[Sportschosun Jiyoung Cho] Actress Jung Ho-yeon, 32, said, "It was a set where I felt grateful whenever the actors came back safely."
In an interview on the morning of the 8th for the sci-fi thriller film 'Hope' (directed by Na Hong-jin, produced by Forged Films), Jung Ho-yeon spoke about working with Hwang Jung-min as Baeom-seok, the head of the Hope Harbor branch office, Zo In-sung as Seong-gi, a young man from the Hope Harbor village, Michael Fassbender as Maveyo, a warrior race from the planet Gerthu, Alicia Vikander as Queen Jor, who crash-lands on Earth, Taylor Russell as Jor's maid Aido-bor, and Cameron Britton as Bamigir, an alien who boards the escape ship with Jor.
Jung said, "Senior Hwang Jung-min is never late on set and usually arrives at least 20 minutes early, so I ended up going early too. He is an actor who never lets his guard down on set. Usually, once actors become familiar with one another, they start to relax, but he always stays alert. Especially when filming an action movie, safety is crucial, and he had this unwavering energy. I felt that kind of attitude was essential." She also expressed admiration for Zo In-sung, saying, "He is incredibly flexible. He takes care of the staff on set and has an energy that makes the whole set feel more adaptable."
"Between Hwang Jung-min and Zo In-sung, I was just the bright, cheerful kid. Everything was fascinating and fun. I was thrilled to be working with both of them. When I looked at the 'Hope' poster this time, my name was right next to Hwang Jung-min and Zo In-sung. That alone feels like a dream. All the while I was on set, I watched director Na Hong-jin, cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, Hwang Jung-min, and Zo In-sung talking about films and stories. It was a scene that would be hard to experience even if you paid for it, so I was happy," she recalled.
On the action scenes that pushed things to an extreme, to the point that she thought, "This is going too far," she said, "I want to praise myself for not giving up halfway and finishing it to the end. Through this project, I think my focus improved a little, and I learned a lot from the persistence of the senior actors and directors, as well as their determination to see things through. I think I was trained that way too. Above all, I think I had those thoughts a lot while watching Zo In-sung. There were quite a few scenes where I wondered, 'Can someone really do that?' When filming another actor's solo scene, people usually say things like 'Do your best' or 'Fighting,' but on the 'Hope' set, at some point I started thinking, 'What does that kind of encouragement even mean?' It was simply, 'Thank you for coming back safely.' I did not feel that way about my own scenes, but in the later part, when Zo In-sung was doing an action scene on horseback, I really felt grateful that he came back safely," she said with a laugh.
'Hope' tells the story of the head of the Hope Harbor branch office, located in the demilitarized zone, who hears from local young men that a tiger has appeared. As the entire village goes on alert, the story unfolds as the characters encounter an unbelievable reality. The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender, and is directed by Na Hong-jin, known for 'The Chaser,' 'The Yellow Sea,' and 'The Wailing.' It opens on the 15th.
Jiyoung Cho, soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
