Skin: Doona Bae finds it annoying, but we respectfully disagree.

In every phase of the South Korean film industry’s global rise over the past two decades, Duna Bae’s work has been at the center of the picture.

He starred in Bong Joon-ho’s two directorial debuts; Dogs that bark never bite (2000) and its international breakthrough Მ Host (2006), not to mention the first part of Park Chan-wook’s revenge trilogy, Compassion for Mr. Revenge (2002). She has worked on renowned international projects such as Japanese titles like cute cute cute (2005) and Hirokazu Kore-eda air doll (2009); And he moved to Hollywood more successfully than almost any other Korean actor of his generation. He acted in Wachowski’s ambitious science fiction experiments. cloud atlas (2012) and ascent to jupiter (2015) and was also a leading figure at the beginning of the streaming era, appearing on Netflix sense 8 (2015-2018), Streamer’s first Korean hit, Kingdom (2019-) and more recently in the science fiction series the silent seaAgain with Netflix.

At Cannes 2022, which is already a big debut for Korean studios, Bey returned with leading roles in two films: Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda is one of the nominees for the competition. HallHis first Korean film and the partner of his Golden Palm owner from 2018. thieves; And the title of Korean director July Jung’s Critics’ Week Next SoheHis second film with Jung since 2014 the girl at my door. In both films, Bay plays a police detective investigating crimes against young people.

Sadly, the actor won’t be attending Cannes this year due to filming in Los Angeles for Netflix’s sci-fi Zack Cinder. rogue moon. facing the skin, the hollywood reporter He caught up with Bey after a day of filming to discuss his current approach to his craft.

Congratulations on the two films you have this year in Cannes. impressive in both Hall s Next Sohe You play a police detective because you also played the role of a police officer in July Jung’s first film, the girl at my door (2014) and you just played a cop in the hit TV series Weird. Do you think there is something about you, as a person or an actor, that is particularly suited to this type of role?

Well, it’s not because of any particular advantage on my part, or because I feel my personality is particularly suited to these types of roles. I think this is more of a coincidence. but as for Hall s Next SoheI think to a certain extent I like making movies that deal with social issues, so maybe that’s one of the reasons why I’ve always played the role of a different cop.

Can I invent a theory? You have a really amazing gift for playing characters that at first seem aloof or cold on the surface, but over time a really delicate emotional shift begins. So maybe detectives are good vehicles for your talent, in a way, because on one level cops are a little insulting, as they’ve seen it all before and just follow procedure; But, of course, these are still people who react emotionally to extreme situations. Some of the other characters you’ve played share this quality to an extent, like an airy doll who lives in Korea. air dollOr a cloud clone Atlas. What do you think?

Yes, I totally agree! (laughs) When I play a character, I don’t focus on analyzing the character’s profession itself, and I don’t approach roles that way. I want to dive into that to make the person inside the character shine, whether it’s the human or non-human character I’m playing. I think what I want is for my audience to look at my characters and my performance and feel what’s at the heart of the character and not what I show on the surface. And that was consistent in my 20 years of acting, from the beginning.

You mentioned that you are interested in participating in films that deal with social issues. Can you read a little more about it?

Well, that’s nothing special, but it’s a more natural concern, especially for social issues involving children or adults. I think my mind and heart go to these questions. This is not based on my own experience; I just hope for a better world for young people. Even when I watch the news these days, the issues that really bother me are the ones that concern children.

You’ve worked twice with July Jung and Hirokazu Kore-Eda. What is it like working with each of them and what is your opinion of them as artists?

Oh, I don’t assume your rating or evaluation. They are two directors that I have a lot of respect for. I worked with Mr. first time run air doll In 2009 and since then he has been the number one director in my heart. He is highly respected in every way: for the way he sees the world, for the way he treats his actors, the crew and the entire crew on set. That’s exactly how he sees life. He’s the kind of person I aspire to in every way. When you imagine working with these great master directors, you can imagine that they are asking their own way on set as much as they are oppressive. But really, with Mr. Rush, does it allow you to be completely alone on set, almost to the point where you sometimes think I’m fine? But at the same time, when he gives you all that freedom, he really knows what he’s looking for and understands everything perfectly.

As for July Jung, he’s a director that I really adore. I decided to make your first movie, the girl at my doorJust five minutes after reading the script. I love his writing style, how he writes each of his sentences with such a controlled movement, but with such force. It works Next SoheIt was a film that I had a strong personal love for and I really enjoyed my time on set. The way he directed everyone on set was completely different from when he worked with him on his debut a few years ago. Back then he was still a bit modest, even feminine, but now he masters and masters his game perfectly. It was a great experience.

So, the Korean film industry has certainly gone through an incredible evolution and expansion in the last two decades. And you were the central figure of that movement and you drove it to the end. What does the latest global recognition of Korean cinema mean to you? And how do you assess the current state of the Korean film industry?

Compared to 20 years ago, as you say, Korean cinema has come a long way and enjoys the attention and love of viewers all over the world. I’m very proud of it. Especially when you consider the relatively short history of the Korean film industry compared to Hollywood. I’ve also worked on a number of international projects and one thing I can say is that from the beginning of our Korean industry, our artists had a very strong passion and drive to bring their unique visions to life, and until the end, even when the industry was very smaller than it is today, they said, well, one day it will shine and be recognized.

But that creative passion isn’t something money can buy, so while I’m very proud of where we are today, I’m not without worries or anxieties. I’m worried that as we become more and more successful, we’ll focus less and less on genres, themes, or ways of processing materials and lose the creative diversity that made Korean cinema great.

So when I choose Korean projects these days, much more than when I choose Hollywood projects, I deliberately try to focus on slightly different themes, or where something new can be expressed.

There used to be a short period in his career where he would take the time to pursue an acting career. I think you did photography, right? How do you feel at this point in your career? Is acting something you think you’ll always want to do your whole life if you can imagine a time when you wanted to do something else?

You know, to be honest, being in front of the camera at this point in my life is what makes me feel most alive. It’s still very difficult for me to be an actor, but it’s the only thing that makes me feel alive. I don’t know how to install it any other way. I really love it. My life beyond the movies is pretty boring. I’m a boring person. But being a different person during the play, even though it’s very difficult and challenging, and every day is a struggle, it’s still a lot of fun.

I used to have this feeling, maybe I wanted to be a better person, a more mature person, become a better actor for better acting. Then I would have some time to relax, explore and have more life experiences. But now I feel like I don’t know when I won’t be able to do this job again. You know, it could be health issues, professional reasons, or anything else that prevents you from taking action. But now that I have that opportunity, I want to focus my whole being on the work I love to do.

The interview is edited for length and clarity.