<Interview> Actor Lee Sin Young, who plays a former star player in the movie ”Rebound” to be released nationwide on April 26th, talks about her lack of basketball experience and how she prepared for the role

The film "Rebound", which depicts the miraculous true story of a new coach and six players of a weak basketball club on the verge of being disbanded and their goal of competing in the Korean national championships, will be released on KADOKAWA and KADOKAWA.
It will be released nationwide on Friday, April 26th by K+. Here is an official interview with Lee Sin Young, who plays a former star athlete who is in a slump!
In 2012, Coach Kang Yang-hyun and the Busan JoongAng High School basketball team advanced to the national finals with just six players and no substitutes.
The miraculous story of a real team that shocked and swept across Korea is now being made into a movie after 11 years of planning! The director is PENG SOO, Korea's first medical suspense drama that was released in Japan on TV Series.
Jang Han-jun is the screenwriter and director of the movie "Signs," which was remade and became a hot topic, and has also produced many works as a director, including the movie "Memories of Night."
Kwon Sung-hee, who won the Main Prize at the 27th Busan Film Awards for his work on "Black Venus Star" and is also known for his work on the Netflix series "God of Narcos," and
Kim Eun-hee, who has been involved in Hot Topic productions such as "Kingdom" and the TV series "Signal" and is well-known as the best in South Korea, and other top-notch staff members will be teaming up!
Coach Kang Yang-hyun, who will lead the basketball team to the glorious stage of the national finals, will be played by Do
Llama Ahn Jae Hong, who appeared in "Dak Gangjeong" and "Masked Girl" and the movie "Secret Job." Members of the basketball team include "Charming People," "Crash Landing on You," and "Romantic Doctor
The group includes Lee Sin Young, a young actor who has been gaining attention for his work in Hot Topic productions such as "Kim Sabu 3," Jung Jin Woo, a member of "2AM" who is expanding his horizons as an actor, and "I found him by chance."
Jung Gun Joo, who has appeared in popular dramas such as "Haru", "True Beauty", and "Oh! My Baby", and Kim Tae-hyung, who became a hot topic for appearing in the TV series "Love is Love".
The film was released in theaters in Korea in April last year and has been a hit in Japan since "THE FIRST SLAM"
This is the first Korean basketball movie after "DUNK" and is a hot topic! A realistic youth movie that will bring refreshing emotions to everyone who sees it has been born!
Q. This is your big screen debut through ‘Rebound’, and your first time acting in a film that really focuses on sports.
It seems like this is your first time doing a film like this, so I would like to ask you why you decided to appear in this film. A. It is no exaggeration to say that everything about this film, "Rebound," was a first for me.
I had no experience of acting in a film genre, playing a ball game such as basketball, or acting based on a real person and a true story. It was all a first for me.
However, these were things I really wanted to try, so I didn't want to miss this opportunity. I'd like to thank the director and the filmmakers for giving me the opportunity, even though I was still inexperienced.
I decided to try my best so as not to cause any trouble to all the people who were working with me on the film, and I decided to act. I will not be greedy, but will train in the basics one by one, prepare thoroughly, and
I went into my first shoot with a strong determination to get in. I think that's why I was able to complete the shoot without any problems.
It was a valuable and precious time that allowed me to grow even more as an actor.
Q. I heard that in order to star in the movie "Rebound," you practiced basketball every day and sent the video to the director. What was it about this movie that attracted you?
A. First of all, I knew nothing about the sport of basketball, so during my first meeting with the director, we talked to each other about the character and the work.
After the meeting, I heard that the director thought that I had a high degree of synchronicity with the character of Ki-beom. However, Ki-beom's role is a central one and he is a genius.
Because he plays the guard position, he needs to have basic basketball skills, and I heard that this was the area he was most worried about. If that is what the coach is worried about,
I wanted to show my confidence and trust in me through actions, not just words. I'm not very good at it, but I wanted to do my best and show a different side of myself growing every day.
I took the time to record the process of practicing so that I could move naturally. I think the director liked my efforts and gave me a chance.
And the biggest attraction of this film is that it is based on a true story, and I get to play a real person, which is what appealed to me the most, and I think that was a big deciding factor.
