“Son Byung Ho Game? We Need Games in this Age” [Interview]

There is another character that isn’t seen as much in the movie “I am a Father.” This character is acted out by Son Byung Ho. He is the father that is in trouble of losing his family. He is a father that is completely different from the one acted out by Kim Seung Woo, who will do anything possible to do what he has to do.

Since Son Byung Ho is known for his roles as the evil character in many movies, one reporter even asked him why the two roles were switched. Son Byung Ho said “an actor can act as anyone. It is more fun when people don’t realize that the person who is known for acting as one image is acting as a completely different character.”

-Will this be the work that you get rid of the evil character title?

> I act so that I can hear “that doesn’t look like you.” I think that when people don’t realize that it’s me acting that character, that is when I know my acting was great. Back when I was acting in small theaters, people used to say “so and so is great at acting.” That’s when I would say “that person is me” and it feels so good to say that. Every actor has their own philosophy but I am jealous of actors that change with every work they do.

-You must be sad that you are not used as much to promote this movie.

>I am not that interested in promoting. We already are using the better known Kim Seung Woo to promote and I understand that.  I may not show up in promotions but next to light there is always shadow. I am that shadow.

There is always something I regret is every movie that I do. However, even with these regrets, the person I become most attracted to is the character that I act.

-You are always so humorous. You always lead in breaking the ice whenever you are with younger people. Some think it’s your manners that allow you to do so.

>That’s just the way I live. I realized this a long time ago and that is that I should enjoy myself once I meet other people. I am usually peaceful but if I am angry, it’s hard to stop me.

I think we need to be nicer to weaker people. This may be the ‘manner’ you speak of. I can’t take it when someone who has everything they need is bragging and is mean. Also, I hate people that are weak when they come face to face with stronger people. I think this has to do with pride. We need to respect each and everyone’s skill not their position in society. The ability to study well, the ability to act, the ability to make copies on the copy machine; everyone has one ability that they are good at. This is why I think we need to respect everyone.

-In some ways, your character in the movie sounds like a message from you.

>The character, Sang Man, is someone who accepts everything. He wants to live fairly so he lives even while accepting unfair compromises. And when he tries to fight it because it seems way too unfair, he rethinks it once again. I think that is what made me attracted to this character. It is the instinct of a human to get angry when one is hit by someone. I’m like that too. But I really liked the last scene where Sang Man doesn’t give up his way of life because he gets mad and tries to make the child smile. It was a beautiful scene.

-I don’t think we should call you “evil character specialist.”

>I am now variety specialist. I like these titles that people call me by. “Evil character specialist,” “late bloomer entertainer”… I understand that these phrases are to capture attention. I accept these because it shows that people are accepting my existence. I really don’t have a reason to fight it except when it gets out of hand. And when it does, I just need to tell them to stop.

“Evil specialist” is great too. It’s not that I think I’ve only acted as evil characters but it does exemplify my basic image in movies. “Evil character specialist” translates in Son Byung Ho, and I’m thankful for that. It may be the phrase that kept me in this industry all this time.

-You received attention in variety programs only recently.

>To be honest, I just let things work out the way it’s supposed to work out. I don’t think that struggling will do anything beneficial.

Truthfully, what can the actors and actresses do on variety shows. It’s all close friends making jokes with each other anyways. Kim Soo Ro told me that variety shows are essential to promotions so I went out on one. I was so nervous back then. I was thirty all the time, I couldn’t talk, and that’s when I realized that I need to be comfortable to be able to do anything on these shows. The variety shows I went to afterwards, I was more comfortable and didn’t care if I was edited out.

-How did Son Byung Ho game become a hit.

>I believe that nothing gets people closer in meetings than games. “Son Byung Ho Game” getting popular was by sheer chance. It was by luck that Yoo Jae Suk was on the show, and it was by chance that Lee Kyul Shil laughed hard at the game. It was also by chance that the viewers enjoyed the game a lot to ask that they trademark it. There is one bad thing though. It’s that they don’t know my face anymore. Before, people used to know my face but not my name, but now it’s the other way around.

-You seem to like spreading games even on different shows.

>I think that this generation needs games. Son Byung Ho games isn’t my creation. It’s a game me and my friends used to play a lot. When we play that game, it’s easy to tell what the others are thinking. People play truth games to listen to each other’s stories, and play the name game to memorize the names of others. There’s nothing like that these days. People are just starting at their phones or their mp3 players all day. I feel that games are necessary to get to know people. These games almost force us to talk to each other and to learn the stories of others.