Park Sihoo interview article on Japanese Magazine "Korean Entertainment Journal vol.57

Translated by : PuRMee : 2008/09/19

I would like to add depth of time like wine. Park, Si-Hoo  

Actor Park, Si-Hoo is a man that seldom changes easily. He is a man who is polite and still feels shy just like a new actor even now when he is so popular. His phone number is also the same for 10 years. His passion for acting is the same. When he was 20 years old, he suspended studying at a university and came to Seoul and had started to work as a member of playing team and since then, his passion for acting had never stopped or weakened. He never regrets to become an actor. With a strong confidence and faith to become an actor and to be recognized as an actor one day, he has been walking the path laid in front of him.

10 years of efforts of Park, Si-Hoo were demonstrated in ‘Let’s Marry’ as a cute man with less ages than a girl and also showed a fruit as a perfect second generation of rich person in a drama of ‘a Way to Meet a Perfect Neighbor.’ And his acting was fully blossomed through a role play of Si-Hoo in a drama, ‘Iljimae’ in which Lee, Joon-Ki was a hero of the movie.  

In the drama, ‘Iljimae,’ ‘Si-Hoo’ was a detective of Uigeum-Bu;義禁府 (an institute of punishing criminals by the order of King during a period Joseon;Korea) who tried hard to arrest a chivalrous robber of Iljimae (Lee, Joon-Ki) and he was a sad man who fell in love with the daughter, Eunchae (Han, Hyo-Ju) of his post father and he was also such a nice man who had risked his life to save Iljimae when he knew Iljimae was his adoptive brother. Park, Si-Hoo has made a role of ‘Si-Hoo,’ who changed from a bad role to a good role containing complicated feeling, as his own with tremendous hardships and efforts. He sweated with practices of martial art and voicing and had tried to pay attention to very minute feeling. Right after broadcasting, he was denunciated from enthusiastic fans only by the reason that he was an enemy of Iljimae but after several broadcasting of the serial drama, their criticism was changed to cheering and people’s interest and attention on actor, Park, Si-Hoo was increased together with the popularity of Si-Hoo in the drama. Park, Si-Hoo, who said he has acquired confidence which is more important than popularity through ‘Iljimae,’ plans to show more broad and excellent acting in his next works in a weekend drama of SBS, ‘An honor to my family.’ Park, Si-Hoo who said he would like to become a more excellent actor just like wine which gets deeper taste as time passes. We met this nice man in clear and early autumn season.

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Q : Do you realize that your popularity has been increased after Iljimae as you are now invited to many events including fashion shows as well as request of filming CF and other dramas?

A: Yes. I feel it really. I could not have a vacation after Iljimae as there were many other things. I first planned to have a vacation at the end of August but I have attended in a fashion show of Andre Kim. However, as I was in Bali for the fashion show and I could enjoy a little bit of vacances. (Laughter) In the past, I was appointed as ‘security advertisement ambassador’ of National Police Agency together with a singer, Bae, Seul-Ki. The Police Agency has contacted me as they saw me as a detective in the drama of Iljimae.

Q : It is now one month has passed after the completion of Iljimae. How do you remember Ijimae?

A: It was my first acting in historical drama and it was a new experience and concurrently was a momentum for me to change. I was very happy to be liked by so many enthusiastic fans by Iljimae even though I have received lots of love in other dramas I have worked for until now. More than anything else, I now have confidence as an actor. I was very worried at first but I could finish until the end and I have received lots of good evaluation.

Q : You may have had to prepare lots of things including martial arts practice as it was your first role in historical dramas..

A: Before filming, I had to practice more than 4 hours of martial art and horse riding practices at an action school every day together with other colleague’s actors. I also had practiced my speaking tones a lot to meet the requirements of the role of Si-Hoo in the drama that has a rather loud and thick manly voice. In particular, I had to spend many hours to study and understand to be able to express complicated internal mind of Si-Hu. As the character of Si-Hoo in the drama was a very brusque and it may rather seem to be very monotone, I had to pay lots of attention to the minute details.

Q : It was a drama with many famous scenes or conversation. Do you recall any famous scene or dialogue?

