easternkicks.com » Actors

Exclusive interview: Kim Kkobbi

Andrew Heskins — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:00:35 +0000

We chat to Kim Kkobbi, co-star of Yang Ik-June’s Breathless – out Monday 22 March as a two-disc collector’s edition DVD…

Was this your first trip to London? How are you finding it? Any chance for sightseeing or shopping?
Yes, it was my first time. However, I’m only staying for one day so I couldn’t sightsee. After doing a few interviews, I went shopping and after dinner, partied all night. It was a busy day!

What brings you to the UK this time?
I came to Europe as I was invited to the Dublin International Film Festival so decided to visit London.

When I spoke to Yang Ik-June late last year, he told me that he’d seen you in a short film and you’d blown him away. Originally you’d been up for a different role in the film. Can you tell me how he approached you initially for the role, and how you came to be the lead?
Oh, the Director saw me in a short film which I appear as a secondary school student. He thought I was too young to play Yeon-hue so had intended me to play Sang-hoon’s younger sister’s role. However, when he met me I was older than he thought and felt that I was capable of playing Yeon-hue’s character.

How was it working with Yank Ik-June on his first film as a director? And how does it compare to the other films you’ve worked on?
First of all, Director Yang was originally an actor he knew exactly how to work with actors. How to get the best from actors, how to make actors comfortable. That was what I liked the most. Compared to working with other directors, it was more comfortable and enjoyable. And I learnt a lot – I mean immensely a lot. Through this experience, I feel I have developed a stage further.

The film deals quite frankly with domestic abuse, but according to Yang he was not aware of any message in the film until it was completed and watching it on screen. How did you feel about the subject matter and how he dealt with it.
Hmm… To be honest, I have not experienced domestic abuse so I could not empathise largely with that area. However, the father’s role within a family and his status etc was discussed frequently. Fathers remain dogmatic, dictatorial and unfriendly. They are loners. We talked a lot about fathers who have difficulty expressing in a normal and healthy manner. And such a father’s relationship with his children, love and hate relationship etc.

Both You and Yang have won awards for Breathless at festivals around the world, from the Blue Dragon awards to the Las Palmas Festival. Have you been surprised by the international critical acclaim and success of the film? Why do you think it’s struck such a chord with audiences?
Yes I was very surprised. It is both an honour and a burden. The audiences say that the film’s beginning is very violent and aggressive so it was difficult to watch. However, the more they watched, it is also humorous and as they get to know the circumstances within the story, they feel sad. Audiences who have similar experiences within their own families said that they could empathise particularly more. I think everyone has big and small family conflicts so the film struck a chord with many of the audiences.

Am I right in thinking you’ve actually appeared in several films before? (In fact some of our reader might be surprised by how many.) These include City Of Violence and The Ghost Theater, for which you were nominated for best new actress (some four years too late by the looks of it!). Which performances are you proudest of, and which are the ones you’d like to forget?
Well, I was not nominated for City of Violence but for The Ghost Theater. Hmm… I filmed in several feature length films as a minor role, a few short films, my first main character role in The Ghost Theater and Breathless was my second leading role. I don’t have any work that I am proud of yet… I am expectant and looking forward to my future.

What have you been working on since this film?
Yes, I’ve done a lot of work since Breathless. Be with me is being released this May and also Be my guest… Both were shown at the Pusan International Film Festival. I also have finished filming 창피해 (English title TBC – either So Shame or So Embarassing).

What actors and actresses do you admire?
Hmm…I have a lot of actors that I like. I tend to see actors and think one is great at this and another at something else; and in the process learn from them.

Thanks to Kim Kkobbi for her time, and Joey from Terracotta and Paul from The Associates for setting the interview up.

We also spoke to Yang Ik-June late last year, read the exclusive interview here…

Breathless is released on a special 2-disc collector’s edition DVD on 22 March by Terracotta Distribution.

The Ip Man Interviews, pt3: Sammo Hung

Andrew Heskins — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:49 +0000

In the last of our series of exclusive interviews, we chat to Sammo Hung about collaborating with Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen on Ip Man and the upcoming sequel, ask his personal favourite films in his long career, and ask about… Martial Law!

