My Name Is... Yoon Si-yoon

Interview with the new actor in sitcom "High Kick 2"

My name is Yoon Si-yoon. My name was Yoon Dong-goo till high school but I had my name changed when I entered college. My agency had recommended it at the time and I'm glad I can be an actor with a nice name. I also think my old name was nice enough too. Dong-goo. How cute is that!
I was born on September 26, 1986 I had read an article which said I'm the same age as Daniel Choi from "High Kick 2" and Daniel comforted me by saying that people make fun of him because he looks too young. Hahaha. I would never get hurt by such articles with a friend like him by my side.
I actually don't smoke or drink. I'll barely take a sip when I'm out with people who are drinking and I never learned to smoke. The reason is simple. My mom really hated it but she kept me from smoking by expressing her trust in me. She would say, "My son would never learn to smoke, right?" which is even scarier than being told not to upfront. She had huge faith in me because I'm an only child. I also thank her a lot for always trusting in me through the hard times I had before my debut.
I came to Seoul when I was in middle school. Before, I had lived in Suncheon of Jeolla Province with my grandparents and I still take a bus to Suncheon alone when I'm having a hard time. I sometimes get there hours past midnight because it's so far away. My Jeolla dialect comes out so naturally when I meet my friends there. Haha.
Because my grandmother raised me when I was young, I used to go to church when everyone else my age went to learn English at institutes. I even learned how to read and write Chinese characters. I used to be good back when I was young then but I've forgotten it now. All of it!
I heard rumors saying that I've already completed mandatory military service but I've never been to the army. I think people thought I might have since I'm a new actor but I'm not young. Just to make it clear, I will pursue my acting career actively and go to the army when the time comes. Haha.
Before my debut, I appeared on a TV show where stars introduce their friends on the show. I became good friends with FT Island member Lee Hong-ki through a songwriter I got to know through another acquaintance. I made an appearance on the show by chance and I had been preparing to make my acting debut although I did not have any concrete plans back then.
The first time I ever acted was in church when I was young. I played the role of sheep number three in a play and I did it excellently. Hahaha. I was cast for the role quite unexpectedly while playing in the playground so I hadn't had any time to rehearse.
I have been worried over my looks which are neither that of a student nor an adult. I've made different attempts such as growing out a moustache but it just didn't suit me. And people had never told me that I look young for my age so you can see how great of a producer Kim Byung-wook is. That's how well he did at creating my character in "High Kick 2".
Some people say that the script for "High Kick 2" comes out too late. The revised script actually comes out very early. But producer Kim reads the entire script everytime to make change each character's way of speech. They're very subtle changes but when I read the final version of the script, I'm surprised at how well the lines are laid out in the way my character would say them. He really looks at the script in detail so can do our best at acting them.
I'm always wearing my school uniform in the sitcom so I've been trying to change things up in my own way. One day, I'll leave the shirt out, another day I'll tuck it in. You didn't notice? Hahaha.
Hae-ri is like the child version of Sul Kyoung-gu.She's usually like a complete baby. She's girlish and will assume a prim air. But the moment she goes into shoot, she'll stop everything else and pull off her part perfectly. Both Hae-ri and Shin-ae are naturally gifted but have an even greater sense of professionalism.
On set, actor Lee Soon-jae himself sometimes will come up to me and point out the parts I lack at. I'm not the friendly type so I'm not good at talking to adults and the fact that Lee is regarded almost the king of actors made it even more difficult for me to talk to him so I'm very grateful that he approached me first. He was originally a professor so he points out things very accurately.
I like reading books. It helps a lot to find out about the minds of people who are as successful as President Barack Obama. I'm hoping that if I keep watching these great people, I will be able to become closer to who they are little by little and be influenced by them someday. I also really like books written by Buddhist monk Beop Jeong and U Simin so I read most of their books too.
Actors Choi Min-sik, Kim Myung-min and singer-actor Rain are my role models. They put in an extreme amount of effort into the roles they take on -- to an extent it'll seem harsh -- but that's what I want to learn from them. I currently don't have as much tenacity as them but I think being an actor is about really becoming your role. If I was ever cast for a part for which I have to lose 20 kilograms, I think it would be possible if I really became that person. I once shot a scene for a music video where I go into water to commit suicide. The scuba diving instructor told me not to worry because no matter how good of a physique one may have, actors manage to learn how to sink much quickly than people with other jobs. Actors can do everything. That's the thought that is deeply embedded in my mind right now. Why make an effort to like Se-gyeong in "High Kick 2" just because it's what is written in the script? If I actually become my character Joon-hyuk, I will really end up liking her.

Reporter : Yoon Hee-Seong nine@10asia.co.kr
Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr, Jang Kyung-Jin three@10asia.co.kr