LEE JOON GI
AND
THE
MARISOL
AND
MNET
INTERVIEW
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Marisol and Mnet recently interviewed Lee Joon Gi: the interview was for the January 2021 issue of Marisol, a Japanese women’s magazine, and also for Mnet to ramp up interest and excitement for the Flower of Evil broadcast in Japan which premiered on 3 January 2021.
Mnet (acronym of Music Network) is a South
Korean pay television music channel owned by CJ E&M,
a division of CJ ENM, part of CJ Group. 
https://marisol.hpplus.jp/culture/korean
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJkh5f0Jm60/ Lee Joon Gi has been receiving
global recognition and accolades for his awesome performance in Flower of Evil, his unique
2020 TVN suspense-melodrama. Having outshone the stars of other dramas in
2020, Lee is a popular choice for local and foreign interviews.
Fans who have grown up with Lee
Joon Gi would remember him for his gorgeous androgenous looks in the
blockbuster movie, ‘The King and The Clown’ in 2005. The label, ‘a
man who is more beautiful than a woman’ has been bandied about since he
starred in that life-changing movie. It was 15 years ago when he was 25 years
old.  Lee Joon Gi, who is known as The
Actor with A Thousand Faces, was able to give a creditable portrayal of Gong-gil,
the effeminate Joseon clown. His impressive performance made such a
tremendous impact on the audience that the movie became a blockbuster and Lee
was launched into international fame and popularity.
According to Wikipedia, ‘In South Korea, the film sold a total of 12.3 million tickets, including
3,659,525 in Seoul, in its four months of screening, which ended on 18 April
2006. It ranked first and grossed ₩6.5 billion in its first week of release
and grossed a total of ₩72.6 billion after 12 weeks of screening. Its
worldwide grossed is US$74.4 million.’ Lee also made an indelible mark on the global movie world when he debuted in the 2017 Hollywood movie, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. The movie was a world-wide success; in Asia where he has legions of passionate fans, the movie was a mind-blowing triumph.
Lee Joon Gi’s many hit dramas won
him innumerable local and international awards. Some of his memorable dramas
include, Time between Dog and Wolf, Iljimae, Arang and The Magistrate, Two
Weeks, The Joseon Gunman, The Scholar Who Walks The Night, Moon Lovers:
Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Criminal Minds Korea and Lawless Lawyer.
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo made
quite a considerable impact globally and his fandom further expanded.
Known also as ‘The Prince of Asia’, Lee Joon Gi has the unwavering support from his fans in East Asia and Southeast Asia, where there is much fanfare wherever he goes. However, the increasing
number of admirers has fanned out in all directions all over the globe,
swelling its ranks. He has been receiving a lot of passionate support from
his fans worldwide.
The prepotent multihyphenate superstar
has won the approval of multitudes of global viewers yet again with his
incredible performance in TVN’s 2020 Flower of Evil.
Directed by international
award-winning director, Kim Cheol Kyu and scripted by Yoo Jung Hee, Flower of
Evil stars Lee Joon Gi, who portrays Do Hyun Soo; Moon Chae Won, his leading
lady; Jang Hee Jin, Seo Hyun Woo and Kim Ji Hoon.