A: I still remember most of scenes and it is difficult to select only one. In the last episode, the scene to cut the throat of teacher according to the teaching that ‘cut anyone who blocks your path regardless of friends, brothers, and even Buddha’ was especially impressive. Scene of lighting the road by arrow for Eunchae who was walking in a dark night or scene of cutting a finger on behalf of Eunchae was particularly come to my mind.

Q : May be many female fans were impressed deeply by the scene of cutting your finger for Eunchae. (Laughter) In reality, is it possible for you to make such a sacrifice for your lover?

A: I may not be able to stay still without doing anything regardless it is your lover, your younger brother when you see their fingers are cut. More over, I never had thought or even imagined that I had to cut their fingers by myself. I think other people will do the same..

Q : As you have lots of desires to accomplish and you may have many things that you regret..

A: Later parts of the drama, I had difficulties and even my acting expression did not work as I had wished. I was very tired traveling back and forth between Seoul and country side for filming and also we had filmed for about 4 episodes more and I wished that I could have more clear expression in story and feeling but I have more satisfaction and affections than regrets.

Q : Do you have any reason for selecting ‘An honor to my family’ of a weekend drama of SBS as your next work?

A: When you select works, you first read scenario and think whether you can make sure to have correct images. In that sense, ‘An honor to my family,’ which was written by Chung, Ji-Woo who is an author of ‘a way to meet a perfect neighbor’ is what I have expecting. I decided to act believing in teacher, Chung, Ji-Woo who knows me very well. I think I also can learn many things from many senior actors.

Q : What kind of character is the role of Lee, Kang-Seok, a son of nouveau rich?

A: Kang-Seok is a little bit different from reckless sons of nouveau rich. When he works, he is very cold-hearted but he is such a gentle and nice man to his family. However, he is not always right and he is sometimes ignorant, reckless, and even cute. He is a kind of character that has all advantages of my role plays in dramas until now. (Laughter)

Q : In modern dramas, you always play a role of the second generation of rich people and they point out that you have to change such an image..

A: I have no intention to play a humorous role just to change the image. However, as I have been playing a role of very calm and quiet person and I plan to play my role of Kang-Seok in a little livelier mood. Since Kang-Seok is a character with wide range of character changes, I may be able to show various aspects to the fans. If I can express my advantages in simple manner through a role play of Kang-Seok, I think I can take a role of bad guys or comic character slowly and gradually.

Q : It reminds me that you had expressed your wish to play a role of bad guys and do you still have the same thinking?

A: As I don’t have such experiences and I still feel like to play such roles. (Laughter) I like very much acting of dual aspects such as Edward Norton had shown in ‘Primal Fear.’ I want to play a role someday for sure that one looks honest but changes to psycho or murderer suddenly.

Q : When does the filming of ‘An honor to my family’ begin?

A: The entire filming starts from September 4 and the part in which I play a role starting from September 11 in Hadong. As I gained confidence from Iljimae and as the work looks interesting, I already feel my heart beat right now.

Q : We look forward to that. By the way, don’t you feel psychological burden as you have become so popular these days suddenly?

A: I was out of dramas for a short time due to my military service but since the start of my career at 20 years old, it has been already 11 years. In that sense, I may be slow in growth. But I am not in haste as I played a role of hero in drama and made a little progress until now. And don’t people say that men begins their life ‘from 30 years old.’ (Laughter)
I only feel cautious in my behaviors as many fans pay attention to many little things of my life and I have a trend of usually staying home on holidays. (Laughter)

Q : We hear that you have spent a long time without being known in the industry and we wonder how did you overcome such difficulties?

A: Yes, it’s true. (Laughter) When I was only 20 years old, I just came to Seoul without preparing and thinking carefully and had started my role in dramas at Daehak-Ro and had audition several hundreds of times while I worked as a professional. However, I have never regretted for starting acting and I had confidence that someday I will become a good actor. Even now, I think what I may be doing if I did not start my life as an actor but I have no answer. (Laughter)

Q : You look very cheerful despite it is an interview in a long time. Do you find anything you have been changed while you worked?

