Interview with Im Si-wan as Jun-yeong in the Netflix movie 'I Just Dropped My Smartphone'
"What if 'I Just Dropped My Smartphone' is remembered as a bad movie? As an actor, I have to accept it humbly. I wonder if people recognize me that way. I don't care about hot and cold. Haha."
Actor Im Si-wan showed off the face of evil in the Netflix movie 'I Just Dropped My Smartphone (hereinafter referred to as Smartphone)'. He revealed that he is not in a position to choose between hot and cold food.
'Smartphone', which was released on Netflix on the 17th, is a realistic thriller that unfolds when an ordinary office worker loses his smartphone containing all his personal information and his entire daily life begins to be threatened.
In the play, Im Si-wan takes on the role of Jun-young. Junyoung is a man who approaches Na-mi (played by Chun Woo-hee) after accidentally picking up her smartphone. Im Si-wan portrays Joon-young, a character with cool eyes who commits gruesome crimes using a smartphone.
Im Si-wan said about the reason he chose 'Smartphone', "I liked the structure. When I read the script, I was impressed by how well-organized it was. I think it's important to get a feel for it when you first read it." He continued, "I remember where I saw the script. The first time I saw the 'Smartphone' script, I saw it in a specific space in my house. The feeling at that time was so dense that I was drawn into it, and It was great. One twist was a big deal for me. “I went there. I should say I felt like I was stabbed in the back. A lot of that stayed in my mind,” he added.
Im Siwan said he imagined everyday fears. He said, "The easiest thing is when you get spam or advertising calls or texts, 'How did they get my number?' I thought about those things a little. Because of this job, I have no choice but to use social media. I tend to do it passively, but I still upload my information, right? I don't know that an unspecified number of people. “I don't think it's a pleasant feeling in itself,” he said honestly.
Im Si-wan said, "I am also a person who relies on my smartphone while filming, so I feel the fear of what if something like this actually happens. As there are more and more things you can do with your smartphone compared to before , it becomes even more scary." .
It was Kim Hee-won who recommended 'smartphone' to Im Si-wan. Im Si-wan said, "Hee-won recommended this movie to me. He said, 'I think it would suit you well,' and asked me to try it. So I saw the script. He recommended it before 'Emergency Declaration' came out. Hee-won said. "I thought his acting was really great from the beginning. It was the same in 'Incomplete Life'. Even when he made a special appearance in 'Bad Boy's World', I was very impressed by his acting."
Im Si-wan said, "There was a scene where I was curious and interesting about my brother's acting. I was so curious about how he captured his emotions that I even asked him. I respected him so much for his acting skills. He worries a lot about acting. On set. “He makes a lot of attempts like this and that. I think it's enough. Even when we were alone, he was constantly worried. In fact, in a way, even though I was a completely black “junior, he had no hesitation in front of his juniors. I think that’s amazing.” revealed.
Regarding his collaboration with Cheon Woo-hee, Im Si-wan said, "Woo-hee's older sister went through a lot of cuts during the last emotional scene. In fact, strong emotions in emotional scenes are very volatile, so you learn it after doing it a few times. That's why I think those feelings become dull. But Woo-hee No matter how many cuts were taken, my sister kept pushing forward with that energy. She looked amazing at that moment."
Im Si-wan said, "I enjoyed watching 'Smartphone,' which is a popular Netflix watch. This movie starts with a 'thump' sound. I think it has that power. I don't know if it's because I'm used to it as a person who often watches Netflix, but the 'thump' sound is “I was immersed in the fact that the sound was inviting me to Netflix. It's the same movie and the same video, but I have to say that I have “A little more anticipation,” he said.
He said, "I went home after work, turned on Netflix while eating, and saw the trailer for 'Smartphone', so I watched it with that feeling of 'Should I watch it?' In fact, since Netflix is watched at home, it's no different from watching a movie at the theater. That's it." "I think it's emotional. I watch Netflix a lot. Even if I hadn't appeared in it, I think I would have watched it if there was a trailer for it," he added.
Initially, 'Smartphone' was prepared for a theatrical release, but was released in over 190 countries around the world through Netflix. Im Si-wan said about the Netflix release rather than the theater release, "There were some good things and some disappointing things. There was nothing bad."
He said, "Because it is being released simultaneously in over 190 countries, it is easy for overseas fans to access it. What is unfortunate is that it seems to have been the first offline event since the pandemic during 'Emergency Declaration', but in the end, no matter how much the internet has developed due to the pandemic, it is not possible for audiences directly offline. "I felt like that was the only emotion that came from meeting. This is why I felt like I had to film a movie and wanted to film it. It was a shame that I couldn't hold an offline event," he explained.
Im Si-wan said, "I always worry about (character) balance. Rather than playing too many villains, I wish there were more good roles than 6 to 4. The release date was almost close to 'Smartphone' and 'Emergency Declaration' “It wasn't my intention. It just happened to be that way," he said. In addition, Im Si-wan made people laugh by saying about the viewing response of 'Smartphone', "As an actor, you have to accept it humbly. Why not acknowledge it at least that way? It's not something to tell whether it's cold or hot."
Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia reporter kkk39@tenasia.co.kr