[INTERVIEW] Actor Park Min-woo

Park Min-woo [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

My name is Park Min-woo
I was born on March 22, 1988. My family is composed of my father, mother and a sister who is four years older than me.
My sister and her husband are the ones that point out things about my acting the most. "I'm enjoying your show. But I think your pronunciation makes it a bit hard to hear you." Then I'll say, "Yes, brother-in-law. I don't have any excuses. I'll pay more attention to it. [Clenches teeth] Okay. I'm hanging up now!" [laughs]
In my cellphone, I've saved my mother as Geum Jandi and my father as Wolverine because he's a bit hairy.
I'm tall because I'm like my father. I'm 188 centimeters now and I actually found out that it would happen from a test on my growth plates. "You'll grow till you're 188 centimeters tall," the doctor said. I really hope I won't grow anymore...
When I first came to Seoul, even I myself think I was, wow... a real country bumpkin. I had lots of pimples, my thighs were this big and had fat all around the sides of my belly as well. I used all the money I made from part time jobs on the dermatologist and I think I came to love myself more from then on. You may not be all that right now but you'll become pretty! I told myself. [laughs]
I used to love ramen but I haven't eaten even a box of it after coming to Seoul. No snacks, carbonated drinks or ramen because I was told it would be bad for my diet and skin. It's been quite hard for me because I gain weight from whatever I eat.
I did a lot of part time jobs which involve serving. At cafes, restaurants and indoor cart bars. Restaurants are the easiest but there'd always be conflict between the kitchen and hall. Even the guys who serve would sometimes call me out to the back. And they'd always have a cigarette in their mouths and slightly loosen their aprons. [laughs]
I don't remember this but I've been told I was quite the manipulative child. For example, my parents ran a store and if a customer brought their child, I'd go pinch that child and ask for money from my mom. And she couldn't say no because I had made the child cry. [laughs]
People around me now tell me "You're a bear that wants to pretend to be a fox." They say that they can read all of my moves. [laughs] But I still act the way I do. So what if they can read my moves, I tell myself.
As a child my dream was to become a soccer player. And I still watch all the matches that go on during season. They're usually on at one or two in the morning so if I have a shoot at 5 in the morning, I go to sleep really early, then wake up to watch the matches, and sleep in the car on my way to the shoot. [laughs]
The one person I really want to meet is player Park Ji-sung. I mean, he's the dream of all soccer players. And baseball player Ryu Hyun-jin as well. Because Hanwha is the hope of Daejeon! I saw that he recently did an interview where he said that he'll make Hanwha win at least once before he goes to the major league, and that it'll be next year. So I'm really looking forward to it. I trust Ryu Hyun-jin!
I'd like to try doing the narration for a documentary. Like Kim Nam-gil did for MBC's "Tears of Amazon." I've always like watching the National Geographic or Discovery channel. I heard there's a place called Laos, beneath Vietnam, which is as underdeveloped as the Amazon. Umm... I don't think a documentary has been done on Laos yet... [laughs]
When "Cool Guys, Hot Ramen" ends, I've promised my manager that we'll learn mixed martial arts. I'm sure I'll be given the opportunity to do action sequences so I'll learn it in advance. And of course, I do like watching UFC and player Kim Dong-hyun but soccer is the only sport I watch on time.
I'd like to play a role that is heavily romantic, like the one Josh Hartnett played in "Wicker Park." A man who without hesitation chooses love over work, honor, money and love. A man who persistently tries to go back to the woman who hurt him so that he may overcome the pain he gave her.
What I actually want for myself too is 'What is there that cannot be done when I love her?‘ but...... [Sighs] I just wish there was someone.

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