A review of some interviews with Bae Yong Joon during his "April Snow " promotions last 2005.
Source:The New Paper by Chang May Choon/Aug. 25, 2005
Transferred from: http://aprilsnow.blogsome.com
The atmosphere was rather grim - with actor Bae Yong Joon less smiley than usual, the media pushing and shoving and a bored co-star.
His megawatt smile is as famous as he is.
But it was missing from the handsome face of Korean star Bae Yong Joon yesterday evening.
Sometimes, he let a faint smile show, or he’d chuckle.
But, mostly, he looked serious - until something funny cracked him up.
It was most unlike Yong Joon, 33, whose signature sunshine smile has melted the hearts of countless fans all over Asia.
But, the situation called for it.
The Winter Sonata star was at the international media conference for his highly-anticipated new movie, April Snow, which deals with the grim topics of death and extramarital affairs.
His last film had been the 2004 hit Untold Scandal.
Tension was also in the air at a ballroom at Coex Intercontinental Hotel, where there were over 400 photographers and cameramen pushing and shoving to get the best pictures.
Yong Joon’s co-star, Son Ye Jin, was seen doodling with a pencil - a sign of boredom at being ignored by the media?
That’s not including the 600 local and Asian reporters seated under strict orders of the emcees - which only goes to show the star power of Yong Joon.
After all, which other Korean actor can command such a massive media turnout?
STERN EMCEES
But crowd control had to be executed by the stern emcees - one speaking in Korean, one in English and one, Japanese.
‘Everyone must be seated after the cast arrives, or we will stop the media conference,’ they announced for the umpteenth time.
No personal questions were allowed, only those related to the film would be entertained, they added.
April Snow is about how two people struggling with their spouses’ betrayal find solace in each other.
Yong Joon plays a married lighting director who falls in love with a housewife played by Son Ye Jin, 23, of Summer Scent fame.
When one Korean reporter said that ‘the film’s sadness is so deep that it touched everyone’, Yong Joon confided that he was too nervous to watch the film himself.
FILMING IN PAIN
But he did reveal that he felt such intense pain during filming that he needed time to pull himself out of his character.
‘I felt like I had spent four months filming in pain,’ he revealed through an interpreter.
‘On the last day of filming, I was left with an empty, lonely feeling inside me.
‘The director and I actually stood side by side at the side of the road for a long time saying nothing at all.’
It did not help that the director, Hur Jin Ho, is as artistic and unpredictable as Hong Kong’s Wong Kar Wai - which means he gives his cast minimal lines to work with.
Yong Joon said: ‘There were no lines and no detailed explanations, but that’s the attraction of director Hur, and I wanted to try this new way of filming.
‘Sometimes I felt trapped in a dark tunnel, but it’s great to have worked on this film.’
His sweet-faced co-star Ye Jin also acknowledged twice that filming was not easy.
But she did add that there were some light-hearted moments too.
‘The subject matter is so heavy, and that made the atmosphere on the film set heavy, too,’ she said.
‘But there was a scene that called for a light touch. The director handed us two cup noodles and said, ‘Just do it’.
‘But Mr Bae just closed his lid pretending that he had already finished, so I had to come up with a line on the spot,’ she added with a smile.
What did she say? That’s for you to find out when the film opens in Singapore in October.
FELT PRESSURED
But Ye Jin was clearly the neglected one at the media conference, as most reporters directed their questions at the more famous Yong Joon.
At one point, she was even seen adjusting her microphone - which must have prompted the emcee to request that the next question be addressed to her.
Many times, she was also seen doodling with a pencil - perhaps out of boredom.
Ye Jin admitted that she felt the pressure of working with such a famous co-star, but once the filming started, all she could concentrate on was her acting.
Yong Joon, however, was quick to downplay his celebrity status.
‘I’d like to think of myself not as an international star, but a Korean actor who works very hard at his job and gets recognition from other parts of Asia.’
FINALLY, A GRIN
His trademark grin finally returned to his face when a Japanese reporter came forth.
Clearly a fan of Yong Joon herself, she said she was nervous to watch the film as she was worried about his love scenes with Ye Jin, but now feels relieved that they were shot ’so beautifully’.
Then, she asked him to say a few reassuring words to his Japanese fans.
When the question was translated into Korean, Yong Joon burst out laughing - as did all the Korean media in the room.
He could barely contain his laughter, as he thanked her for the feedback, adding that the director had paid ’special attention’ to the scenes.
‘Thanks for all the attention and love, and I hope fans will leave the theatre with a special experience about love.’