How did you come to be involved as action director for Ip Man?

They asked me to! As you know, I’m very fat and need to eat a lot, so, as soon as someone offers me a job, it means I can eat again.

This isn’t the first time you’ve choreographed the martial art of Wing Chun for a film, you’ve previously done it for Warriors Two and (the all-time classic) The Prodigal Son. What’s the attraction to the Wing Chun style? Did you need to research more about the style this time around? Were you happy with the end result on screen?

When I was at Golden Harvest, I wanted to find a style that suited me. At Shaw Bros, Mr. Lau (Kar-leung) was doing films about the Hung Gar style, so I decided to focus on Wing Chun. I trained with a teacher called Guy Lai, and learned about the founders of the style, Leung Jaan, Leung Yee-tai… I found it looked good on screen, and it was something the audience hadn’t seen before.

There’s an obvious connection between you and Ip Man, in that you worked with his pupil Bruce Lee on films like Enter The Dragon. How important do think that is, and do you think it brings something extra to the film?

Not really. I have a lot of respect for Bruce Lee. Actually, when we first knew each other, we argued because he wanted me to be in his film (Game of Death), but I was too busy, and he blamed me. But he was a great martial artist and he earned my respect. I knew Bruce Lee was a student of Ip Man, but I respected Ip Man anyway.

In fact, you’ve been involved with several projects around Bruce Lee, including Game Of Death, infamously completed long after his passing away. Why do you think Bruce Lee has become such an enduring figure of both film and martial arts? What do you think made him so special?

Hard to say. Even if you have someone perform the same techniques as Bruce Lee, it won’t feel the same. He just had a unique power. I imitated him in a few films (Enter the Fat Dragon, Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon) and so I watched his fight scenes again and again. They still look so good, even today. If I knew his secret, I would have found someone to turn into a new Bruce Lee! But that’s impossible…

What was it like working with Donnie Yen again? Is it true you hadn’t worked together before S.P.L.? It does seem amazing to think that your paths had never crossed?

Actually, a long time ago, I was producing a film (In the Fire, 1989), and we really wanted Donnie to play one of the lead roles. I can’t remember what happened, maybe he was too busy. Anyway, we would see each other (in Hong Kong), and we always said ‘Oh, we should work together’, but it wasn’t until SPL that we got the chance.

You’re currently working on the sequel with Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen. Is it true you’re going to appear on screen this time? Can you tell us about your character?

My character is very handsome and charming, but a bit fat. He’s actually the most attractive character in the film! Besides this, he’s a master of Hung Gar kung fu, he lives in Hong Kong and, when Ip Man comes, he wants to test his Hung Gar against Ip Man’s Wing Chun.

You’ve worked as actor, stuntman, action director and director in your own right. How different are those roles, and which one do you prefer?

Directing, definitely. In recent years, I’m just acting and choreographing, but I really want to direct again, and I’m working on a new project now.

In your long, prolific and amazing career in the Hong Kong film industry you’ve worked with literally ALL the great stars and directors, from King Hu to John Woo, Cheng Kang to Tsui Hark, Bruce Lee to Stephen Chow… and so on (I’m not even going to try and list any more names!) Add to that you’re one of Jackie Chan’s oldest and friends. Who have youreally enjoyed working with and why? What are your own personal favourite films?

My favourites would be Jackie and Yuen Biao, those films we did together (Project A, Wheels on Meals, Dragons Forever). The reason is that we have known each other for so long, so many years, the bond between us is very close, so it’s a great experience when we work together. Why don’t we do another film with the three of us? I’m ready! Ask Jackie Chan!

How do you think the Hong Kong film industry has changed over the years? What do you think of the state of it now, and how do you think the future looks?

Of course, it’s not a fair comparison. When I started, Hong Kong cinema was at its height, not just in Hong Kong, but throughout Asia. We had the most popular films in Taiwan, in Korea… Hong Kong stars were the biggest Asian stars in the world. Now, the ‘Hong Kong’ industry is almost dead, but many people who worked in Hong Kong movies, like me, work a lot in China. I think the Mainland Chinese market is very strong, and so there’s still hope.

