[Sportschosun Jiyoung Cho] Actress Jung Ho-yeon, 32, said, "I built my body for gun action and car-chase action."
In an interview with Sportschosun on the morning of the 8th, Jung Ho-yeon shared behind-the-scenes stories about the sci-fi thriller film 'Hope' (directed by Na Hong-jin, produced by Forged Films).
'Hope' tells the story of the branch office chief at Hopo Harbor in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), who hears from local young people that a tiger has appeared. As the entire village goes on alert, the film follows the characters as they face an unbelievable reality. Jung Ho-yeon played Seong-ae, a Hopo Harbor police officer who keeps doing her job no matter what happens.
Jung Ho-yeon, who handled the gun action and car-chase scenes in 'Hope' with ease, recalled, "Before filming 'Hope' began in earnest, I started weight training. The rifle weighed about 5 kg. I heard that Director Na Hong-jin is famous for doing many takes, so I worked hard on weight training to be able to hold the gun for a long time. I gained about 4 kg of muscle and received training from the firearms instructor several times. I went through the process for six months."
She added, "I originally only had an automatic driver's license, but I got a manual license. The car used in the film was a Hyundai Stella, and I was told its interior had been modified so it could drift, which meant I needed a manual license. Fortunately, I passed on my first try, and I practiced the drift scenes by taking direct lessons from a racing instructor. Watching the film, I was happy because I could see that the part where I load bullets into the gun clearly reflected all the practice I had done. It felt fast and smooth, and I was glad I could feel that myself."
She continued, "We filmed in an actual rural village, and we built temporary walls in front of the village buildings before shooting. No matter how careful you are, the real buildings could still be damaged, so I used a stunt double for the U-turn scene in a narrow alley. For the drifting scenes on the road, I did everything myself. Anything that could be done safely and that I was capable of doing, I performed personally." She added, "I prepared very hard for this project. Even the opening scene where I fire a gun and get back into the car was done all the way through without cutting. That scene alone used more than 20 takes. At first, because I still had energy, Seong-ae was shown firing while maintaining perfect form, but later on, the scene captured her true exhaustion. By about the 18th take, I was moving on instinct. I think Director Na Hong-jin wanted to capture everything, from Seong-ae's composed side to her exhausted, raw side."
'Hope' stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender. It is directed by Na Hong-jin, known for 'The Chaser,' 'The Yellow Sea,' and 'The Wailing.' The film opens on the 15th.
Jiyoung Cho, soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