A: I don’t know well. I often heard that I am speechless and rather withdrawn and I need to change that but it was not easy to change. But I have become brighter than before but I am still very quiet when I am with strangers. (Laughter) However, don’t you think it is sometimes good for people to maintain something heavy that never changes?

Q : We have watched a program you appeared with your family. Your father was very good-looking as he was a model when he was young. Your mother was also beautiful. It seems like that your family is the most happy for the recent popularity about you.

A: Yes, my family was the most happy and was strong supporters for me to be successful and become very popular. In the past, my mother and I had sent beverages to many women at Zzimjil-Bang (a Spa facility in Japan) but now because of broadcasting of Iljimae, some ladies are calling us to come over to visit them. (Laughter) My younger brother is my manager and pays attention to many minute details for me to do comfortable activities. I sincerely thank them all.

Q : You may have feeling of thanks to many fans too.

A: I really thank them as they treat me like a family member. They even come and visit filming site of dramas and CF and present me with gifts or letters and food. In summer, some fans even prepared ice-pack telling me the weather is hot or I was impressed that some Japanese fans came and visited the filming site and gave me letters they wrote in Korean language. It seemed like that most fans were quiet like me and they were very quiet and gentle. (Laughter)

Q : You have filmed many dramas with Famous Korean Stars such as Kim, Rae-Won of ‘Which star do you come from?’ and Kim, Seung-Woo of  ‘a Way to Meet a Perfect Neighbor,’ and Lee, Joon-Ki of ‘Iljimae’ and we would like to hear from you about their attractiveness briefly.

A: Kim, Rae-Won is younger than me but he is very matured and masculine attractiveness. Elder brother, Seung-Woo has big-heartedness, leadership, and ability to make filming site as one and I have many things to learn from him. Lee, Joon-Ki has attractiveness of unexpectedness and he acts really hard and seriously and he is really nice and handsome.

Q : In dramas, you have played with many beautiful actresses like Bae, Doo-Na, Chung, Ryeo-Won, and Han, Hyo-Joo but you may have no time for dating with girls in reality because you are so busy. Does this mean that your marriage may be postponed? (Laughter)

A: It is not so that I have no time for dating as I am busy but I feel a little bit lonely since it is autumn. (Laughter) As I have a brusque character, I don’t easily like someone but once I open my heart, I am a type to continue the relation for a long time with a sincere heart. I want to marry a little later after I work more first. May be in the middle of 30s or later in my 30s? It may be a lie saying that I don’t care about appearance but I think the first impression is the most important. I like a girl who can communicate and who has real class.

Q : What is your goal as an actor and right now, how close you are now to that goal?

A: As I have many things that I did not show to the fans, it is just a beginning for me now. I want to become a recognized actor as I get old. It may be excellent if I can become attractive to young female when I become 50s and 60s like ‘Sean Connery’. I think I want to maintain masculine and sexy attractiveness.

Q : Who are your favorite Japanese actors? Or please tell us if you have unique experience about Japan.

A: I often enjoy watching Japanese dramas with plenty of feelings and emotions. I like ‘Watabe’ (渡部篤郞;와타베 아츠로) in ‘I don’t need love, summer.’ I think he has excellent acting performance and attractiveness. I also like ‘Watanabe Ken’ (渡邊謙;와타나베 켄)  of ‘Last Samurai.’ Talking about Japan, I remember ‘culture of reservation.’ In March, I went to Gairuijawa (輕井澤;가루이자와) and I had to change my hotel suddenly in haste. When I arrived at a hotel which I had confirmed accommodation but they said that I cannot use it because I have not reserved. It was raining and dark in night and the taxi I took had returned already and I had begged explaining the situation to employee of the hotel and I could stay finally but I had felt the importance of reservation in Japan. (Laughter)

Q : We are glad to hear that experience is a sort of memory. (Laughter) Then, please say greetings to Japanese fans.

A: Right now in Japan, ‘a way to meet a perfect neighbor’ is now under broadcasting and I also hear that ‘Iljimae’ will be broadcasted soon in the near future. If you love these two dramas, I think I can meet you earlier in Japan. I also promise to show you better figures of me through ‘An Honor to My Family.’ Thank you !

Credit : parksihoo.com, thank you!