Actor Cho Byeong-gyu in a scene from the film ‘Boy’. Photo by Movie Special City SMC

Actor Cho Byeong-gyu shared his thoughts on returning to the big screen after two years with director Lee Sang-deok’s film ‘Boy’.

On the 6th, he attended a media Q&A following the press screening of ‘Boy’ at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. He spoke about returning to the screen following the recent controversy.

Cho said, “I’ve liked the way Director Lee Sang-deok works and the results he delivers as a fan. After reading the script for ‘Boy’, although I’m very much of today’s generation, I thought it could draw more young people into theaters, so I decided to take part.”

He continued, “The crew was younger than on other films, so coordinating opinions was fun. The process remains a good memory, and the sense of exhilaration left a deep impression,” adding, “I’m very nervous and thinking hard about what kind of connection our film can make with audiences.”

Actor Cho Byeong-gyu in a scene from the film ‘Boy’. Photo by Movie Special City SMC

In 2021, a netizen posted a claim that, during Cho’s study-abroad days in New Zealand, they suffered school bullying at his hands, sparking controversy.

Cho asserted that the accusation was false; however, last year Cho and his former agency, HB Entertainment, lost a damages suit worth around $3,000,000 (4,000,000,000 KRW) that they had filed against Mr. A, who had raised the school-bullying allegations.

At the time, the court said, “Based on the materials submitted, it is difficult to conclude that the exposé post is false,” and dismissed Cho’s claim. Cho appealed, and his return to acting is proceeding with ‘Boy’.

Directed by Lee Sang-deok, ‘Boy’ is set in a near-future dystopian South Korea and tells the story of a boy whose single act of love upends every situation. It opens on the 14th.