Actor Choi Woo-shik, who plays Ha-min in director Kim Tae-yong’s film ‘Number One’. Photo By4M Studio
When talking about the actor ‘Choi Woo-shik’ today, you naturally cannot leave out Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 film ‘Parasite’. The work that swept major festivals such as Cannes and the Academy Awards became a major turning point in Choi Woo-shik’s acting career. However, even that would not have happened without his 2014 appearance in ‘Giant’. After seeing ‘Giant’, director Bong Joon-ho cast Choi in ‘Okja’ and ‘Parasite’ in succession.
Choi Woo-shik has reunited with director Kim Tae-yong of ‘Giant’ for a new work after 12 years. Although ‘Giant’ led to ‘Parasite’, likewise, without ‘Parasite’ there would not be the current film ‘Number One’. Set to open on the 11th, Kim Tae-yong’s ‘Number One’ leans considerably on the performances of actors Choi Woo-shik and Jang Hye-jin. Therefore, had Choi not raised his profile with ‘Parasite’, it might have been a difficult project to launch.
Actor Choi Woo-shik, who plays Ha-min in director Kim Tae-yong’s film ‘Number One’. Photo By4M Studio
“I received unexpected love with ‘Giant’. I felt I should present an even better work, but genre-wise action seems to be the trend, and I was also concerned because Korean cinema is having a hard time these days. To be honest, I turned down ‘Giant’ two or three times, and I think I did the same with ‘Number One’. The reasons varied, from the content to the tone, but in the end I feel I made the right choice.”
As anyone who has seen it knows, the bleak storyline of ‘Giant’ made it a work that was hard to emerge fromChoi Woo-shik even fell into a period of depression after filming. The much warmer family drama ‘Number One’ came with a strong desire not to lose the good feeling he had with ‘Giant’. He also felt that, because he had personally been going through a difficult time, he didn’t want to tell a sad story. Still, Choi realized that while a ‘good story’ matters, working with ‘good people’ matters even more.
A scene featuring actor Choi Woo-shik as Ha-min in director Kim Tae-yong’s film ‘Number One’. Photo By4M Studio
“It’s a sad story, but the film itself isn’t only sad. There are cheerful, bouncy parts, and the director seemed to want to bring those to life. He enjoys wordplay, so that tone was there, and the presence of senior actress Jang Hye-jin, who played my mother, was also huge. Instead of being too obvious and weepy as a mother and son, we held somewhat opposite feelings, which actually felt more realistic. None of us express our emotions honestly all the timewe tend to circle around them a bit, don’t we.”
Jang Hye-jin and Choi Woo-shik reunited to play mother and son after ‘Parasite’. Back then, as Chung-sook and Ki-woo, they moved within an ensemble among many people. Since they had already grown close by that time, there was no need to spend extra time hanging out; instead, this time they found themselves marveling at each other’s acting. Jang Hye-jin rose to the role of a cute, bubbly mother despite the trials of fate, and Choi Woo-shik portrayed Ha-min, a son who cannot express his love but carries an unwavering heart.
A scene featuring actor Choi Woo-shik (right) as Ha-min in director Kim Tae-yong’s film ‘Number One’. Photo By4M Studio
“I played a high schooler again this time. Personally, I think ‘Number One’ might be my last time playing a high school student. (laughs) When you actually shoot, you end up acting alongside real high school kids, and now that breaks my immersion. When I was younger, I wanted to play adult roles as soon as possible, but now I enjoy playing younger characters. I don’t know how many more times I’ll be able to, though.”
There was also time for various ‘technical’ training to play Ha-min. Born and raised in Seoul and having lived in Canada, Choi Woo-shik studied the Busan dialect, and because of a late-stage character choice he also lost a bit of weight. Maintaining the emotional throughline of wanting to protect his mother was important, but ultimately the biggest thing he felt through this film was his relationships with ‘good people’.
A scene featuring actor Choi Woo-shik (left) as Ha-min in director Kim Tae-yong’s film ‘Number One’. Photo By4M Studio
“When you work, there are times when, as if by fate, things just don’t align and you can’t communicate no matter how hard you try, but that never happened on this set. It was, fatefully, a group of good peopleno one was a mismatch. Besides director Kim Tae-yong of ‘Giant’, I’ve also worked with another director named Kim Tae-yong on a project called ‘Wonderland’. Maybe it’s because they share the same name, but both seem to place the highest value on communicating with actors. That made it fun.”
After making his name with ‘Giant’, Choi Woo-shik showed the image of a bumbling yet sincere lover in works like ‘Hogu’s Love’ and ‘Fight for My Way’, while conversely expressing a wide range of colors in films such as ‘Train to Busan’, ‘Okja’, and ‘The Witch’. At home, he is a bit of a late-born child and seems to have received a lot of affection. His parents prefer seeing him laugh rightly on variety shows over watching him suffer through acting. So when asked about upcoming projects, he showed a bit more anticipation for variety shows.
Actor Choi Woo-shik, who plays Ha-min in director Kim Tae-yong’s film ‘Number One’. Photo By4M Studio
“I think I’m a son who’s like a daughter. I’ve been good at emotional exchange, but I don’t think I’ve actually cooked meals for my parents and such. Through this work, I thought in many ways about the presence of my parents. During the shoot I didn’t get to see them much, so I haven’t cooked them a heartfelt meal, but I think I should before I forget. Going forward, even in my projects, I want to bounce around and laugh a bit more so that my parents will be pleased.”