Who do you consider to be the best ‘big screen’ martial artist in cinema today?

Maybe that Thai kid (Tony Jaa) in his first couple of films. If you understand filmmaking, you can see he doesn’t use wire, doesn’t use a double. Of course, you always get new people, younger people coming in, so maybe there will be someone better than him!

Whatever happened to the TV series Martial Law? Do you think you’d try to take on any other projects in the US?

I don’t know! First season, the audience was good, second, not so good. Anyway, compared to movies, a TV series is very hard work, so I don’t miss it! I would do another film in America. Like I say, they just have to come and ask me. I need to eat!

Ip Man is released by Cine Asia/Showbox Entertainment as a two-disc DVD (£15.99) and single-disc Blu-ray (£19.99) on 26 October 2009.

The Ip Man Interviews, pt1: Donnie Yen

Andrew Heskins — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:00:18 +0000

In the first of a series of interviews, we chat exclusively to Donnie Yen about Ip Man, the sequel, the weight of inevitable comparisons to Bruce Lee, and much much more…

Ip Man was your fourth collaboration in a row with director Wilson Yip (and now you’re both working on the sequel). What keeps pulling you back together?

Well, we had such a good experience on SPL, our first film, that we just kept the winning team together! Seriously, Wilson and I are very different personalities. He is very low-key, never gets angry, you seldom see him at public events… I think it’s a case of opposites attracting. In the case of Ip Man, I could really turn the directing over to him and the action directing to Sammo and just focus on my acting, and I think that really helped my performance. I’m working with him again on Ip Man 2, and I’d work with him any time.

What attracted you to the story of Ip Man? Of all the well-known kung fu masters, why do you think he’s been overlooked for so long?

I think people only knew him as the teacher of Bruce Lee, so you only saw the character in films about him, kind of a supporting character. When you learn more about Ip Man, you realize that he had a really incredible life, and a huge influence on the martial arts world, in his own right. Maybe the right combination of elements didn’t come together until now to tell his story.

How much creative licence did you take with Ip Man’s life story?

Hmmm. Well, I’d say that everything we show has some kind of basis in reality, but of course we have to exaggerate some aspects to make an entertaining film. I mean, Ip Man did fight these challenges matches, he did have to survive in Foshan during the Japanese Occupation and he did move to Hong Kong to establish Wing Chun there. I think we did justice to him, and to his real story. His son, Ip Chun, was one of our advisors, and I know he was really happy with the film.

Film accounts of the legendary kung fu masters seem to be a genre of their own in Hong Kong movies, from hundreds of films inspired by Wong Fei Hung, to accounts of other masters like Huo Yuanjia (Fearless) and San Te (36th Chamber Of Shaolin), and so on. What’s your favourite movie based on a master?

It would still have to Bruce Lee playing Chen Jun in Fist of Fury. I played Chen in a TV series, and this year I’m making a movie about the same character. Also, I remember when the first Once Upon A Time in China film came out, with Jet Li as Wong Fei-hung. That was very impressive.

Wing Chun is a very different to other forms of martial arts. What makes it special? What research and learning did you have to do to bring it to the big screen?

The thing about Wing Chun is that the movements are like a chess game, where you’re countering your opponent’s movements. The techniques aren’t flashy; everything is at close range, but it’s one of the most effective styles of kung fu. I did a lot of research for the film. To be honest, after all these years making kung fu movies, I find it easy to perform any specific style on-screen. The real challenge I had was finding the character of Ip Man.

Your style of fighting on screen has become increasingly realistic looking, particularly since Flashpoint, and less obviously reliant on wires. Is this a deliberate move?

It depends on the project, and also on the setting. My own theory is that, if you’re making a contemporary film, unless its ‘Matrix’ or something like that, you can’t have people flying around. You go back to the era of Ip Man, you can have some more spectacular movements. Then, when you go back to like Crouching Tiger times, you can really have flying and so on. It’s the nature of the film that determines what style you will use. Now, with Ip Man, the setting was pre-war and wartime Foshan, and Ip Man’s style was Wing Chun, which is a very grounded, practical style, so the action had to suite those elements.