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Q & A with Bae Yong Joon [Star in Asia, 2005]
Source - http://aprilsnow.blogsome.com
Reposted and trans in Thai by Ladymoon @http://twssg.blogspot.com
The much-talked about movie “April Snow” (Director Heo Jin-ho) was made public for the first time to local and foreign media members on August 23. After the preview, in a press conference in KOEX in Samseong-dong, Bae Yong-joon confessed, “In-soo in the movie is myself.” The movie tells the story about a forbidden love. Married man and woman fall in love after knowing that their own spouses are having affairs. The following is a question and answer with Bae Yong-joon, the “Star in Asia.”
Q: You chose to star in this movie even before reading the scenario. What is the reason? And what did you learn through this movie?A: I normally choose a film in which I can portray a character well, but this time I decided to select a film that could be a real challenge. The challenge was to cope with the director’s unique working style, who really likes impromptu acting. It was a totally new experience, and of course there were many difficult things but I learned a lot from the director, and I think it will help me with my next movies.
Q: What was it like working with director Heo Jin-ho?
A: “This movie was a challenge to the working style of director Heo. I wanted to experience the working style that I wanted, but I couldn’t. It is true that there were some parts that didn’t go well with me, but I learned a lot during making the movie. I am sure I can show a variety of changes of myself in other movies in the future.
Q: In this movie, In-su’s sadness was deeply expressed. How did you feel and how much did you understand his feelings?A: I felt so deeply sad all the way while shooting the film. And I am glad that you felt the same way. Actually, I feel as if I had revealed my own experience in this film, so it is a little bit shameful. It was so difficult for me to express the character. I normally try hard to create the character right in films but this time I tried to become the character, so I can say In-su and myself are almost the same.
Q: Even before the official release of the movie, many people from many Asian countries have shown their interest in it. Did such high expectation have an influence on your acting?
A: Thanks to the high expectation and a lot of interest, we were able to finish the movie well. I really appreciate that, but it is true that I felt stressed a lot. I know that the movie will open simultaneously in many Asian countries and it has drawn great expectations. I hope that the film will help many Asian countries culturally interact more.
Q: In the film, you seem to have expressed many complicated emotions without speaking, using only gestures and your eyes. How difficult was it?A: We had to act with limited speech. Sometimes, we were not given any guidelines or even lines. I think director Hur wanted to capture the spontaneous reactions and responses from us. So this was a challenge, and while shooting, I felt like I was trapped in a dark tunnel.
Q: There are some scenes where In-su and Seo-young drank. And I heard you actually drank alcohol in such drinking scenes. How did drinking help you act?
A: That was the first time to actually drink and act. Personally, I like such scenes because I think they look so natural. It added reality to the film.
Q: Japanese fans are eagerly waiting for the movie. I was excited a lot and, at the same time I was a little bit worried about the bedroom scene. I found the scene beautiful, to my relief. Please tell Japanese fans that “you don’t have to worry about the bedroom scene.”A: Thank you for enjoying the movie and finding it beautiful. The director cared a lot about its beauty. I hope that the audience can experience special love through this movie. And feel relieved and enjoy the movie.
Asked about “the intense bedroom scene,” Son Ye-jin said, “Since the movie is about the love of married couples, physical love cannot be excluded. But it was difficult for me to bear the emotions while shooting the movie. Seo-young and In-soo must have had a lot of thoughts on their minds to become immersed in the moment. It took nine hours to make the scene. Fortunately, I feel satisfied with the scene, because the feeling of In-soo and Seo-young is good.”
Q: Static acting stood out. Isn’t it difficult to act like that?A: Lines were moderated, because there were not many words in my lines. I wanted to say a lot of things but I was not allowed concrete lines and situations (laughter). However, I think that is the strong point and the distinctive feature of the director. I felt sometime as if I was trapped in a dark tunnel. I can say with confidence that there was no false acting. I tried to accept moments sincerely.
Q: Tell me about the atmosphere of shooting site. The movie is serious but, I wonder, if there were funny episodes.
A: The subject is so serious that the shooting atmosphere was also serious. The overall situation of the movie is dark, and I also felt that way. The director likes the vivid feeling of the shooting site. So he did not tell actors what to do. He tried to capture the unalloyed response of the other actor by directing only one actor. In the process, interesting responses came.
Q: Please make some closing remarks.
A: Frankly, I worried a lot about your questions. But I am glad I had a comfortable conversation. I hope you will have a special experience about special emotions of love.
