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A childhood spent during the Korean War, a youth fought in the Vietnam War, a hardship experienced in Germany endured for the sake of the family, and suddenly waking up to discover that he is now an old man... This is the story of our Korean fathers, and that of ‘Duk-soo’ in Ode to My Father played by HWANG Jung-min. Portraying the life of Duk-soo, spanning from youth to an elderly man in his seventies, the actor asserts that he “wanted to do it right”.

 

“I’ve lived like a racehorse,” said HWANG. And to prove this, HWANG Jung-min’s career has been non-stop when you take a look at the characters he has played thus far. From a gay man, a young farmer, a lawyer, a gangster, a detective and a blind swordsman, the list goes on. None of these roles were easy, and they all seemed to convey the intensity of the actor himself on the silver screen. For the entire decade, he endlessly told himself “I have to do well and I have to work hard.” It is only after ten years of doing so that he has finally become able to let go and enjoy acting, and get excited on a film shoot. Now is the golden age of HWANG Jung-min who gets a kick out of going to a film set.

 

This is the first time I played in such a large-scale film. It is important that the audience feels the magnitude of the scale. And that was my responsibility as the male lead.

 

This film tells the story of our fathers who lived through the rapidly shifting social climate of Korea from the Korean War during the 1950s to current times. He may have had dreams of who he wanted to become, but never once did he have the opportunity to live for himself. This is a story of our fathers who never said “No,” for the sake of the family.

 

Ode to My Father was shot in three different countries including Busan and Seoul in Korea, the Czech Republic and Thailand. As this was the first film in five years for filmmaker JK YOUN since Haeundae, with a great cast including KIM Yun-jin, OH Dal-su, JUNG Jin-young, JANG Young-nam, LA Mi-ran and KIM Seul-ki, along with top class crew, expectations were high.

 

As you all may know, she is an incredible actress. Her first impression may make her seem hard to approach, but in fact she is modest and humble. We didn’t know each other well when we were in Germany, playing the scene where we first fell in love. But this in fact helped us express the awkward but romantic emotions of first love.

 

I never had any fear of playing the role. On the contrary, I was extremely happy to be able to present the entire life of an individual. When the script came out, the director called me to ask if I could be in his film. So I asked what it was about. When he replied by saying“It’s a story about a father,” I immediately said I would do it. I didn’t have to read the scriptto decide. There are a number of Korean films about mothers, but not so many about fathers. For the male audiences who watch Ode to My Father, they will feel that their fathers, who used to be like towering mountains, now seem like small figures. And this will reverberate emotionally.

 

 

 

I’m like a friend to my child. Since my wife works, I play the role of the mother when I’m not shooting. I send my child off to school, and I make snacks to eat after school. We’re close because it’s just the two of us all day long. The thing my child hates the most is when I am away on a film shoot for days. My child is so attached to me, my wife gets jealous sometimes. (laughs)

 

I’m working hard at it, happily and sincerely, focusing on my work. My 30s weren’t so easy. I was obsessed with showing a good performance, to do things well. But there came a time when I slowly started to let things go. And now in my 40s, I am a much happier person and am comfortable with myself. I’m the happiest when I’m on set. After playing Duk-soo in Ode to My Father, I started thinking of the idea of growing old as an actor. I want to hear people say ‘That actor is great’ when I’m in my 60s. l want to age well so that when I am in my 60s, filmmakers can be inspired to write melodramas for ‘actor HWANG Jung-min’.

 

How would you define an actor who has aged well?
I am curious myself. I wonder what I’ll be like in my 50s. Nevertheless, eyes don’t age even when the face does. I guess the key is how alive my eyes will be when the time comes. And for this to happen, I believe it will be a matter of the heart.