Unlike your other films with Wilson Yip, you handed over the reins of action director to Sammo Hung. Why was that, and what was that like?

It was a great benefit to have Sammo on the film. As fans of the genre know, he did several earlier Wing Chun films, Warriors Two, Prodigal Son, so we knew he had a deep understanding of the style. He brought all that to his choreography, and, as I mentioned, I could concentrate on just acting.

Is it true you hadn’t worked with Sammo Hung before S.P.L.? What was it like working with him again?

We were meant to do a film years ago, it was a thriller he was producing, and somehow it didn’t work out. Of course, I had known him for years and always respected him so much. When I worked with Sammo on SPL, I found him very patient and easygoing, and it was the same thing on Ip Man. Actually, we shot a cameo with me and Sammo, a scene that would have been at the start of Ip Man, but we cut it out, and now he’s playing a much larger role in Ip Man 2.

Did you encounter any problems during the shoot of Ip Man?

Honestly, whenever you make a martial arts film, the toughest thing is working with non-martial artists! You don’t want to hurt them and you don’t want to get hurt yourself! On Ip Man, of course Fan Siu-wong and myself have been making action films for years, but Ikeuchi-san, who played the Japanese general, had never really done martial arts before. But he trained very hard and we made him look good! That wasn’t a problem, but it was the biggest challenge of the film.

What scene are you proudest of in the movie?

Honestly, some of the acting scenes, the scenes with my family, after they’ve lost everything. The way Ip Man is forced to bow his head to the Japanese with all their guns. I mean, everyone has seem me do action before, but I never had the chance to play a character with this kind of depth.

It seems no film martial artist can go far in his career without being compared to Bruce Lee. I’m sure that’s happened to you in the past, and now – by playing the man who first taught Lee – that comparison is bound to be made again. Why do you think that is, and how does it feel to be compared to (or even ranked against) your hero? Did it occur to you that might happen when you decided on the project?

I’m sure every martial arts actor is described – especially in America! – as “the new Bruce Lee”. Of course, in my heart, I know no one can come close to Bruce Lee, but it’s an honour even to be mentioned in the same sentence as Bruce Lee. I didn’t really think about it before making ‘Ip Man’, because it was so obvious I was playing Bruce Lee’s teacher. I did before making the Fist Of Fury TV series, and I have been offered various projects over the years where I would have played Bruce Lee. I actually auditioned for Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story!

It’s been a while since you appeared in US movies like Shanghai Knights, Blade 2 and Highlander: Endgame. Have you given up on crossing over to a career in Hollywood to concentrate on your Hong Kong movie career instead? Or will you try again? How did you find the experience, and how different is filmmaking in the US?

No, I just had better opportunities here in Asia. It seems that, in Hollywood, if you’re Asian, you tend to get relegated to certain kinds of role, the sidekick, the villain… It’s the same thing Bruce Lee found when he tried to make it in Hollywood, and he really had to come back to Hong Kong to become a star. Of course, if someone offered me a great role in a great movie, I’d definitely consider it, wherever it was being made.

You’re now working on Ip Man 2, what can we expect from the sequel?

More and better, I hope! More drama, more action… We have Sammo Hung as a rival kung fu master, an expert in the Hung Gar style, so that is going to be new. We also have almost all the characters from the first film returning, so it’s a real sequel. You see the progression of Ip Man as a person, and also get to see Hong Kong during a very interesting era.

Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?

Too many! I already finished Bodyguards and Assassins for Teddy Chen, 14 Blades for Daniel Lee, I’m going to do a movie version of Chen Jun… I really feel blessed that, after the success of Ip Man, I’ve had some great projects offered to me.

Ip Man is released by Cine Asia/Showbox Entertainment as a two-disc DVD (£15.99) and single-disc Blu-ray (£19.99) on 26 October 2009. And we’ll be chatting to director Wilson Yip and action choreographer Sammo Hung over the next few days…

Exclusive interview: Gianna Jun

Andrew Heskins — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:00:58 +0000

We chat to Gianna Jun, who plays the lead Saya in the new version of Blood: The Last Vampire, released this Friday…

In Blood: The Last Vampire did you perform your own stunts? What sort of training did you do to get in shape for the role?