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Bae Gives ‘April Snow’ His Best
Source: Yonhap News Agency by Shim Sun-ah, Aug. 28, 2005
Lifted from: http://aprilsnow.blogsome.com
Bae Yong-joon, who turns 33 today, says he wants to start a family as soon as possible as he feels lonely in his “simple life.”
Clad in a gray suit and white shirt, the South Korean known as “Yonsama” looked serene, spoke politely and smiled, although his two years as an Asian icon may have changed him a lot. South Korean actor Bae Yong-joon, however, appeared to be haunted by the experience of playing his character in director Hur Jin-ho’s moody melodrama “April Snow,” which will open nationwide Sept. 8.
“I was like a child abandoned before a camera,” Bae, who turns 33 today, recalled in a recent interview at a Seoul hotel with Yonhap News Agency.
He said it was initially very hard for him to adapt to Hur’s directing style that required a lot of impromptu acting.
“Hur always said ‘Just do it on your own way.’ Whenever I asked him ‘how,’ he would let the shooting continue after simply answering ‘Well, act and speak as you want.’ I usually calculate and decide what to do and how to do it before acting, as you know, but I couldn’t with this work.”
Bae said he used to not be able to understand when veteran actors say “Now I’ll have to let this character go his way,” but now fully comprehends.
“I could not concentrate on other work while shooting this film. I was very gloomy and did not know why I was so pained and irritated. I figured out later it was because I could not fully return to myself after becoming immersed in the character.”
“April Snow” is the story of a man and a woman drawn together after a traffic accident reveals their spouses were having an affair.
Bae’s character, devoted husband In-su, and the young housewife Seo-yeong, played by Son Ye-jin, are filled with confusion and anger at the accident and betrayal by their spouses. But they gradually fall in love while trying to share their pain.
“In-su is a responsible, very good-natured and healthy person. He loved his wife a lot. If I were In-su, I could not leave my wife in the hospital bed (for the newly-found love) either,” the actor said. He admitted that he is conservative as far as love is concerned.
Bae became enormously popular in East Asian nations, especially in Japan, after the South Korean television series in which he starred, “Winter Sonata,” was broadcast in 2003 and last year.
He was given the nickname, “Yonsama,” by his Japanese fans. “Yon” is the short form of his name in Japanese and “sama” means a highly respected person. It is unusual for Japanese to refer to foreigners using the honorific “sama.”When he visited Taiwan last weekend to promote the film, he was greeted at the airport and hotel by throngs of fans, mostly middle-aged women from Japan and other Asian countries, which proved again he is one of Asia’s top stars.
“I think the Taiwanese people were closer and friendlier toward me this time than when I visited the country last year. I think that was because they became more familiar with South Korean pop culture.”
Bae said he feels a great burden as a star who stands in the forefront of “hallyu (Korean wave),” or the boom of Korean pop culture in neighboring Asian countries, but thanks God for endowing him with the pioneering role. “I expect hallyu will serve as a chance to create a unified Asian cultural entity.”
In addition, the actor said overseas fans’ high expectations do not influence his choice of screenplays.
“There is difference between images that I can showcase in films and real life. I will do my best to show my best side in my life,” he said.
Bae said he would seek a variety of different roles in the future, not just the kind of nice and warmhearted characters he portrayed in previous works.
The actor has already chosen his next role. He will play the King Kwanggaeto of the ancient Korean kingdom of Koguryo in a local television drama tentatively named “Taewangsasingi.” The drama is scheduled to air in September next year.
Koguryo ruled the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and the northeastern part of modern-day China some two millennia ago.The actor confirmed he does not have any plan yet to advance into the overseas film world but is willing to cooperate with Asian filmmakers for co-productions with South Korea.
“Asian film industries have so far had insufficient capital and marketability to pursue a common project, but many conditions have improved (in recent years.) I’m being ready to cooperate for Asian co-productions as part of my long-term plan.”
Bae said he wants to start a family with a baby as soon as possible and live a happy life as ordinary people do.
“I feel really lonely these days when I’m in my apartment by myself. These feelings get deeper as time goes on. But my chances of meeting people are limited since I live a very simple life _ fitness club, home and office. Moreover, I’m not the kind of person who easily makes friends at parties.”
Reading messages posted by fans on his official Web site is one of his sources of joy these days, Bae said.
“They really cheer me up. They are like vitamin pills that invigorate me,” he added.
Leny: I hope he still reads all our messages in KOB but I doubt it since he doesn't even leave us a message anymore.
