiences.

Kim Min recently visited the Star News headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and said, "It's been about a week since it opened, and I'm grateful that it seems to be going viral, and I have a feeling of relief."

"The Man Who Lives with the King" is a movie about Cheongryeongpo in 1457, a chief who claimed to be exiled for the revival of the village, and a young predecessor who was expelled from the throne and exiled. He played the role of Taesan, the son of Chief Um Heung-do (Yoo Hae-jin), showing a character where intelligence and innocence coexist.

Kim Min will work with director Jang Hang-joon for the third time with "The Man Who Lives with the King" after his commercial film debut "Rebound" (2023) and "Everyone Waiting for Him" (2024) of "The Killers."

He said, "I think it's a grateful moment to be able to do it again with the people I've been with once. Anyway, he believed in me, he said. "I could understand the director's language more than before. "I think the chemistry is good because I can see what you want in this scene and what you want to express," he said.

When asked about the difference from his previous work, Kim Min said, "It was a scene where I could see combat power." "In fact, the production cost is high, and it was filmed last year, and the film production environment was difficult at that time. It was a valuable work that went into it, and the casting was so good, so the director seemed to have a lot of responsibility. Of course, it was a happy scene, but everyone had some tension," he recalled.

The representative of the production company, who shared the "rebound" with Kim Min, proposed him directly as Taesan, and director Jang Hang-joon also accepted it based on his trust in Kim Min. Kim Min said, "The CEO called me directly and told me to read the script. But the script was so good, and I also had faith in the director and the production team, so I decided to participate," he said.

Kim Min tried historical drama for the first time with "The Man Who Lives with the King." He confessed that he had a vague fear of historical drama, but said, "The script was so good and the role was attractive, so I started with the thought of 'Why don't we make it well?' In fact, historical dramas had concerns about their unique tone, and I wanted to challenge them after accumulating more years of experience because I thought they might not be enough to express the emotions of the times. But I couldn't resist this good opportunity," he stressed.

Kim Min continued to think carefully from makeup to costumes to scars in order to embody the character of that era. "At the time, I had to express 'hide' because I was the son of a village chief living in the countryside," he said. My face is usually a bit white, but I tried this color and that color to tone down. He also explained, "I thought about where the scar would be because hunting can cause wounds."

In particular, he talked about the tension of playing the role of Yoo Hae-jin's son. "Like all seniors, Yoo Hae-jin is one of the indispensable people in the movie industry, and I grew up inspired, so I'm lying if I didn't have pressure or tension," he said.

He said, "I wanted to show a good performance in front of you. I tried not to fall behind and not to cause inconvenience, but I learned a lot from watching it. Your attitude and passion for this work. "I felt more responsible as I saw the responsibility to the Korean film industry," he said.

Yoo Hae-jin once said of Kim Min, "I thought (the visuals) were similar to mine, but I felt more sophisticated." In response, Kim Min said, "I feel that there are some similarities. I think the director also casted the image. I think it's good because there are people who look at it as father-to-son without any sense of heterogeneity. I think the director has an eye for it," he said with a smile.

Kim Min also mentioned Lee Hong-wi (Park Ji-hoon) and Dokdaeshin. He said, "When I'm with the king, I can't talk like when I'm with the villagers. There had to be an example, and there had to be a tension with the exiled king. While maintaining that tension, I did not forget my calmness and tried to focus on the goal of conveying my story, he said. "In the process, I think there was a part where I used a lower sound in front of the king and an upper sound when I was with the villagers."

Kim Min, who was aware of the importance of the god Lee Hong-wi even before filming, said, "After that scene, Lee Hong-wi starts to open up (to the villagers). I wondered how the people living in the countryside would have felt before bringing it up to the king. There must have been fear and tension, but I thought about the villagers more than I felt about the king, he said. "I thought a lot about how to convey that heart calmly without overdoing it."

Kim Min said, "Since Danjong is such a delicate and difficult role, I needed an immersive environment, and I understood that and tried to protect (Park) Ji-hoon in the field," adding, "But I felt it when I was promoting, but having a peer gives me a lot of strength." Even if you're far away, you can feel a sense of stability," he said.

"I saw Jihoon's eyes on the monitor at the scene, and I was so jealous. The energy was amazing, he said. "In the scene where we face each other, the director and the three of us shared various opinions and made it together."

Kim Min said he also received a palace class, adding, "I took the class that Ji-hoon took together. But the way to shoot an arrow was different. Ji-hoon and Ji-tae also have to follow the etiquette of archery, so there is a clear order. However, I learned archery, which is solely for hunting. Still, I had to look used to holding the bow. When I took the (gukgung) class, he gave me a toy bow set, and I prepared it by hanging it in my hand and pulling it. I also learned the scene of cutting the bow in detail," he explained.

Kim learned over his shoulder through "The Man Who Lives With the King" and took it to the next level. He said, "I was grateful to see and learn from Haejin's acting style over my shoulder, and I got so good people. All the actors and staff were good, and the scene was harmonious," he said.

He said, "It's my first time in a historical drama, and I remember you saying, 'I think you and I will learn a lot when this work is over.' He said, "I felt that the mindset itself was great," and added, "The director who has been directing for a long time is also talking about learning through this process, but I don't have to say anything more as a rookie."

He said, "I still feel lacking and regretful about my acting. However, I think I can grow further only when I feel that kind of feeling," he said. "If I try again in a historical drama next time, I think I can do better than I do now."

Kim Min, a 17th grader at Han Ye-jong (Korea National University of Arts), said, "I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to film a movie as a young actor." Kim Min, who began to dream of becoming an actor by chance, said, "The more I act, the more difficult it is," adding, "I'm gradually learning how to do it."

Kim Min said, "Some seniors said, 'People who are good at acting are sticking their buttocks a lot.' It's the same as studying. I think it's helpful to read the script a lot, so I'm trying to find what's hidden in the script and lines, and I'm thinking about how to make it fun. Of course, the acting is still fun, but it also feels too difficult. There is a certain burden and pain," he said.

Kim Min is also concentrating on filming the next movie, including the ENA drama "Dr. Love." He said, "I thought I would be a cool and good actor when I was in my 30s. But it's a job that can't look an inch ahead. I want to be an actor who doesn't get tired of it easily when looking far away. "I want to become a charming actor and act that I can't get tired of watching and feel fun," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.