Q. You had no experience playing basketball before filming "Rebound." What was the most difficult part of filming?
What are your points? If you have any stories, please tell us about them. A. Of course, basketball was the hardest. All the other actors were actually basketball players.
It was a burden because I was at a level where I could play street basketball. It took me a while to solidify and learn the basic skills before filming,
The actors also helped each other out and became more dependable as they worked on each step, which created a good synergy effect and made filming fun.
One difficult episode was when I had to tape my ankle in the film, but in reality, I had been playing the role for months without taking a break for filming.
The damage was accumulating and I needed to support myself. In the midst of all of that, I remember feeling like I was really invested in this piece and doing my best.
Q. The movie "Rebound" became a hot topic due to its high degree of synchronicity with real people. I heard that you thoroughly researched the characters, but what did you pay particular attention to when preparing for the role?
Have you had any? A. Actually, I had a lot of trouble preparing for the role this time. No matter how realistically I tried to act, there would be parts where "Lee Sin Young" would come out, so I tried to be different from the preparation process.
I tried to make it look like the real person (Jung Ki-beom) who I modeled after, by comparing his speaking style, tone of voice, posture, gestures, hairstyle, and even his small habits in an interview.
I also thoroughly researched and tried to analyze various things I glimpsed in the relationships between the players, their friends, and their families.
When I ran into difficulties, I would consult with coaches Kang Yang-hyun and Jang Han-jun for advice.
Q. Did the director give you any advice about acting or any particularly memorable stories?
A. What made an impression on me was when you said, "Rebound is a film that must be filled with realistic youth." You made the atmosphere on set really warm and lively.
Even when it was tough or we were physically exhausted, he created an atmosphere with his unique wit and humor and made us feel better.
In addition, for each scene, not only during rehearsals but also during filming, he always worried and consulted with us while creating it,
It was a special time, and I think it was because of all of this that we were able to create a very warm youth film. Q. Could you tell us about your collaboration with the actors who played the players of Busan Central High School?
I want to ask. A. After all the casting was confirmed, we started practicing together for three months before the filming started. We practiced together at a set time, and after we finished, we met with an actor who lives nearby.
The two of us met up and practiced together again. We even went to watch a basketball game together. We spent a lot of time together, so we were already in character before filming started.
When filming began, I think I was highly synchronized with the character and our chemistry was closer to perfection than ever before.
Q. Lee Shin-young, was there anything that you were passionate about when you were in high school?
A. I had been dreaming of becoming a model since I was in third year of junior high school, and I think high school was the time when I worked hard to make my dream come true.
I looked up modeling agencies myself, explained my intentions to my parents, and started taking lessons. I studied really hard at that time.
Rather than hanging out with my friends, I felt very happy and enjoyed working hard for my dreams, rather than feeling tired and exhausted. Q. "Rebound" is finally coming out in Japan. What do you think about the Japanese audience?
A. I was very excited and happy when I heard the news that my first screen debut, "Rebound," would be released in Japan.
We hope that many people in Japan will watch the film and feel the "realistic youth" that we put into it. We look forward to your interest and anticipation!
If I have the opportunity to work in Japan, I would like to meet you in person and say hello. Thank you! Movie "Rebound"
Cast: Ahn Jae Hong, Lee Sin Young, Jung Jin Woo (2AM), Jung Gun Joo, Kim Taek, Kim Min, Ahn Ji Ho
Director: Jang Han-jun Screenwriters: Kwon Sung-hui, Kim Eun-hee Produced by: NEXON Korea
Corporation Produced by: BA ENTERTAINMENT, WALKHOUSECOMPANY
2023 / Korea / Korean / 122 min. / Color / 16:9 Cinemascope size / 5.1ch / Original title: Rebound /
English title: REBOUND / Subtitles: Rie Nemoto / General Movie) Distribution: KADOKAWA, KADOKAWA K Plus
Provided by: KADOKAWA K Plus, MOVIE WALKER PRESS KOREA Ⓒ 2023 NEXON Korea
Corporation, BA ENTERTAINMENT, WALKHOUSECOMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Official website: https://rebound-movie.jp OfficialX: @reboundmoviejp
April 26th (Friday) Shinjuku Piccadilly and other theaters nationwide