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LEE JOON GI THE MARISOL AND MNET INTERVIEW 01.01.2021
English
Translation: Source: https://marisol.hpplus.jp/article/63336/01/ |
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Q1 |
Can you tell us about the role
you play in Flower of Evil, Baek Hee Seong? |
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A |
I play Do Hyun Soo who lives as
Baek Hee Seong. In the past 14 years, he has concealed his cruel past, lived
under a false identity, made a family of his own to live a new life, deceived
his loving wife, and pretended to love her. I was hoping that you (viewers)
would also feel all kinds of emotions while watching Do Hyun Soo’s story,
such as tension and thrill, throughout all the 16 episodes. That is what I
focused on when I played this role. |
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Q2 |
Why did you choose to star in
this drama? |
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A |
It was not an easy decision to
make. Because initially I thought I was not suited for this character, and
that in depicting this character’s story – whether in real life or in terms
of my acting career – I was probably too young to play such a character with
so much depth. (Laughs) So, I thought long and hard
about it and felt under a lot of pressure. Of course, it was the director and
the production team who offered me the role first, but I really thought very
hard about it. Many people around me tried to
persuade me to take it, saying that it would be a new challenge for me and
another turning point in my acting career. Moon Chae Won also suggested I
do it, cheering me on: That this character, Do Hyun Soo, was the center of
this drama, and it might be difficult to play; but this was a role that Lee
Joon Gi could do, and it would be an opportunity for me to broaden my range
as an actor. Since so many people around me
said things like that to me, I thought very hard about those things, read the
script over and over, and studied it for a long time. Then it occurred to me that this was a very unique drama and it was so amazing how it had two conflicting values – thriller and romance – in it. So, I thought, ‘This is a challenge and it will help me grow further.’ I consider this a challenge I took on in my career as an actor. It was a challenge rather than a choice. |
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Q3 |
Of the scenes and lines you
performed, can you tell us about one that you find particularly memorable? |
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A |
Each and every scene was not
easy as they all lead to the story that comes later. It is very difficult to
choose one particular scene. Each episode has some great
scenes. All of those scenes were necessary to trace the life of Do Hyun Soo. However, if I had to choose one,
it would be the scene where the emotions of Do Hyun Soo, who cannot feel
anything, are released for the first time. I worried a lot about how to
express that kind of emotional release, which comes from the desperation of
not wanting to lose what he values most when he is forced into this extreme
situation. I thought, if not done properly,
that scene would not be convincing. I also thought, to viewers, that
emotional release might seem so sudden especially after following so
closely the emotions and situations of Do Hyun Soo all along. It could have
made all the relationships [Hyun Soo has with other characters] fall to
pieces, throw the drama off balance, and even cause what Do Hyun Soo pictured
[in his mind] to fall apart. In that sense, the scene where
Hyunsoo bursts out crying for the first time in front of Jiwon was very
difficult, but I think many viewers also felt his sadness and found it
heartbreaking. This is a scene where Hyunsoo
lets out all the emotions he’s feeling in front of Jiwon, and it is precisely
because of this scene that Jiwon once again begins to trust Do Hyun Soo, the
husband she so loves. It was difficult throughout
starting with the rehearsal, and we constantly made changes, but the director
continued to come up with ideas and I discussed with him what I had prepared.
We put a lot of thought into that scene. Thankfully, viewers also felt
sad while watching it, so I find that scene memorable. |
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Q4 |
In the drama, you performed the
duality of your character with delicacy. Do you feel that you, Lee Joon
Gi, have two sides? |
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A |
I think everyone has two sides. In this day and age, though,
doesn’t everyone live a life where they hide themselves while always thinking
about how they look to the world? I do think everyone lives this way, hiding
themselves… Of course, I also have two sides
to me. I think I am more careful and hesitant than I may look to others out
there; sometimes I can be a bit calculating and living with my own thoughts. Then when I come back to ‘Lee
Joon Gi’ as I originally am, I think there is quite a deep side of me. As I
get older these days, I have started asking myself, “What should I do to live
in balance?” Isn’t it something everyone has on their mind? I think many people put on an
act to a degree, just as Hyunsoo does. When you think about it, we live
in an age where we cannot live expressing all our emotions, don’t we? |
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Q5 |
In Japan, we have this term “イクメン” *
ikumen = a man who actively takes pleasure in childcare. source: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181127-ikumen-how-japans-hunky-dads-are-changing-parenting In the drama, there are ordinary
scenes where you do housework and childcare. You performed those scenes very
naturally and so perfectly. But do you enjoy housework in real life? |
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A |
Well, I lived alone for a long
time after I’d left home at the age of 19 (laughs). I mean, I am interested in
everything [about housework] but now I live with my sibling [little sister]
so she does the housework and she does it very well. I don’t really do as
much housework as I used to, but in the past, I especially loved cooking and
making stuff for myself. Back in the military – and I was
famous for this – I remember keeping things clean. If I get to have a family
of my own, I will gladly take pleasure in childcare, cooking, and cleaning. |
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Q6 |
It seems there are many people
around the world who can’t go out as much as they want but spend more time at
home due to Covid-19. Is there anything you have
recently started because of the time we live in now? |
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A |
Before [Covid-19] I had started
and practiced jiu jitsu consistently for over 2 years. However, I had to stop
all that because of Covid-19. Now it’s a time when I have to be careful about
everything. I used to go to the gym
regularly even during filming, but this year, I had no choice but to
concentrate only on filming. Because, as a leading actor, I did not want to
risk causing harm to anyone. So this year, I would say I stopped [jiu jitsu]
for a while, rather than losing my hobby. Instead, I have started walking.
