Actor Byron Mann talked about his memories of filming with co-stars Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Je Hoon in the movie "Soju Wars," and how he watched them on set.
On the 30th, the day the movie "Soju Wars" was released, Byron Mann gave an interview at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
The "Soju War" is a battle between executives and investors of a soju maker, a national drink in Korea, that was hit by financial difficulties after the currency crisis (IMF), and the fate of soju is at stake.
The film is drawing the interest of potential audiences with its theme of soju, a drink known to all Koreans, and a story that appropriately evokes the pain and nostalgia of the IMF era.
In the film, Byron Mann plays Gordon, the Hong Kong head of a global investment company and In-beom's (Lee Je Hoon) boss. He is an ambitious man who will not stop at anything for profit.
"Soju War" is Byron Mann's first Korean film appearance. He is a Hong Kong-American actor who has appeared in films such as "The Big Short" and "The Big Short."
He has been a prolific scene-stealer in major productions such as "The Great Return."
During the three months it took to film "Soju Wars," Byron Mann had the actors practice Korean dining culture, which appears in the film's main scenes.
When asked if he had a chance to have a little fun, he said regretfully, "Most of the filming took place in the provinces, such as Daejeon and Suwon, rather than Seoul, so we didn't have many opportunities to dine together."
However, "instead, I spent a lot of time on set. What's interesting is that even though I didn't have many scenes with Yoo Hae-jin, I talked a lot with him outside of filming.
"I was surprised when he revealed that he spoke English well. We spoke a lot, especially in English. Maybe it's because he's traveled a lot to different places around the world, but his English was impeccable."
He added, "We also spoke in English the day before the press conference for the film. We asked each other about our safety and whether we had traveled anywhere recently."
He also had high praise for Lee Je Hoon, with whom he shared the most scenes. He said, "I think Lee Je Hoon is a really dedicated actor. He takes his work seriously and is very polite.
"He was an actor who acted in a straightforward manner. We did many takes for the scenes we appeared in together, and there were many scenes where we did multiple takes until he was satisfied, which left a strong impression on me."
He also said, "What was particularly difficult for Lee Je Hoon in this production was that nearly 40% of the lines were in English. I had never acted using so much English before.
If I put myself in that situation, it would be the same as me appearing in a movie and having to act in Korean for a large part. As an actor, when I speak lines in a language that is not my native language, I have to think hard.
It is a big burden for an actor to have to think about whether the words he is saying are accurate as lines.
I think the fact that he decided to do a film like this and followed through shows how thoroughly he prepared and worked hard as an actor."
"Soju Wars" was released on the 30th and is currently showing in cinemas in South Korea.