I had various training programs from a distance race to kicking practice and muscle-strengthening exercises in China and U.S. I also learned intensive skills such as wire action. The action director Corey Yuen helped me a lot.

What attracted you to the role of Saya in the first place?

When I first saw her, she looked very mysterious – unfriendly and gloomy. It was kind of shocking, but very attractive.

Had you seen the original short but impressive Animation version of Blood: The Last Vampire before accepting the role? How do you think the new film differs from the original Animation?

I saw the animation after receiving the role offer from the producer Bill Kong and was impressed by the character Saya. The film focused on visual attraction rather than the story flow, while the animation describes Saya’s character and relations in more detail.

As this is your first English language film, are you hoping it leads to more roles in the West? Perhaps even a career in Hollywood?

Of course. I’m willing to do my best whenever I can have a chance.

The production itself was truly international, with talent from France, China, UK, Hong Kong, Argentina, Japan, US and of course Korea. What was the atmosphere like on set?

We barely had mutual information one another, so at first, it sometimes made the work hard. But people were so nice and friendly that we all hit it off together.

What was the best part about making this movie?

I liked to travel several countries such as China, US and Argentina. It helped me feel refreshed.

In South Korea you are best known for appearing in romantic comedies and dramas, including Il Mare, the original version of The Lake House. What was it like appearing in an all-out action movie for a change? Did you enjoy it?

It was really hard, actually. I had a three-month hard training for this action project and it made me extremely hard. But it was nothing compared to the shooting. Have you ever hung on a wire in the rain for the whole month? I’m certainly sure it’d make you feel crazy. (laughs) I was able to get in the project because I had no idea how hard it would be before. However, it also has so many attractions that I’m willing to do it again if there are any good chances.

Have you ever seen American version of The Lake House? What did you think?

It looks new and very different from the original film. But, I’m so happy that Korean films are acknowledged and remade by Hollywood.

What are plans now?

I’m planning to do one of several Korean films, but nothing is decided yet.

Blood: The Last Vampire is released on DVD and Blu-ray on 2 November by Pathé. You can win the DVD here…

**We also spoke to Blood director Chris Nahon, click here to read our interview.**

Thanks to Gianna Jun, Pathé and Charlotte Mach from Substance for setting up the interview.

Exclusive interview: Yuri Lowenthal (Jinno – Afro Samurai)

Andrew Heskins — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:00:38 +0000

We talk to Yuri Lowenthal, star of Jinno in Afro Samurai and Afro Samurai: Resurrection, about life as an Anime voice actor…

What attracted you to the role of Jinno in the Afro Samurai films?

The fact that they asked me to play him. Not to be flip, but we rarely, as actors get to choose what roles we’d like to play. Unless of course, we’re Sam Jackson… But what thrilled me about getting to play him was his amazing arc as a character. He starts off as one guy and ends up in a very different, very very dark place. Plus I got to kick Sam Jackson’s ass. And they keep bringing him back from the dead for me to play again. And he’s a twin-sword-wielding insane cyborg death machine with a giant teddy bear head. What’s not to like?

How did you become involved in voice acting for Anime films (and video games) in the first place?

I started as an on-camera and theatre actor. I had always been in love with the many products of voice acting (mostly in the form of cartoons and video games) but never really thought of it as a possible career path until I moved out to LA where that work was a bit more available. I took a class to learn more about it, and my teacher ended up getting a job directing the dub of an anime series. I auditioned for him, was cast, and I started meeting people in that circle. That job led to others, which led to others. The more I worked, the … more I worked.

Are there any roles you’ve particularly enjoyed over the years?

It’s almost impossible to pick one character as a favorite. Some of my favorites include Superman from Legion of Superheroes, Ben Tennyson from Ben 10 Alien Force, The Prince from the Prince of Persia VG series, Kamal from ilovebees, Sasuke from Naruto, Yosuke from Persona 4, Suzaku from Code Geass, Simon from Gurren Lagann, Haseo from the .//Hack G.U. games, and of course Jinno/Kuma from Afro Samurai. Do you see how this is a hard question?

