[Interview] Kim Go-eun "I Practiced Crying Loudly to Open My Voice"

Musical Film 'Hero' Kim Go-eun
"I Want to Be Praised for My Singing That Touched Hearts"

Actor Kim Go-eun. Photo by CJ ENM

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "When I was offered the role in 'Hero,' the director said, 'Where did you hear that I sing well?'"

Actress Kim Go-eun (31) took on her first-ever musical film. She confidently performed all the numbers live, earning praise. When asked about her thoughts, she answered like this, showing no lack of confidence.

In a video interview held on the afternoon of the 9th, Kim Go-eun said, "When I was offered a role in the movie 'Hero' (directed by Yoon Je-kyun), I was curious and went to see the original musical. Like any Korean citizen, my heart swelled with grandeur."

Set to be released on the 21st, 'Hero' depicts the unforgettable last year of An Jung-geun, who assassinated Ito Hirobumi in Harbin in October 1909, was sentenced to death by a Japanese court, and faced his death. Kim Go-eun plays Seol-hee, an intelligence agent of the independence army.

She said, "In musicals, the songs are the dialogue. I expressed the lyrics as dialogue while singing." She added, "I was worried about what if things didn’t go as I wished or if I couldn’t do well. I kept practicing singing with emotion by renting a rehearsal room."

Kim Go-eun, who had confidence because she had trained in musicals while preparing for theater and film entrance exams in high school, revealed that she faced such difficulties preparing for 'Hero' that she almost lamented her fate. She called for help from her fellow actors Lee Sang-yi and Kim Sung-cheol, who were classmates from the 2010 class at Korea National University of Arts.

"I begged them to come to the rehearsal room just once to look at my musical singing, promising to adjust my schedule somehow. The two, who initially thought I was exaggerating, were shocked after hearing my singing and asked what had happened to me. They said I had forgotten how to vocalize and held me back lamenting. I sat down and cried, asking them to teach me how to produce sound."

Still from the movie 'Hero'. Photo by CJ ENM

Jung Sung-hwa, who played An Jung-geun, also portrayed An Jung-geun in the original musical. Kim Go-eun said of him, who is also active as a musical actor, "He is amazing," shaking her head, adding, "Musicals are a genre that is not easy to challenge." She said, "It requires tremendous self-management and discipline. Performing on stage every day, you can’t imagine not managing your voice or being in poor condition."

When asked if she had any intention to actually challenge musical performances, she laughed heartily and shared an anecdote about auditioning for the musical 'Hadestown.'

"Humans are creatures of forgetfulness. I wanted to forget those painful times and have the desire to challenge musicals again. After finishing filming 'Hero,' I went to audition because my favorite 'Hadestown' was being performed. I sang trembling like a leaf. They gave me another chance to sing again because I was nervous, but I got even more nervous (laughs). I backed out. It’s my dark history."

She revealed that although 'Hero' was not an easy film, she was able to overcome it thanks to the generous support of director Yoon Je-kyun. Kim Go-eun recalled, "At first, I thought the director was a great master and felt vague about him. But as we worked together, I was surprised that he was not authoritative at all." She continued, "He maintains horizontal relationships." She added, "He memorizes everyone’s names on set. Even when asking for something, he calls people by their names. I learned a sense and warm attitude from him."

"I will also try to become someone like the director in the future. I want to resemble him. He made the atmosphere good with lots of funny jokes. Although practicing singing was so hard it made me cry, filming was such a happy place that I don’t recall the hard times. I filmed with a smile. 'Hero' is happiness. No, it was so good that it can’t be expressed in one word."

Actor Kim Go-eun. Photo by CJ ENM

When asked what kind of evaluation she wanted to hear, Kim Go-eun immediately answered, "I would be delighted to hear compliments that my singing touched people." She said, "Yesterday, I saw the theater filled with an audience and thought, 'That’s how we were.' I’m looking forward to greeting the audience after the release of 'Hero.' I hope audiences gather again in movie theaters."

Lastly, she urged people to feel history closely through An Jung-geun and the independence army in 'Hero.'

"I want to emphasize that the heroes in the movie were heroes because they were heroes, but they were individuals no different from us. It’s a movie that makes you feel the fear young men who lost their country must have felt before their sacrifice, and the pride that such people gathered to protect our country. Please support the movie we made with one heart and one mind."

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