I was very worried that if I did not train my body this way, I would get
[easily] tired when I do something. Before I had started jiu jitsu, I’d loved
walking anyway, so I started walking again. I started walking at the Han
River, following all the infection prevention guidelines and putting on a
thick mask. So when I went for a walk like this for the first time in a long
time, it felt refreshing. I walk the same long trail I had
taken before, and it is not just for exercising, but I enjoy walking while
listening to music without thinking about anything, or while thinking about
various things. I think walking around like that, completely free from any
thoughts at all, ultimately helps refresh myself. I think life is similar to
walking, so every time I go for a walk, I feel like I get to look back on my
life, and I think that’s good. In every aspect, many people,
not just me, are living restricted lives these days, but I hope that we all
get through this and I suggest we do it by trying simple things, one by one,
just as I do – so we can stay healthy both physically and mentally. |
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Q7 |
What kind of genre and role do
you want to try in the future? |
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A |
So far, I have done a lot of
genre (-specific) works, like action and romance. You know, most Korean dramas
have romance in them, and they always have romance aspects to them, don’t
they? (laughs) Many of those fans who love me often tell me they want to see
me in a romance, but hey, I have not done a single project that does not have
romance in it. It is just that many of my works
fall under the genres of action and thriller, but I think they all have
romantic aspects to them… But after finishing this drama
[Flower of Evil], I did feel like I had done a romantic drama (melodrama) I
had been avoiding before. I think it blends thriller and
romance harmoniously, and once again made me think a lot about what love is.
I have always been interested in stories about love, and I have always
thought I want to express a love between man and woman, the most basic kind
of love. If I can, I want to do a project
that focuses on a love between man and woman. But even now, a lot of people
think of ‘Lee Joon Gi’ when it comes to action, so I still get a lot of
offers in that genre [action]. To directors [specializing] in
the romance genre, please keep me in mind (laughs). Or else, I want to play a role
where I let go of anything that’s weighing me down… I want to do a role where
I get to express myself freely. Without being tied to a specific genre. I think this drama [Flower of Evil]
made me desire such things. |
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Q8 |
Lastly, is there any message you
want to send to your Japanese fans who are about to watch Flower of Evil? |
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A |
In Korea, the drama received so
much love from many fans and viewers, and I am so grateful. From the production team to the
director, the writer, all the other staff, and the actors I worked with –
everyone did their best and worked so hard on this, and it turned out to be a
great drama. Guys, I am so happy you guys love the passion that went into
this. I hope many watch Flower of
Evil. Don’t miss it! I think that Covid-19 has been very hard on the fans in
Japan as well. But health always comes first! I pray that we all follow the
infection prevention guidelines, stay healthy, and get to meet one another
very soon. Please stay healthy, and always stay happy. Thank you very much. [In
Japanese] “See you again.” |