How was it working with far better known calibre of co-stars on Afro Samurai, like Samuel L. Jackson and Ron Perlman for a change?

“Working with” is an interesting term in voice acting. I actually didn’t even meet Sam until a couple of months ago at the release party for the Afro Samurai video game, despite the fact that I had been working opposite him for years. I do love getting to work on projects “with” them, though. Being a huge nerd, I’ve loved these guys for years and it’s an honor to even be associated with projects they’re involved in.

Have you been surprised by the popularity of the Afro Samurai character?

Only in that characters like this don’t usually get introduced to the masses as forcefully as Afro has. Certainly not because he’s not deserving of it. And it’s really a take-no-prisoners kind of franchise, not for the faint of heart, so I’m surprised, but happily so. It’s definitely my kind of show/movie/game.

Do you like the anonymity of voice work, or would you prefer to be ‘seen’ in more movies (and perhaps recognised in the street more often)?

Some days I feel one way, and some days I’m happy that I can go about my life and not be bothered. It all depends on the day. It’s a very odd type of fame. I don’t yet make enough money to buy a walled castle in the Hollywood Hills, so I think I’ll have to be okay with anonymous for the time being… In any case, I’m glad I was recognized enough to talk to you guys today. Thanks.

Afro Samuari: Resurrection, The Director’s Cut is released by Manga Entertainment on DVD on 27 April. The DVD will include: Afro Samurai Game; Enter the RZA; Afro in Depth; Afro Samurai: Meets the West Part 1; Afro Samurai: Meets the West Part 2; Afro Samurai at San Diego Comic-Con 2008 and Part A Video Commentary.

Thanks to Yuri Lowenthal for his time, and Farhana Shaikh of The Associates for forwarding the questions to him.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird interviews, pt 1: Lee Byung-hun

Andrew Heskins — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:00:02 +0000

No more mister nice guy. How Korean star Lee Byung-hun is ditching the romantic leads to play the bad guy…

In a side room of the labyrinthine Soho House – an allegedly exclusive members only club in the West End of London though teeming with activity this Friday afternoon – Lee Byung-hun is more charming and instantly charismatic than even the big screen appearance would give him credit for. The obvious romantic lead, past roles have seen him cast roles from the young soldier in Park Chan-wook’s JSA: Joint Security Area to the somewhat naïvely honourable gangster in Kim Jee-Woon’s A Bittersweet Life. Chan-wook even cast him as the director targeted by an extra for being too nice in his segment for Three… Extremes.

Yet in his latest role in The Good, The Bad, The Weird with Jee-woon, 38 year-old Lee has quite literally donned black to play the villain, though in an admittedly rather sharply tailored suit. Lee stars as The Bad Chang-yi, a deeply psychotic bandit leader, so did he enjoy playing the bad guy for a change?

“Oh yeah, because I’ve never done that before and this was a very new experience for me. I realised I could have those kind of expressions and emotions, changing how I use my eyes, my behaviour. It was surprising to find some aspect that I didn’t know was there! Mr Kim was surprised too, because we worked together on A Bittersweet Life previously, and he didn’t know I could do that, he saw a new side to me.”

So had Jee-woon taken chance casting him in that role? “I don’t think so. Maybe he got some kind of confidence to use me in that role. Actually I had the chance to select which role I wanted – he gave me a choice of the good or the bad, and said ‘what do you want to do?’ I couldn’t make my mind up, so finally I asked him, what would you like me to do? He told me that I should play the bad guy, it would be so cool. I guess really I’d wanted the chance to play a villain all along, so I went with the bad guy.”

So you unleashed your inner ‘badass’? Lee simply laughs in reply.

Unsurprisingly his role has brought a lot of parallels with Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, two young, handsome leads utterly believable in their roles as dangerous lunatics. Though Lee is keen to point out that Dark Knight was released a year after he’d finished filming. “Funny thing is a lot of fans have been making that comparison. I don’t know what it is, the dark circles round the eyes maybe?”

Was he apprehensive about how his fans would react? “Some of my Japanese fans were worried about that, because I’ve never done it before. They’ve been watching me play like, good guys, nice, romantic and so on. They were worried just before the screening, but luckily they were really satisfied with what they saw.”

