Actor Kang Dong-won shares stories about “Broker” and reveals his friendly charm as an actor in his 40s
Actor Kang Dong-won, who has been acting for 20 years, has returned with a more relaxed appearance.
Kang Dong-won recently conducted an interview with Wikitree at a cafe in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and revealed various behind-the-scenes stories about the movie “Broker”.
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, “Broker” is a movie that tells about the unexpected and special journey of those involved in the baby boxes. Apart from being invited to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 75th Cannes Festival, which was held on June 17th last month, actor Song Kang-ho also became the first Korean actor to win Best Actor, drawing keen attention even before the movie’s official release.
Although the cast might feel pressure about the movie’s performance when it is released, Kang Dong-won had a different thought. He said, “I’m not as nervous as I used to be before other film releases. I feel relieved as I got recognized for my performance through this work.”
Kang Dong-won, who has always enjoyed Hirokazu Kore-eda’s movies, heard about the story of “Broker” through a lucky meeting and decided to join the cast even before the scenario was completed. He believed in director Kore-eda’s directing skills and had confidence in the characters in this movie.
When asked about his criteria when selecting this work without hesitation, Kang Dong-won said, “I normally consider the scenario first, and the director second. But this time, the director came first. I often decide to work with new directors after reviewing the scenarios carefully. There are many fresh experiences. I think I’ve already filmed 9 movies like that (laughs).”
Kang Dong-won plays Dong-soo in “Broker” and worked with Song Kang-ho (as Sang-hyun), IU (as So-young), Bae Doo-na (as Soo-jin), and Lee Joo-young (as detective Lee). Dong-soo, who used to work at a nursery school for baby boxes, is a broker who “takes” the children and sends them to new parents for adoption.
When asked about what he focused on the most when playing Dong-soo, the actor replied, “I tried to capture the hearts of those who actually met and shared such talks. I tried to make it a character who looks gloomy”, adding, “I acted with the intention of conveying the wounds and worries in their hearts to the audience as much as possible”.
He continued, “A friend from a nursery school I met at that time calls the school’s president ‘mom’. Both came to the premiere before the movie release and cried while holding hands when they saw the scene with the line ‘Thank you for being born’. They called and thanked me.”
It is known that the atmosphere at the filming site with many people, from little children to actors of different ages, was really harmonious and friendly. Kang Dong-won revealed that he was really comfortable with Song Kang-ho, who starred in the 2010 film “Secret Reunion” with him.
Kang Dong-won said, “In the past, I couldn’t share many things with him because I was busy doing my jobs. But since we were already close since the beginning, it was much easier for us to collaborate in acting this time. Song Kang-ho sunbaenim has always been a great actor, but he’s likely to have become a master of emotional acting now.”
Kang Dong-won, who debuted in 2003, has consistently appeared in different movies and dramas and played various characters. What hasn’t changed about him is definitely his appearance. Kang Dong-won also gave his answer to the question “Do you feel pressure about being loved for 20 years thanks to your extraordinary visual?”. He said, “Thank you for saying that. It feels so nice. I’m not pressured at all. Even if it is a burden to some extent, It’s still something I can do. But I’m also getting older now (laughs).”
Kang Dong-won, who is already in his 40s, said that he changed a lot compared to 20 years ago. He shared, “I’m much more relaxed than before. I listen to others more. When I was young, I always felt nervous but now I’m confident in myself. At some point, I just felt like going out and talking to people. It helped me feel more comfortable and learn many things.”
Kang Dong-won revealed that self-satisfaction is more important than gaining popularity or winning at an award ceremony. Kang Dong-won, who is famous for his mysterious image since he does not often mention his private life other than his appearances when acting, gave off a friendly charm throughout the interview. When asked about his motto in life, he said, “It’s being a better actor. It may sound quite obvious but I really have that thought. I hope many people will continue to make good movies for the audience and contributes to the development of our society. I don’t want to live a life in which “only good things are good” but I want to fix the irrational parts little by little. I don’t like compromising but want to do a little better.”
Source: wikitree
