[Sportschosun reporter Jung Bit] Actor Koo Kyo-hwan expressed special affection for Shin Seung-ho, Kang Ki-young, and Kim Si-a, with whom he worked on 'Reawakened Man: The Red.'
Koo Kyo-hwan met with Sportschosun at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, on the 21st and discussed his chemistry with the actors he worked with on 'Reawakened Man: The Red,' hereafter referred to as 'Reawakened Man.'
Opening on the 30th, 'Reawakened Man' is based on the webtoon of the same name. The film follows Seok-hwan, a job seeker whose only qualification is unfounded confidence, as he discovers that he can resurrect 72 hours after dying and is subsequently pursued by mysterious assailants. Baek Jong-yul, who directed 'The Beauty Inside' and 'Believer 2,' is at the helm.
Seok-hwan, played by Koo Kyo-hwan, dreams of buying premium beef for his family with his first paycheck. However, his hot temper repeatedly causes him to fail job interviews. After suddenly dying one day and resurrecting 72 hours later, he realizes that he has a special ability—and begins to be pursued by mysterious figures.
Another point of interest is Koo Kyo-hwan's reunion with Shin Seung-ho in 'Reawakened Man' following 'D.P.' Koo and Shin portray Seok-hwan, who grows stronger each time he dies, and Black, who controls other people, respectively, creating a tense conflict between their characters.
As soon as Shin Seung-ho's name came up, Koo Kyo-hwan openly expressed his affection for him. Koo said, "I miss seeing Seung-ho even now. I really like him. We shared the most scenes together. I wondered when we'd see each other again, but I even took this project because of Seung-ho. I want to work with him again. I love you, Seung-ho."
Koo reunited with Kang Ki-young after 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo.' Koo stated, "I only worked briefly with actor Ki-young on 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo.' It was a shame it was so short. We're also with the same agency, and he's one of the actors I consider a friend. Creating scenes together is fun and enjoyable in itself."
With Kim Si-a, Koo created the chemistry of realistic siblings who bicker but look after each other more than anyone else. In the film, Seok-hwan's younger sister Ye-rin, played by Kim Si-a, is a capable and intelligent high school student. She gives mock interviews to her brother, who repeatedly fails job interviews, and helps him with research, serving as a dependable source of support.
The age gap between the actors, however, is considerable. Koo Kyo-hwan, born in 1982, and Kim Si-a, born in 2008, are 26 years apart. In real life, people have even jokingly suggested that she is old enough to be his daughter rather than his sister. Koo responded wittily, "The age difference will make sense once you see the film."
They also grew close naturally on set by spending time together rather than forcing a friendship. Koo recalled, "I'm not the type to deliberately approach people to become close on set, but I think we naturally grew closer as time passed. There comes a point when you start opening up little by little, doesn't there? By the time filming ended, I realized that we had truly become close."
Watching Kim Si-a act also inspired Koo as a fellow actor. He praised her, saying, "There are many moments when I am surprised watching actor Si-a. Her analytical skills are excellent, but she tries to transform what she analyzes in a flexible way. I learned from watching her. I thought, 'Why is she so good? Did she grow up seeing a lot of good things?' She has exceptional instincts."
Koo even imagined working with Kim Si-a again, this time as a creator rather than simply as a fellow actor. He offered an idea on the spot, saying, "If I get the chance to make a film, I definitely want to work with actor Si-a. She could play a singer and actress, and I could play someone who manages her?"
The actors' close-knit chemistry has continued beyond the set and into the film's promotional activities. For Koo, promoting 'Reawakened Man' felt less like another job and more like an after-party that continued after filming had ended.
Koo laughed and said, "As you can tell from the content, our strength is that we don't think of publicity as work. We just talk naturally, then have a beer after it's over. Sadly, Si-a does drink cola, though. Even the promotional process feels like an after-party for 'Reawakened Man.'"
The film 'Reawakened Man: The Red' is scheduled to open on September 30.
Reporter Jung Bit rightlight@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