And it’s not just his diehard fans that have appreciated the film, its been well received internationally. “Of course I was nervous when we went to Canada with the film. Neither I nor the other leads had watched it yet so it was our first screening too, and we were wondering how the audience would respond. After the screening the audience kept on clapping for 10 minutes. Part of me thought they could have been just being polite, but we could feel that it wasn’t. They were really clapping from their hearts so it was a surprising experience for me.”

So what is it about the film that appeals to people? “First of all it’s a Western, and everybody likes a Western. Second it’s an oriental Western, and that’s a funny combination – there’s a lot of comedy and slapstick moments, twists. I think your traditional ‘western Western’ is a lot simpler. A couple of guys in the desert, bang bang and that’s it, then there’s the eyes, when they’re staring at each other. So I think it’s a lot more active, there’s so much more action.”

And had he seen much of the Spaghetti Westerns that influence the film, particularly The Good, The Bad and The Ugly? “Not since I was 7 or 8.”

His mastery of the English language (not to mention French and Mandarin – though he wasn’t going to be tested there) seemed only dented by jetlag and a hectic promotional schedule. A translator stayed on hand to help with occasional words. But that was literally it, the occasional word.

His second film with Kim Jee-woon, what attracted him to working with the director again? “One of the main things is he can make the story interesting and fun, but he never loses the details. He always cares about the set, the props, the wardrobe – he always takes an interest in everything. I think he must have a headache because he’s so much in the detail! That’s why actors love to work with him.

“It was also kind of fun because the contract came before the film itself, so I thought it was going to be so hard to do. Basically I believe in Mr Kim, so he’s really great to work with.”

What other Korean directors does he admire? “Park Can-wook is one of my really good friends, and I love his directing. I think there are lots of great directors in Korea. Like Yu Ha [Once Upon A Time In High School, A Dirty Carnival], and Bong Joon-ho [The Host, Memories Of Murder, Barking Dogs Never Bite]

And what about his co-stars, The Good (Jung Woo-sung) and The Weird (Song Kang-ho)? “People, especially Asian journalists, are always wondering if we were in competition with each other. And we also thought like that, but when we got out to the desert in China we didn’t have time to think about it. Not just because of the action but the environment was terrible, it was hard. We thought a human should not be here. Sometimes you couldn’t breathe because of the sandstorms, and everything was so awkward and uncomfortable. So we had to work together, we could not feel that kind of rivalry.

“We were so happy when we got to rest. Everyone, the makeup team, stunt guy and actors always had a soccer game. There were no actresses, only guys, so it was like being in the army.”

So a bit of a disappointment after playing the romantic lead so often, then? “Yeah, actually’” he laughs. “But that still has another attractive point. Guys only, so we could talk about anything, particularly girls.”

Did he perform the stunts himself? “Almost all Korean actors know how to kick. Everyone learns Tae Kwan Do at school, they learn in the army to. Fortunately I’m still flexible, even though I learned when I was four or five years old. I can kick, use defensive skills, so actually action is not that big a deal. But sometimes when I have to do something really dangerous I have a conversation about it with the director and we decide I’m not going to do it. But normal action scenes are my favourite to do.”

What was the most dangerous thing he was asked to do? “Actually riding horses was the most dangerous, because there were a lot of explosions as you saw and they’re not a machine. You don’t know how they are going to react after the explosions or gunshots and that made me, and everyone else, nervous. We were riding so fast and then when the explosions went off they’d move away from them. That was the most dangerous for me.”

Amazingly, this was the first time he’d ridden a horse. “And the first day I went to a horse riding school I learnt for just one hour, and ended up breaking my ankle so I couldn’t learn anymore. For one month I had my foot in a cast and had to ride like that. And then we had to go to China so I didn’t have time. I’d had maybe 10 lessons, but still not enough. In China the environment was totally different anyway, no mountains, only desert. Maybe it’s a good environment to learn in, but the horses are so different too, so raw, so it was almost like starting again anyway. The speed we rode was rather too fast to learn it, there being no obstacles there.”

