Kim Ho-young: "'Lempicka' Offer Initially Met with Doubt... Threw Water Bottle During Audition" [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

Musical actor Kim Ho-young discovered a new side of himself that he hadn't known before. Returning as Marinetti, a futurist in the musical 'Lempicka', Kim said, "I began to think that if I do well, this role could become my life-defining character."

On the 7th, I met with Kim Ho-young at the Woori Bank Hall in COEX Atrium, Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to discuss various topics related to the musical 'Lempicka'.

The musical 'Lempicka' vividly portrays the life and art of Tamara de Lempicka, a painter who represented Art Deco and was active primarily in early 20th-century Europe.

Kim Ho-young brings vitality to the role of Marinetti, a futurist who dreams of innovation.

Taking on a new challenge with 'Lempicka', Kim said, "When I received the audition call from the director, there was no information about the production, so I watched the Broadway stage via YouTube. The actor playing Marinetti gave off a very intense impression, and at first, I thought, 'Why would they ask me to audition for this?' I was worried about whether I would fit that image."

However, curiosity led Kim to 'Lempicka'. He revealed, "Along with the question mark of 'Can I do this well?', I felt a sense of 'Why not give it a try?' At that time, I had been working on sequels like 'Kinky Boots' and 'Gwanghwamun Love Song', and I was at a point where I longed for a new character. Especially, my desire to explore new acting aspects grew stronger, so I felt this role could offer something new."

Kim Ho-young then shared an anecdote from his audition. He said, "I performed the number 'Perfection' in front of foreign producers, and they asked me to sing the same song three times. I thought doing it twice was acceptable, but when they requested a third time, I felt I had to do something completely different from before."

He continued, "At that moment, many thoughts flashed through my mind. The producers had told me to do whatever I wanted, and in that instant, I threw the water bottle and ended the performance. Later, I heard that during the rehearsal process, the producers described Marinetti as 'someone possessed by something.' They also appreciated that I appeared unpredictable, like someone who could go off in any direction."

Kim said, "If I had just stood still and performed it a third time, the producers would have told me, 'Would you like to try being more rude?' But I had already thrown the water bottle and acted rudely first," he laughed.

He added, "In the end, I brought out and expressed the original side of myself, but at the same time, I felt that something entirely new from me could emerge. So, I approached it with the mindset of 'let's try to collide with it.'"

Kim Ho-young confidently stated that Marinetti could become his 'life character'. Behind this confidence were the reactions and support from those around him.

He said, "I usually prepare for productions relatively quickly, but this one felt unusually slow. I thought I wasn't getting the direction right. However, senior actors, fellow performers, and the creative team kept praising how well I fit the role. This made me question myself repeatedly."

He continued, "One senior actor asked, 'Between Charlie in 'Kinky Boots' and this character, which one do you think suits you better?' I replied, 'But Charlie is the protagonist, right?' The senior actor responded that this character seemed to suit me even better."

Initially, he himself had doubts about the reactions from those around him. "As I continued rehearsing, I began to think that if I do well, this role could truly become my 'life character'," he admitted.

He also expressed gratitude, saying, "The production team showed great consideration during the process. In fact, Marinetti's number is in a lower vocal range than my usual range. They patiently waited and respected my process of creating the character and trying various approaches."

He specifically explained, "During rehearsals, the composer told me he would give me 'creative freedom.' He said I didn't have to approach Marinetti's number like a song; I could express it like dialogue. He encouraged me to try any way I wanted. From that moment on, I felt this could be an opportunity to show a new side of myself that I had never shown before."

Kim Ho-young added, "I think many people liked my performance in the rehearsal room because I showed a character and voice that I had never displayed before. It's a character that makes people wonder, 'Did Kim Ho-young have such a voice? Could he express himself in such a way?' In that sense, I believe this role could become my 'life character'."

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*This content was translated by AI.