[On the Record] "Acting is getting more fun" The Proud Kang Dong-won

Actor Kang Dong-won Interview

Movie 'Cheonbaksa Exorcism Research Institute' Cheonbaksa Role
"Like a modern Jeon Woo-chi... drawn to fantasy"

Kang Dong-won Photo by AA Group

Actor Kang Dong-won (42) is the original 'kkotminam' (flower + handsome man). Noted for his handsome looks, he continues to attract attention with his dazzling appearance. Although he debuted in 2003 with the drama 'Proud Her' and is now celebrating his 20th anniversary, his fame remains unchanged. The same goes for the movie '?Cheonbaksa Exorcism Research Institute: Secret of the Snow Scene?' (hereafter 'Cheonbaksa'). With a small face and striking features, his beautiful face fills the screen. Cheonbaksa, somewhere between Han Chi-won and Jeon Woo-chi, is punctuated by his radiant appearance. His long-standing reputation dates back to the much-discussed 'Temptation of Wolves' (2004).

On the afternoon of the 21st, Kang Dong-won met at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and said, "Cheonbaksa is not a cool character, but I hope to hear compliments on my good looks again this time." When asked if being noticed for his handsome appearance in every work is burdensome, he shook his head, saying, "There's nothing bad about it." He added, "It's always nice to hear that I look good."

He is a 'heavenly actor' who smartly understands the popular culture market and industry. Kang Dong-won was straightforward. His noble attitude remained unchanged. His honest and unpretentious wit and hearty laughter were also intact.

'The tuna oppa who defies time.' This was a netizen's reaction after watching the trailer for the movie 'Cheonbaksa.' That's right. Having interviewed him for over ten years, he simply does not age. His appearance is not maintained without care. Kang Dong-won laughed heartily and continued.

"Actually, our CEO keeps nagging me, saying 'You need to start getting managed now.' I didn't used to go to dermatologists, but I do now. I never stop exercising. I mainly do weight training. I did Muay Thai for over a year but not anymore. At the beginning of filming 'Cheonbaksa,' my skin tone didn't match well because I had tanned a lot, so some color correction was done, but other than that, I don't know much. (laughs)"

Kang Dong-won Photo by AA Group

'Cheonbaksa' tells the story of a fake exorcist Cheonbaksa (Kang Dong-won), who does not believe in ghosts but possesses ghost-like insight, receiving a request for a powerful case unlike anything he has experienced before. It was produced by Oyu Naegang, a production company run by director Ryoo Seung-wan. Kang Dong-won recalled that he connected with director Ryoo thanks to director Lim Pil-sung, with whom he trained together in the U.S. Originally, he said he only knew director Ryoo's contact information.

Kang Dong-won said, "There was a time when I was brainstorming freely with director Lim Pil-sung, and he told me, 'I didn't know you were this kind of person,' and introduced me to director Ryoo Seung-wan." Director Lim had expected Kang Dong-won to be a prim actor, but the person he met was different. Kang Dong-won laughed, saying, "I'm not that kind of personality at all."

"After coming back to Korea, I was suddenly introduced to director Ryoo Seung-wan. I originally knew his contact info but we weren't in touch. Later, director Ryoo sent me the script. That's how it happened. I had just returned from training hard in jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai in the U.S., so I showed him some training footage I had filmed, and he was like, 'Oh?' He said, 'There's a good guy named Kim Sung-sik who was also my assistant director.' So I read the script and met him. He was known as an ace among assistant directors."

Kang Dong-won said, "When I first saw the script, I felt it was an 'action movie disguised as a horror film.' I told director Ryoo, 'What kind of horror is this? It's an action movie,' and he agreed," he laughed. He added, "Cheonbaksa wasn't a character who was very good at action. But since it was a movie with a lot of action, I couldn't avoid it. The setting of 'using the power of a spiritually strong sword to repel' resonated with me."

'Dr. Cheon' still image [Photo by CJ ENM]

He said, "I usually like occult movies and have liked ghost movies since I was young." He also said, "I like works that incorporate fantasy into any genre. I don't like realistic stories. I sometimes wonder why we have to tell stories in movies about what we see in reality." Then he laughed, saying, "I guess that's just my personality."

There were no stunt doubles for Kang Dong-won's action scenes in 'Cheonbaksa.' He said, "I did everything myself this time. I even acted out flying and falling onto a roof. I felt that the more Cheonbaksa gets hit, the more the audience would like it," he laughed. He recalled that the action acting was not easy. "When I woke up, my body ached and recovery was slow. Lifting my heavy body, I thought, 'I have to run again today,'" he couldn't stop laughing.

Kang Dong-won described Cheonbaksa as a character "somewhere between 'Jeon Woo-chi' (2009) and 'A Violent Prosecutor' (2016)." This was also why he was drawn to the script at first. It was a character he liked. He said, "He is sly but has pain, and his outward appearance and inner self are different. He was similar to Jeon Woo-chi. It's like seeing a modern version of Jeon Woo-chi. I tried to capture the midpoint between the two characters while expressing it as newly and differently as possible."

Kang Dong-won Photo by AA Group

Kang Dong-won recently revealed on a variety show that he wants to act until he dies. When this was mentioned, he said, "I said that when I received the rookie award as a newcomer, and my thoughts haven't changed." He continued, "Acting is my profession," emphasizing, "It's something I want to keep doing until the end."

"Working is fun. It gets more fun as time goes by. I really like my job, so I don't think this feeling will break. I liked it when I debuted, but I thought it was a tough job. Now I don't think that way anymore; I just enjoy it. There's no other way to explain it. It's really fun."

He is also quite interested in production. He said, "Although I haven't put my name in the credits, there are works I have participated in producing, and I am continuously preparing. I expect visible results by next summer."

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