So did he get saddlesore? “Yeah, I did. But you couldn’t think about the soreness or the pain, we just had to get on. Then after we realised we were covered in bruises, we were sooo tired!”

What was the most fun thing he did on set? “Actually I think the scenes may have been deleted, but every time I had to react to a gunshot or explosion we’d do three or four takes for my expression. I’d always ask him what he wanted, but on the last take I’d always do what I wanted to. And it was always the last shot that was the good one. That was the most fun part, as I wasn’t aware of my potential to portray those sorts of expressions, I just went along with how I felt. And what came out of it both I and the director were happy with, but unfortunately some of them were deleted – perhaps they’ll be on the DVD?”

About to make his Hollywood debut, what does Lee think that means for his career? “Actually I’ve had two experiences. The first is with Ann Hung Tran on I Come With The Rain, where I star with Josh Harnett, the second is G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra with Stephen Sommers. That was quite a good experience even though I had an awkward time. Everything was so different, the systems, the special language.”

“Still I it was a good experience. I’ll keep working in Korea, so I don’t lose my base, but if I’ve a chance to work in Hollywood again then why not? If there’s a good project for me than I would like to work there again. Basically, I’m going to work in Korea, keep going back and forth.”

Despite this, Lee sounds more than a little jaded over his experience there. “I could tell they’re much more rational than we are in Korea. They really think the time is important. Because they’re much more commercially minded they don’t waste their time, they don’t want to waste the money. So every day we have to gather at six o’clock in the morning. We don’t do that in Korea, they just decide right after the shoot, ‘okay, we’re gonna meet at four in the afternoon’, just like that.”

“In Hollywood it’s more rational, but much less familiar. It’s not like family. You can’t feel the same friendship that you would on a Korean film set. Sometimes I feel the studio guys are too much, they’re too logical. For example, I needed to take some time to go somewhere, just two days, and they said I should look at my contract again. I don’t think that feels very human.”

So did he get to hang out with the stars? “Actually Dennis Quaid had to shoot another movie, so we had to finish his scenes first, he finished in just a month. So we only met on his last day on the shoot. We’d met for reading and rehearsing, of course, but on the shoot, just once.”

So does that mean he’s going to get his own action figure? “That was my first time using a sword, so I had to train for a month with the stunt guys. And to use a sword was so strange, I hadn’t really fought with one before. But yes, a figure is coming out. It’s so funny, the head is really small but I can tell it’s me! You can tell…”

The Good, The Bad, The Weird is released on UK DVD and Blu-ray by Icon Home Entertainment on 1 June 2009.

Thanks to Chris Lawrence of Icon Film Distribution and Paul Smith of The Associates for setting up the interview, and of course Lee Byung-hun for his time.

Jun Ichikawa tribute at 21st TIFF

Andrew Heskins — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:00:00 +0000

The 21st Tokyo International Film Festival is to include a tribute screening to Japanese director Jun Ichikawa, who died last month, of his latest film Buy A Suit. His work included the adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s Tony Takitani, and easternKicks was fortunate enough to talk to him about the film. It’s sad news to hear about his passing, especially as the years had not lessened his pushing of creative methods, both in telling a story and technology. In person he was reserved but quite charming. You can read our interview here, and read more about the tribute at TIFF on their site.

Tony Leung and Carina Lau wed

Andrew Heskins — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Hong Kong actor Tony Leung has married long term partner Carina Lau in a Buddhist-inspired ceremony in Bhutan, according to reports.

Tony Leung came to the attention of Western audiences in Wong Kar-wai’s In The Mood For Love, and Infernal Affairs, which was remade by Martin Scorsese as The Departed. He also appeared with Carina Lau in Kar-wai’s 2046. He most recently appeared in Ang Lee’s controversial Lust, Caution.

Lee slates China ‘ban’ on actress

Andrew Heskins — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:31:37 +0000

Director Ang Lee has criticised a reported Chinese media ban on the leading actress, Tang Wei, in his award-winning erotic spy thriller Lust, Caution.

Jackie Chan mourns death of father

Andrew Heskins — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:50:49 +0000

Jackie Chan’s father, Charles, has died at a Hong Kong hospital, news reports said Wednesday. He was 93.

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