[Interview] 'Mission Possible' Kim Young-kwang "First Action Challenge, Satisfied Like a Flying Squirrel" (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Kim Young-kwang expressed his desire to challenge various genres.

On the morning of the 15th, Kim Young-kwang shared various stories about the movie Mission Possible (directed by Kim Hyung-joo) during a video interview.

Mission Possible is a thrilling comic action film about Woo Su-han (played by Kim Young-kwang), the owner of an advance-payment detective agency, and passionate secret agent Yoo Da-hee (played by Lee Sun-bin), who strategically cooperate to solve a weapons smuggling case. The film is set to be released on the 17th.

Kim Young-kwang plays Woo Su-han, the detective agency owner who will do anything for money, and works alongside elite secret agent Yoo Da-hee, who is willing to risk her life for the success of the mission, portrayed by Lee Sun-bin.

On this day, Kim Young-kwang said, "I am very satisfied with the action," adding, "Since it was my first challenge, I chose a comic action that I could enjoy rather than take too seriously."

He said, "I was impressed by the process of being persistently annoying but resolving things, and I focused on the back-and-forth between hot and cold moods. I thought about how to best showcase Woo Su-han's charm throughout the process."

He emphasized the snobbish side even more. Kim Young-kwang explained, "When joking around, I might seem somewhat annoying, but I actually tried to portray him like a snob. I acted to look very annoying so that the audience could understand why he behaves that way in awkward situations."

Having performed all the action scenes without a stunt double, Kim Young-kwang candidly laughed, saying, "Because I am tall and have long arms, my appearance didn't match that of the stunt actors, so I had no choice but to perform all the action scenes myself, which was difficult."

Regarding his action performance, Kim Young-kwang rated himself "88 out of 100," laughing, "For a first-time actor, I looked agile. It was like a flying squirrel." He added, "I think the results came out well because I practiced hard. I am satisfied without regrets."

Jackie Chan's movies were a great help in preparing for Mission Possible. He recalled, "I watched many films by my favorite action actor Jackie Chan for reference. Besides that, I also watched comic action movies to prepare for this film."

"I enjoy new challenges. I want to try something new in any genre. I like B-grade comedy films and animated movies. I think my style of comedy comes from there."

Working alongside Lee Sun-bin to solve the weapons smuggling case, he said, "When I first heard I was cast, I felt 'we'll get along well,' and she turned out to be cheerful and receptive. Thanks to that, I was able to film comfortably until the end," adding, "The set was enjoyable. I played around a lot with Lee Sun-bin, and the atmosphere was good."

Regarding the scene where he appears as a fan of the girl group Red Velvet, he said, "I looked up videos and memorized the songs. I should have sung well, but I sang in a ridiculous situation, so I apologize," which brought laughter.

On the same day, Kim Young-kwang is preparing to appear simultaneously on the big screen and small screen. With the release of the movie Mission Possible and the upcoming broadcast of KBS2's new Wednesday-Thursday drama Hello? It's Me!, he said, "It’s quite nerve-wracking that the drama and movie are being released at the same time by chance. I hope everyone enjoys them. It will be fun to have options to choose from."

"In the drama, my character is so immature that you might wonder if someone can be that childish. The chemistry with co-star Choi Kang-hee is good. Both of us are shy, so it took time to get close, but now we are very close and work well together on set."

It was also revealed later that he declined a fixed cast offer for JTBC variety show Knowing Bros, which became a hot topic. He expressed his unique intention, saying, "If I were offered now, I would gratefully accept. The members helped me a lot during the recording, so I developed a good impression."

Regarding the movie release amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Kim Young-kwang said, "I just hope to surpass the break-even point of 1.5 million viewers." He appealed, "It’s a movie you can comfortably enjoy with a happy heart. It’s an entertaining film that helps you erase complicated thoughts and relieve stress."

Debuting as a model in 2006 and starting acting with the 2008 drama The World They Live In, he is now in his 13th year as an actor. Kim Young-kwang said, "I want to appear in many works. I will strive to be an actor who can be used in various genres regardless of the type."

"I want to try manly and heavy noir works. When I watch movies, I enjoy imagining myself as the main character. I also want to challenge villain roles in thriller genres."

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This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.